Broicism: The Manosphere’s Obsession With Stoicism
Stoicism has taken the Manosphere by storm, with numerous influencers preaching its gospel. But are they truly preaching Stoicism?
Media, in its various forms, has always been a playground for the humanities and all they have to offer. Concepts and ideas pulled from philosophy, history, and literature studies have been implemented in movies and books time and time again.
However, the 21st century marks a strange period in time when philosophy is also being implemented in social media. While philosophy has lost its prior prestige, it has seen a resurgence on TikTok. Most notably, it has enjoyed popularity in the Manosphere. Stoicism, in particular, has become the flagship school of thought in the Manosphere. As a matter of fact, many books and daily publications have been dedicated to its gospel, with the Daily Stoic in particular being amongst the most popular, which is shown in the TikTok below.
The return to simplicity has been lauded as the perfect remedy in this bustling world of modernity. Numerous influencers within the Manosphere have gone to extreme lengths to preach its gospel to their followers. There have even been numerous online publications dedicated specifically to this school of thought. Yet, many philosophers worry that stoicism has become divorced from what it originally was. Many argue that it has evolved into something new: broicism.
What is Stoicism?
Stoicism is commonly touted and “practiced” by those within the Manosphere as a means to improve your lifestyle. Yet there is a stark difference between the stoicism that was preached by the ancient Greeks and the stoicism that is preached now. Because of this, it is important to give a brief history of stoicism to make sense of these differences.
Stoicism as a school of philosophy was founded by Zeno of Citium around 300 BCE. It enjoyed popularity amongst Roman emperors such as Marcus Aurelius. His book “Meditations” has become a fan favorite within the Manosphere; it is commonly seen as the stoic bible. Stoicim’s teachings can best be summarized as the adherence to human virtue, which was comprised of the traits of justice, courage, wisdom, and moderation. Additionally, its primary belief is that one can only control their actions, not actions that happen to them. By adhering to the values of virtue and tempering how you respond to external forces in your life, you are able to be a truly virtuous person.
Broicism vs. Stoicism
Broicism is a convoluted form of stoicism that more closely aligns with how stoicism is defined as an adjective. Most people pursue stoicism as a means to become non-expressive and closed off. Broicism, while preaching stoicism’s principle of self-control in response to external forces, more or less preaches the lack of emotion a man should have. It has convoluted stoicism’s teachings to justify or practice a form of emotional withdrawal.
As revealed by the TikTok above, this has resulted in its teachings being misconstrued as avoiding emotions rather than processing them. One user quickly corrected the original poster, commenting, “That’s not stoicism. That’s being calm and composed. Stoicism is accepting your life and consequences and finding peace in yourself.” This misconception of stoicism results in the prioritizing of the value of the self while neglecting the processing of one’s emotions. Consequently, many view the key takeaways of stoicism as maintaining a stoic demeanor. Broicism is a bastardization of stoicism, where bits and pieces of stoicism have been picked to better fit the lifestyle preached by the Manosphere.
Why is Stoicism so popular within the Manosphere?
Philosophy has found a resurgence in popularity thanks to communities on TikTok, most notably BookTok. Authors such as Kafka and Camus have paved the way for other schools of philosophy to enter the mainstream. For instance, existentialism and absurdism have become fan favorites of online culture. Camus’ take on Sisyphus has even become a recurring joke within the TikTok community about the struggle of human life (featured in the TikTok below). So why has stoicism specifically become the Mansphere’s flagship school of thought? Especially when other schools could very well fit into the values it preaches?
This can be boiled down to the modus operandi of the Manosphere itself and its adherence to traditional masculinity. The 21st century is a turbulent time for social values. What has traditionally been considered masculine has changed — for better or worse. As a result, those who have adhered to the traditional thought of masculinity are either opposed to change or lost. In marketing Stoicism to men, the Manosphere is able to give men a mindset that preserves the masculinity they know.
Is Broicism just coping?
While many use Broicism as a mindset to adhere to traditional masculinity, others also use it to simplify their lives in a turbulent and changing world. Is Broicism simply a response to the lack of control that we have over the world around us? Is Broicism just a coping mechanism in response to the lack of control that we have over our own lives?
It would not be surprising if so. As mentioned before, Broicism is used to repress emotions. In an era where mental health is paramount and men’s mental health is overlooked, this would not be surprising. In accordance with traditional masculinity, this is often taken to toxic levels. It is not uncommon to find posts on men’s mental health where the content is primarily geared toward bottling up emotions, as shown in the TikTok below. Comments on the user’s post seem to further reinforce this belief, with one user stating, “I don’t like myself, but it is what it is.” This trend of “thugging it out” while masquerading as a benign joke, is in reality a reminder of how normalized it is to neglect mental health
Through the Manosphere’s brand of stoicism, men are told that they must suffer in silence. That is the expectation. As the popular saying goes, “Boys don’t cry.” Moreover, men’s mental health is frequently overlooked or played for laughs in popular media. Thus, it is not surprising that men gravitate toward the Manosphere and its teachings. These traditional values of masculinity are sometimes all they know. So, is stoicism’s popularity a symptom of a greater issue? Men’s mental health? The lack of control we have over our daily lives? Or maybe even the amalgamation of those things and more?
