The Resurgence of Manosphere

The world today is witnessing a paradox—on one hand, a growing discourse around masculinity and the so-called "manosphere," and on the other, an undeniable surge in female power across industries, politics, and even traditionally male-dominated fields like espionage and sports.

Joseph Bernstein’s recent article in TOI dated 02 Feb 25, "Boys Will Be Boys..." touches upon this shift, while Mark Zuckerberg makes an important observation: corporate feminism has dominated cultural discourse for some time, making masculinity appear like a force in need of containment. But is masculinity really a problem? Or is the world merely responding to a fundamental shift in gender dynamics—one that has disrupted an ancient principle of balance?

The Ancient View: Gender as a Principle, Not a Battle

The Kybalion, a hermetic philosophical text, describes the Principle of Gender as one of the seven fundamental laws of existence. It asserts that everything in nature contains both masculine and feminine aspects—not as social constructs, but as essential forces governing creation, action, and balance.

Ancient cultures also recognised this balance. Hindu philosophy reveres Shiva and Shakti, symbolising cosmic masculine and feminine energies. Chinese Taoism speaks of Yin and Yang, where both forces are complementary rather than competitive. Even classical Greek thought emphasised the harmony between the Apollonian (order, logic, masculine) and Dionysian (intuition, chaos, feminine) energies.

Contrast this with modern discourse, where gender is often framed in binary opposition—one rising at the expense of the other. The rise of the manosphere and extreme feminism seem like echoes of an underlying imbalance rather than solutions to it.

The Rise of Female Power and Its Impact on Society

There’s no denying that the 21st century has seen an unprecedented rise in female power. Women now lead multinational corporations, govern nations, break records in sports, and even occupy high-ranking positions in intelligence agencies. These achievements should be celebrated, but they also represent a significant shift in societal structures.

Throughout history, rapid power shifts have often triggered counter-reactions. Could the manosphere movement be one such reaction? When cultural narratives primarily emphasise the empowerment of one gender while neglecting the struggles of the other, an inevitable backlash follows.

Men, particularly young men, are struggling with identity crises, declining mental health, and an increasing sense of purposelessness in a world that often frames their masculinity as toxic. The rise of manosphere influencers, whether one agrees with them or not, signals a deep-seated need among men to reclaim their role in society.

The Pendulum Effect: From One Extreme to Another

Historically, power dynamics swing like a pendulum. When one side dominates, the other eventually pushes back. Feminism began as a necessary corrective to a world that denied women equal opportunities. But if it evolves into a movement that diminishes masculinity rather than balancing it, the natural reaction will be a rise in movements seeking to reaffirm male identity.

Extreme right-wing ideologies, the manosphere, and “alpha male” culture are not emerging in a vacuum—they are symptoms of an imbalance. The same can be said for radical feminist movements that push for supremacy rather than equality.

The Path Forward: Restoring Balance

The solution is neither to glorify masculinity nor to vilify femininity. Instead, we must recognise that both forces are necessary for a functional society. Masculinity, when channeled positively, represents strength, discipline, protection, and innovation. Femininity, in its empowered form, embodies wisdom, creativity, nurturing, and resilience.

We must move beyond gender wars and focus on integration. The future should not be about a fight for dominance but a recognition of mutual respect and balance. Instead of corporate feminism that sidelines men or manosphere rhetoric that dismisses women, we need a cultural shift that acknowledges the indispensable contributions of both genders.

The Kybalion’s Principle of Gender reminds us that the world operates best when the masculine and feminine are in harmony, not opposition. As history shows, true progress comes not from swinging the pendulum wildly but from finding equilibrium. The question is—can we, as a society, learn this lesson before history forces it upon us?