This is a viewpoint expounded by influencers in various online subcultures, such as the manosphere, pick-up artist culture, and other male-dominated spheres, and is quickly absorbed by the audience, drawing them deeper within these spheres and instilling more and more of the subcultures’ ideologies.

The speed at which the ‘nice guys finish last’ worldview can get internalised makes sense from a scientific perspective. It is a universal desire among people to be liked, respected, and considered attractive. Many who frequent these online spaces are people – often teenagers – who haven’t received guidance on how to be perceived in the way they desire. Schools generally do not teach their pupils about how to meet basic needs like being liked and having status: in short, how to live.