I was raised by a divorced, single mother feminist. I was forbidden from enjoying traditional boy activities like playing with cap guns and army men. I was deprived of a perfectly healthy childhood of boyhood play. Meat was demonized in our house. I was encouraged to learn dancing and sewing, despite my disinterest and outright protests.

As a young boy, I was "educated" on the horrors of male-perpetuated rape at the tender young age of about nine. The entire conversation centered around my inherent male guilt and was so traumatic, it's now seared into my memory to this day, decades later. I was forbidden from using the evil patriarchy words like "policeman" and "fireman," even if the person described was in fact male. I was taught that all forms of force or violence are inherently evil and unjust. I was taught to avoid confrontation. I grew up a passive little bitch, without the will to voice my true opinions and barely an ounce of my own assertive ability. It pains me to admit and write about these truths, but I was the prototypical "nice, feminized guy."

Fast forward through a series of failed relationships where I was "all in," playing the part of the hopeless naive romantic. They were all beautiful young women. Each time, I considered myself "lucky" to have the privilege of dating such a gorgeous creature.

One longtime girlfriend cheated on me three times before my weak ass finally dumped her for good. One was a flat out unstable, irrational mess. She'd literally lock herself in my bathroom and cut herself (she was a "cutter") with razor blades whenever she wouldn't get her way. I cringe at the metric tons of bullshit that I endured from her. The third was the most stable of the bunch, but I refused to chomp down on the marriage hook when she demanded that I spend three months' salary on her engagement ring. Her sense of entitlement was insulting, so I ended that. With each failure, my future tolerance for bullshit waned.

After the string of failures spanning many years, I took some time, analyzing why my "enlightened" behavior toward women was failing so badly. I was doing everything I was taught. I was making sacrifices, trying so damn hard, and putting myself second in each relationship. And yet, all of this effort and expense was leaving me empty handed, heartbroken, and miserable.

Way before I had ever heard of MGTOW, I consciously made a complete turnaround. I began researching the evil side-effects of third-wave feminism, which was truly enlightening. One by one, I inspected and then rejected the conventions of my upbringing.

I began lifting weights, eating meat, and building lean body mass. I took up target shooting, responsible gun ownership, and obtained my conceal carry permit. I bought a couple of motorcycles and spent many of my Saturdays touring the countryside. I discovered quality dress clothing and began to take some pride in my appearance. I am an amateur student of history. I'm trying to develop and cultivate a wild variety of skills and knowledge. Time is my scarcest resource, so I want to make the most of it.

I began to view women much more objectively. Yes, many are pretty to look at, like an exotic sports car. But I know rationally that I have no business dating most, just as I know that I couldn't truly afford the maintenance on a Maserati. I view most women that I come into contact with a healthy dose of caution and skepticism.

Men deserve more credit. We're far more than the shallow media portrayals of the bumbling, beer-swilling idiots who are consistently "saved" by their super-wives. I reject this notion. Men do most of the dirty, unpleasant, dangerous work necessary to build and maintain civilization. I call out and speak against common forms of misandry in public. I no longer quietly tolerate double-standards. I call women on their bullshit, directly. I hold them accountable. I'm no one's bitch anymore.

I've shed nearly every remnant of my childhood programming. I no longer feel shame for being born male. In fact, I feel proud. I'm proud of my masculinity. I'm proud of my self-reliance. I believe in the real value of men. I believe that the vast majority of men are good men, and some men are god-damned heroes.

I found MGTOW from an MRA forum about two years ago. The acronym "MGTOW" intrigued me, so I looked it up. Since then, the movement and its principles have felt very closely aligned to mine. I still have much to learn and grow, but finding MGTOW and fellow-minded proud men has given me hope! Thank you.