Adolescence, the trending Netflix series has opened a Pandora’s Box. Guest author, Mr Chris Jooste, MSc graduate in Genetics and forensic consultant unpacks the pseudoscience behind manosphere:
Chris Jooste:
In an era where science and data should guide our understanding of human behaviour, a disturbing trend persists in online echo chambers, the rise of the so-called “manosphere.” This web of blogs, forums, and influencers claims to represent a new form of male empowerment. In reality, it is often a repackaging of misogyny and pseudoscience, cloaked in language that mimics legitimacy but fails to hold up under scrutiny.
As someone in the fields of woman’s health, mental health and genetics, I feel compelled to address the disturbing misuse of biological and psychological science often found in these circles and to clarify what the science actually says.
Misusing Evolutionary Psychology: Alpha, Beta, and the Myth of Genetic Destiny
A central trope in manosphere ideology is the belief that men and women are “hardwired” to behave in ways that reinforce patriarchal dominance. Terms like “alpha male” and “beta” are thrown around to create an illusion of scientific credibility. These ideas supposedly stem from evolutionary psychology, yet they reflect a crude misunderstanding of how evolution and human behaviour work.
The concept of the “alpha male” itself was originally borrowed from outdated studies of captive wolves. Modern ethology has thoroughly debunked this model, even among wolves. In natural settings, wolf packs are structured around family units led by parental pairs, not rigid dominance hierarchies. The idea of an “alpha male” dominating through aggression was based on artificial conditions, not real wolf behaviour. Applying this to humans is not only biologically inaccurate but also intellectually dishonest.
In reality, human attraction and behaviour are complex, context-dependent, and influenced by environment, culture, and individual personality. No credible genetic or epigenetic data supports the deterministic binary that women are biologically programmed to mate with ‘alphas’ for sex and ‘betas’ for stability. This framework is not only scientifically invalid, it’s socially dangerous.
No Genetic Basis for Misandry Claims
Manosphere narratives frequently centre around the belief that society, under feminism’s influence, is hostile to men. But there is no empirical evidence to support systemic misandry in institutions, and no genetic, neurobiological, or sociological data that suggest women are inherently manipulative or deceitful by nature, as is often claimed in these spaces.
From a scientific standpoint, behavioural traits like aggression, empathy, dominance, or manipulation are polygenic and context-dependent. These behaviours emerge from the interaction of thousands of genes with environmental inputs such as trauma, upbringing, and social systems. There is no “man-hating gene,” nor any evidence that women possess an innate tendency toward deceit or dominance over men.
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In stark contrast, history is filled with evidence of systemic suffering endured by women, denied access to education, barred from voting, refused credit, ownership, and legal agency, subjected to violence, silenced in courtrooms, institutionalized for speaking out, and even executed for perceived threats to male authority. Feminism arose not from hatred of men, but from centuries of very well documented inequality and erasure.
Yet manosphere ideologues twist evolutionary biology to suit their narrative, cherry-picking pseudo-scientific claims while ignoring actual data. They weaponize anecdote as proof and dismiss the far more consistent global pattern of female disenfranchisement. Their worldview is not supported by genetics, history or ethics.
Instead, the manosphere cherry-picks anecdotes and twists evolutionary concepts to rationalize sexism. They confuse statistical tendencies with universal truths and use flawed logic to justify dehumanizing rhetoric. They also completely ignore the abundance of anecdotes that tell the same story the other way around.
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Conclusion: What Forensic Psychology and Science Actually Say
As professionals committed to truth and justice, we must confront ideologies that weaponize science to justify harm. The manosphere is not a space for valid scientific discourse, it’s a feedback loop of resentment, poorly interpreted studies, and confirmation bias.
Real science empowers men and women alike. It helps us understand behaviour without resorting to blame. It promotes growth, empathy, and accountability, not misogyny disguised as evolution.
Let us be clear, the manosphere is not science. It is pseudoscience, radicalization, and misinformation wrapped in internet jargon.
To know more about Mr Jooste’s take on epigenetics, neurotransmitters and the real science debunking the innate dominance hierarchy, please join the Patreon site Micki Pistorius
Top image: Pandora’s Box by Frederick Stuart Church (Public Domain)
Author profile:
Mr Chris Jooste is a MSc graduate in Genetics from Stellenbosch University in South Africa with a specialization in neuropsychiatric genetics. Mr Jooste is also the director of Blue Rose Outreach (NPO), where he leads mental health awareness initiatives and research projects. He a specializes in neuropsychiatric genetics, particularly schizophrenia among underrepresented populations. https://bluerosefamily.co.za/
Tags: Manosphere, epigenetics, feminism, pseudoscience, alpha male, misogynism, Chris Jooste, True Crime, Criminal Minds, Forensic Profiling, Micki Pistorius