One commonality we all share here at TRP is that it is our experiences as men that brought us here. Good ones, bad ones, and everything in between. It is the glue that binds us.

It’s those moments where we peek beneath the façade that we wonder whether the beliefs we hold about reality are, in fact, based on reality. To question human nature. To see patterns where before there seemingly were none. It is often the pathological cases in psychology that allow us to understand the true nature of humans. The same patterns, but a caricature of them. This brings us to the case of “broken women.”

What do I mean by “broken women”, exactly? Some of these women may have diagnosable illness: depression, bipolar, BPD. But let’s set the labels and internet-diagnosing aside. It is the characteristics that matter. And although there is variation among them (they are people after all, not fucking robots), there is a common thread that runs through these women. Self-esteem issues. An impulsive nature (and difficulty delaying gratification). Daddy issues. Sexual issues, e.g. hypersexuality. Lack of emotional control. And a solipsistic nature that fails to understand or respect the emotions of others. A strong sense of entitlement, so that their feelings take primacy, even over reality. A general unease with the world. A loss of self control. A constant undercurrent of fear. It is the hampster on frightened mode.

They exhibit the same validation-seeking behavior as any normal woman, but lack the ability to accept and internalize any received validation. The spinning wheel never slows. And every shred of game becomes a sacrifice to that abyss, that black hole. Many of us here have probably experienced something like this … Rollo himself writes about. I’ve had my own experiences, even after I started shifting toward the Red Pill – experiences that helped me finally internalize TRP. The final nail in the coffin. A bitter pill to swallow. A painful but important lesson.


 

The greatest irony of feminism is that – by undermining masculinity and positive male identity – it is producing more of these broken women. Like a snake eating its own tail. Little girls need strong male role models and father figures just as much. Otherwise, you end up with the modern Western female, which I think we can all agree is disappointing in many ways, e.g. often lacking in femininity, overly self-entitled but with no sense of personal responsibility. Because feminism focuses mainly on self-empowerment, with no concern for the collateral damage. No concern with the accountability that comes with that. Yet with great power comes great responsibility.

The thing is that broken women are a reflection of the unbroken women. It is a difference of degree, not kind. Or perhaps one could argue we are all broken in some way. /u/SmellyJelly22 made note of this in a post last year, on why women like unemotional men. Broken women follow the same patterns, AWALT, but they are unable to receive the masculine, and the calming effect it should produce (see David Deida’s The Way of Men). The yin and the yang of masculine and feminine energy. Whereas a normal shit test is instinctive “alpha seeking” behavior, shit testing of a broken woman is on kamikaze mode. The end result is always destructive, no balance, no purpose. And yet we, as a feminist society (at least in the West), have thrown out the balance, the purpose, the yin and the yang, of our natural interactions. We are left with something vacuous. With entitled women who cannot see their role in their own self-destruction. Men are not happy. Women aren’t either.


 

Really the issue is that modern day feminism in its current form is neither good for men or women. It misguided generations of them both, in different ways. Really, feminism needs to be replaced by some philosophy that emphasizes the personal responsibility that comes with freedom. That a focus on self-improvement and self-mastery are critical. That one's unbridled feral nature is as much a cage as any other.

TRP is such a philosophy. We see the inherent dangers in unleashing our feral nature. It must be channeled, focused. There must be balance. This comes in many forms, but one of those is in the polarity between the masculine and feminine. Men want women who are feminine, and women want men that are masculine. One whose polarity complements their own. There is no shame in this. As we say here at TRP, sexual mating strategy is amoral. It is instinctive, it has kept our species alive for millennia. It is neither good nor bad. It simply “is”. Social interaction, social relationships, are all transactional. There is something we want. And that is as it should be. Embrace it.

But when we as a society break down these transactions, when we claim they are unnecessary, when we unleash feral behavior without concern for the consequences, we lock ourselves in a cage of our own making. We lose the purpose of our interaction, the purpose of our being. Relationships and individuals are a reflection of a society at large. If we want to turn our backs on the things that have made us successful as a species for millennia, then we should tread lightly. For if anything, the case of “broken women” shows us that something which may appear mostly normal on the surface can be completely fractured underneath. The behavior may resemble that of normal, but it has lost its sense of purpose, its sense of direction. Unable to understand its own self-destructive behaviors.


 

So why, why do we as TRP, care about this? What lessons are there for us in both life and game?

Broken women are a reflection of women as a whole, the patterns (AWALT) the same, but in aberrant ways. It is that reflection that shatters the hardest. The realization that it is a difference of degree not kind. An explanation for many of the head-scratching experiences we have in interactions with women, and life in general. But its ubiquitous-ness leads us down a particular path: that there is no sense in blaming anyone. There is no sense in adopting a victim mentality. Because everywhere you turn, there it is. There is no escape. You must steel yourself.

An experience with a broken woman, or any woman, can be handled in only one way: you must steel yourself. You must become stronger, harder. Expect nothing. Earn everything. Stop making fucking excuses. /u/Archwinger emphasized this in a post a few months ago. And it is repeated here and elsewhere throughout the Manosphere, even back to the writings of Pook. But it cannot be emphasized enough. Moreover, our individual dealings with women are a reflection of our dealings with society at large. You must steel yourself when dealing with a feminist society and fem-centric worldview. No different than dealing with a broken woman. A fucked up situation is a fucked up situation. You cannot be held sway to its illusion. For otherwise, it will break you permanently.

Those who see reality for what it is, can bend it to their will … those who see only illusion, are bent to its will.


 

TRP is about self-mastery, being a well-rounded man. That means excelling in every facet of life, to the best of your abilities. Working on yourself, focusing on self-improvement, and not seeking validation as much from others. To see women, broken or otherwise, not as an affront, but a challenge. Not something to be placated, nor an illusion to live under, but something to mold you into what you were meant to be. Really question who we are, and how we ended up here. We are fortunate in that sense, in a weird way. It is a lesson, a valuable if painful gift.

You must fall to rise. You must break to recreate. A sword must be forged in fire. Be the sword.

You feel sorry about the things that are necessary to forge you into a man? Regret them? No, embrace them. Those obstacles are "the way".

The impediment to action advances action. That which is in the way becomes the way. - Marcus Aurelius