MAP Forum

OK, I'm going to be honest. This one is kind of a troll. But it's not a troll for the sake of trolling; it's because I'm just so incredibly angry about the suffering of a MAP acquaintance I'm counseling right now. I feel that the harder people push us, the harder we should push back. So take a seat with Brian in 'gym bro' mode, and remember, even if you can't fix the world, you can still go to war...

https://www.brianribbon.com/home/chemic ... o-as-a-map

I take multiple supplements, including Ashweghanda.

I recently found this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QULOS1OHCE8

He makes good point that some people would prefer to reduce sex drive, but others like me who's sex drive is directly linked to their social bonding, this wouldn't be a good thing at all! I'd rather have the sociosexual component than go without it.

bnkywuv wrote: Sat Feb 07, 2026 9:16 am I recently found this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QULOS1OHCE8

He makes good point that some people would prefer to reduce sex drive, but others like me who's sex drive is directly linked to their social bonding, this wouldn't be a good thing at all! I'd rather have the sociosexual component than go without it.

Regarding the part of the video where castration is discussed, it makes me think of Incels and how I don't believe they would have proposed it to them, even though they are in a similar situation. What I mean is: Many people are attracted to something they can't act upon. In this category, even Incels fall, although they constantly try to act on it. But I'm very skeptical that an Incel, perhaps one in the "black pill" mindset, who has even given up hope, would want to be castrated for this reason.

I can understand someone with obsessive-compulsive desires, but in that case, it's more driven by that condition than by the impossibility of acting on their fantasies.

Not Forever wrote: Sat Feb 07, 2026 10:33 am

bnkywuv wrote: Sat Feb 07, 2026 9:16 am I recently found this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QULOS1OHCE8

He makes good point that some people would prefer to reduce sex drive, but others like me who's sex drive is directly linked to their social bonding, this wouldn't be a good thing at all! I'd rather have the sociosexual component than go without it.

Regarding the part of the video where castration is discussed, it makes me think of Incels and how I don't believe they would have proposed it to them, even though they are in a similar situation. What I mean is: Many people are attracted to something they can't act upon. In this category, even Incels fall, although they constantly try to act on it. But I'm very skeptical that an Incel, perhaps one in the "black pill" mindset, who has even given up hope, would want to be castrated for this reason.

I can understand someone with obsessive-compulsive desires, but in that case, it's more driven by that condition than by the impossibility of acting on their fantasies.

I'm not sure what you have in mind but the intrusive thoughts/compulsion to do something distressing that I'm thinking about (e.g. a mother who can't stop thinking about throwing her newborn baby out the window, she doesn't want to but the mind often generates/seeks to explore possibilities and if it wasn't that it would be some other distressing or disgusting scenario that someone has an impulse to mentally explore against their will, out of 'curiosity,' or is just aware of) has nothing to do with sexual desire, but you could be talking about something else that does.

I used to think that choosing to be asexual (if that were possible) would be a great way to deal with unrequited attraction but the memory of how intense sexual pleasure can be would still make me hyper-aware of what I was missing out on. I already have a low libido most of the time and I don't like it. I want to say that, in theory, sexual/romantic fantasy would be enough of a reason for me to not want to be castrated but my body image problems (among other things) make(s) it hard for me to enjoy fantasizing about sex or romance most of the time. I really have to be desensitized to the reality of my predicament and put it to the back of my mind as much as is possible to somewhat enjoy a fantasy; and I'm not/can't do that most of the time. I guess that's why a lot of people can't get into the fantasy/science fiction genres (especially fantasy if they are philosophical materialists, although emergent dualism; which is where my intuitions lie, and materialism overlap in terms of their implications in many areas), it requires too much suspension of disbelief for them. It helps when it seems as though a fantasy could possibly happen, that there's some hope for it and it's not completely unrealistic. For me, sex with a girl/woman I'm attracted to seems way too good to be true (because of unrequited attraction, erectile dysfunction, living in a world with no privacy, etc.). Still, every now and then I will daydream about having some magical power and enjoy that.

The ability to fantasize is really a gift that we take for granted. It's the only means we have to semi-satisfy our most unrealistic desires (although there will be days when stress is so high that you can't take any pleasure in a fantasy at all or you might be anhedonic or, as I've said, you just can't suspend disbelief to the degree required) and it's universal, for everyone (although some people don't have a mind's eye I'm sure they can mentally simulate different realities in some way and of course this doesn't apply to human infants or most non-human animals; although there are also advantages to lacking the rational agency that imagination requires). It's really special if you think about it, our imagination, a fantasy about x is a simulation of what it would actually be. The real thing would be more satisfying by degree. It's too bad that it's so often considered childish and 'unhealthy' (even when it's not 'interfering with someone's life' ; they're not skipping work or school to daydream and it's not preventing them from doing some specific thing instead that their long-term happiness requires etc. ) because I think that children really benefit from developing a strong imagination when they're young, we should be encouraging them to read fiction and use their imagination in play.

John_Doe wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 6:57 pmI'm not sure what you have in mind but the intrusive thoughts/compulsion to do something distressing that I'm thinking about (e.g. a mother who can't stop thinking about throwing her newborn baby out the window, she doesn't want to but the mind often generates/seeks to explore possibilities and if it wasn't that it would be some other distressing or disgusting scenario that someone has an impulse to mentally explore against their will, out of 'curiosity,' or is just aware of) has nothing to do with sexual desire, but you could be talking about something else that does.

…honestly, I don’t really have anything specific in mind. I mean, I’ve seen people become desperate over their obsessive thoughts, so thinking about them—if they become obsessed with them and if that obsession makes them feel bad—I can understand that choice. Assuming, of course, that such a choice would actually solve their problem. But I don’t have a real situation in mind, also because when it comes to intrusive thoughts, with mine I actually have fun, and I don’t have a bad relationship with them at all. I don’t consider them uncontrollable or unpleasant.

As for the rest, have you ever tried role‑playing? Maybe with an AI, so you have more control over the narration. Having an active role within a story, as if you were writing it but with the addition of some external randomness. Even if it’s not the same as a real, proper relationship, maybe it can help a bit to forget about reality. In my case it works, even though I’m usually used to experiencing things somewhat from the outside. (I’m not sure if what I mean comes across—the idea of overcoming interaction problems by perceiving myself through a third‑person camera and temporarily erasing everything that causes me worry.)

Not Forever wrote: Sat Feb 07, 2026 10:33 am

bnkywuv wrote: Sat Feb 07, 2026 9:16 am I recently found this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QULOS1OHCE8

He makes good point that some people would prefer to reduce sex drive, but others like me who's sex drive is directly linked to their social bonding, this wouldn't be a good thing at all! I'd rather have the sociosexual component than go without it.

Regarding the part of the video where castration is discussed, it makes me think of Incels and how I don't believe they would have proposed it to them, even though they are in a similar situation. What I mean is: Many people are attracted to something they can't act upon. In this category, even Incels fall, although they constantly try to act on it. But I'm very skeptical that an Incel, perhaps one in the "black pill" mindset, who has even given up hope, would want to be castrated for this reason.

I can understand someone with obsessive-compulsive desires, but in that case, it's more driven by that condition than by the impossibility of acting on their fantasies.

Incels? I do not really agree with their views but some are not actually that bad. Some of them have been known to chase after girl minors. Some even identify as women.

DANAT4T wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 8:14 pmIncels? I do not really agree with their views but some are not actually that bad. Some of them have been known to chase after girl minors. Some even identify as women.

I have nothing against incels, also because “incel” simply refers to a person (male or female, ideally) who is unable to find a partner. What I’m saying is that, for the sake of consistency, the same argument should apply to them, but if it were applied to them, the absurdity of it would become apparent. (Since most of the population has been incel at least for a brief moment in their life.)

Not Forever wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 8:19 pm

DANAT4T wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 8:14 pmIncels? I do not really agree with their views but some are not actually that bad. Some of them have been known to chase after girl minors. Some even identify as women.

I have nothing against incels, also because “incel” simply refers to a person (male or female, ideally) who is unable to find a partner. What I’m saying is that, for the sake of consistency, the same argument should apply to them, but if it were applied to them, the absurdity of it would become apparent. (Since most of the population has been incel at least for a brief moment in their life.)

Okay. So you are using the term 'incel' in its strict dictionary definition. In simple English the term 'incel' refers to a particular subculture. The female equivalent is femcel. That was actually the original term in that context. Another example would be the term 'TERF' was first used by a feminist that supported trans rights. The term in itself is not a direct insult but it has increasingly been seen as such. It would be similar to the term 'Zio'. The term comes from Zionism but is now generally seen as an insult.