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The Jordan Harbinger Show

1275: Incels | Skeptical Sunday

The Jordan Harbinger Show

Jordan Harbinger

Science, Business, Education

4.8 • 12.3K Ratings

🗓️ 25 January 2026

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Are "incels" dangerous radicals or just lonely guys punching walls online? Nick Pell takes us to the basement to find out here on Skeptical Sunday.

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher Nick Pell!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1275

On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:

  • The term "incel" was originally coined by a woman in the late 1990s as a gender-neutral, supportive community for lonely people — but it transformed over time into something darker as those who improved their lives left, leaving behind increasingly bitter participants.
  • The "blackpill" philosophy — the belief that genetics predetermines your romantic fate — functions as a psychological trap that offers simple answers to complex pain while simultaneously absolving incels of responsibility to change their circumstances.
  • Despite media portrayals, incel violence is statistically rare — only 12 incidents of "misogynist terrorism" worldwide over 40 years — though the broader phenomenon represents a warning sign about male loneliness and social disconnection at scale.
  • A UK Home Office study revealed surprising demographics: 25% screen positive for autism spectrum traits, 42% are non-white, most identify as politically moderate, and 80% are neither employed nor in education — complicating the simplistic "angry white basement dweller" stereotype.
  • Ex-incels exist and lead normal lives — they escape by building social skills, joining communities, finding purpose, and focusing on self-improvement like fitness, therapy, or hobbies rather than fixating on dating failures — proving that the "blackpill" worldview is a choice, not destiny.
  • Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!

And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps!

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday. I'm your host, Jordan Harbinger. Today I'm here with Skeptical

0:07.8

Sunday co-host writer and researcher Nick Pell. On the Jordan Harbinger show, we decode the stories,

0:12.8

secrets, and skills of the world's most fascinating people and turn their wisdom into practical

0:17.1

advice that you can use to impact your own life and those around you. Our mission is to help

0:21.2

you become a better informed, more critical thinker. During the week, we have long-form conversations

0:25.6

with a variety of amazing folks, from spies to CEOs, athletes, authors, thinkers, and performers.

0:30.7

On Sundays, though, it's skeptical Sunday where a rotating guest co-host and I break down a topic

0:35.2

you may have never thought about and debunk common

0:37.6

misconceptions about that topic, such as astrology, acupuncture, weddings, the death industry,

0:42.8

fast fashion, rakey healing, and more. And if you're new to the show or you want to tell your

0:46.9

friends about the show, I suggest our episode starter packs. These are collections of our favorite

0:51.3

episodes on persuasion, negotiation, psychology, disinformation,

0:55.1

junk science, crime and cults, and more.

0:57.0

That'll help new listeners get a taste of everything we do here on this show.

1:00.2

Just visit jordanharbinger.com slash start or search for us in your Spotify app to get started.

1:06.0

Today, let me paint a picture.

1:08.5

A 25-year-old, compulsive gamer with cystic acne, lives in his mom's basement. He only turns off call of duty to go on 4chan, an internet message board, and talk about how much he hates women and minorities. He's a big fan of Elliot Roger, the guy who decided to kill six and injure 14 out of his hatred and malice for the opposite sex. I'm talking about incels. You might be familiar

1:28.0

with the phenomenon, or maybe you just heard the term, and you're not really sure what it means.

1:32.4

Today, I want to tackle the heart of the question about incels. Who are they, really, beyond the

1:36.7

media caricatures? Does what we think about them square up with reality? And what does this all say

1:42.2

about men, dating, and loneliness in an age where

1:45.4

we're more connected than ever, yet somehow all feeling totally alone.

...

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