This article was taken from a AVFM forum blog post written by Deidre. She’s been inactive for a month or so and does not know we are publishing here but I think she’d approve. Keep in mind she is a woman of faith and her faith comes out in this article. What is more important is her message on MGTOW and from her view expanding/encouraging MGTOW to take a larger perspective on what it means to be a man going his own way. The freedom to do great things. ED
As a woman who lives in a strong feminist culture, I’ve been intrigued by the movement, ‘MGTOW.’
What does MGTOW really stand for, and how might ‘men going their own way,’ impact the world around them? Well, first, most movements have a central mission statement, if you will…something that sets the movement apart from other movements, congruent thoughts coming together and finding acceptance as part of a group, if you will. MGTOW is unique because it tells men that they no longer need to compromise their values to please the feminist agendas, and can finally feel that pursuing their own quest in life won’t label them selfish assholes. The irony with feminism is that it instructs women to ‘go their own way,’ but get their men to follow their ways, too. Not all feminists, but many (most?) find satisfaction in controlling men, they think that is a victory for humankind, and sadly, that has become its mission statement of sorts. Because for many (most?) feminists, they believe that feminism was necessary to enlighten everyone to the oppressive, Patriarchal regime that had been in place, throughout history.
Perception is everything, as they say.
The challenge that MGTOW have, however, is to be mindful not to mirror the mistakes of the feminist movement. The biggest mistake of the feminist movement is that it promised women that they would be free, by staying focused on themselves. At first, that idea is very appealing to MGTOW’s when you have been tossed around like a rag doll in a culture who views you as a utility. Going one’s own way at that point is often designed to free you from being hurt again. Protecting and guarding your heart (and assets) at all costs, becomes a necessity, not just a desire. But, there have been studies done that the most ‘free’ people of all, those who truly have gone their own way are those who help pave the way for others to go their own ways. In other words, no man is an island, and we need one another, and we need to help one another, to be genuinely free.
With that said, three remarkable men have come to mind, all who could be classified as MGTOW – Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. These men truly ‘went their own way,’ and changed the world.
If one believes the Jesus story of the New Testament, he sees a man who was very humble and reserved, at first. The stories are sparse with information, but the reader gains an understanding that Jesus was interested in making people love God, and love others. Jesus ate dinner with prostitutes, and tax collectors, and spent a lot of time sharing his Gospel with women, something that was quite taboo back then. He eventually was captured for his beliefs, going against the temple, and threatening the status quo. Dying on a cross so that his enemies could receive the promise of eternal life, was a ‘man going his own way’ extraordinaire. He was single all of his life, and while the details of those years are very vague, there is enough to the story to get the sense that this man’s idea of going his own way, was to influence those around him to take up their personal crosses, and follow him. (And following him would not be easy.) ‘The world will hate you, for it hated me first.’ – John 15:18
Gandhi was another MGTOW. He led the movement that eventually brought India its independence, and faced brutality due to the religious conflicts occurring in the surrounding regions at the time. He often visited affected areas to bring about peace and justice and was known to fast to bring about religious harmony. Gandhi wasn’t concerned with who was for or against him; he was still willing to surrender his very life if he had to, even if it meant changing the hearts and minds of even just a few.
And finally, Martin Luther King, Jr. Talk about a man who not only went his own way but blazed a trail that people still follow today. Responsible for leading the African-American civil rights movement, his goal was to strive for equal rights for all people, through non-violent, civil disobedience. There had to be tremendously difficult days during those times for him and those that supported his vision. ‘’Going his own way’’ became about helping all men and women to go their own ways. The focus of going his own way was never solely about him.
Those men were powerful social influencers, and their work still affects our very lives, today. The central point of highlighting them as MGTOW is that it’s incredibly crucial not to allow the movement to pigeon-hole men into believing that it stands for only looking out for the best interests of themselves. Equally important is for men to take the anger over the corruption and horrors of a feminist culture, and use it to energize a new vision. Not everyone has a destiny like Jesus, Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr., but MGTOW is at a prime time in today’s feminazi culture, to show how the movement is about giving men the tools to live their lives with deeper meaning, purpose, and direction. It’s about telling men that they are not relegated to the status quo of society, but they are destined for great things if they just believe it. Going one’s own way and helping others to find theirs. The two need to go hand in hand if the world is ever going to change for the better.
‘’The time is always right, to do what is right.’’ – Martin Luther King, Jr.
‘’Be the change you want to see in the world.’’ – Mahatma Gandhi
‘’Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who persecute you.’’ – Matthew 6:44
