The Broicism Epidemic: How Sigmas Took Over Self-Improvement

When most modern teens/young adults hear of stoicism, they commonly think of internet stoicism, also known as “broicism”.

Search stoicism on Youtube and you’ll be flooded with "stoic sigma male" TikToks made by 19-year-olds from their mom’s basement.

Here’s the problem: Ancient Stoicism has been morphed into a toxic masculinity movement that has been disguised as self-improvement.

This isn’t simply cringy, it’s creating a whole generation of men who think that strength is emotional suppression.

What began as teenagers profoundly misunderstanding philosophy has evolved into a cultural pandemic that is destroying the very virtues Stoicism claims to promote.

Let’s dive in.

How TikTok Turned Ancient Wisdom Into A Pyramid Scheme

Stoicism is one of the most misunderstood philosophies.

I’ll tell you right now what stoicism is not:

• It’s not emotional detachment.

• It’s not being an alpha male.

• It’s not leaving the simulation.

Stoicism is about self control, virtue, compassion, and rationality.

It’s about the value of friendship. It’s about gratitude. It’s about perspective.

Not dominance or detachment.

So how did a philosophy about wisdom, virtue, and human connection get turned into a self-help scheme for men who are afraid of their own emotions?

The answer is depressingly simple: the same way every good idea gets corrupted in the digital age. Take something deep, strip out the nuance, add a revenue model, and let the algorithm do the rest.

Of course, none of this was done intentionally. A few creative teenagers saw a hole in a market, and decided to fill it. That’s how businesses are always created.

The key here is that none of these people truly understood the philosophy they were promoting. As a result, they completely missed the whole point of stoicism.

The Dark Side Of Being A High-Value Male (Hint: It's All Dark)

Every single philosophy bro follows the same approach.

Wake up at 5 AM (of course stay up till 11 PM). Take cold showers (because discomfort = growth). Go to the gym (physical strength is mental strength). Delete social media (while posting about deleting social media). Read Marcus Aurelius quotes out of context. Remind everyone that emotions = weakness. Build an online business in either drop-shipping or meme coins.

It’s a paint-by-numbers approach that doesn’t actually work if you want to improve yourself.

What actually works? Here’s a secret: it doesn’t have anything to do with cold showers.

Make a list of the attributes you’d like to work on and go through your average day in your head. Mentally imagine how you can be better. Then go do that.

You’ll fail. Everyone does. But that’s what separates people who actually improve from people who just sell another $99 course.

There is no one single plan that will work for everyone. There are no shortcuts.

If you actually want to become a better person you need to figure out what “better” means for you, and then do that.

But why does this “alpha male” business model work so well? It’s because young men want certainty. We live in an uncertain world. “Just follow these 7 steps and you will become an Alpha Male” is way easier than “examine your beliefs, your motives, and your actions, and fix what you don’t like”.

Not only do young men gravitate to these things, but the algorithm rewards increasingly extreme content. “Emotions are weak” becomes “Emotions are manipulation”. “Friends are for losers” becomes “People are a negative influence”.

It’s a never-ending spiral of descent.

Why Your Emotional Numbness Isn't Making You Stronger (It's Making You Weak)

Men following broicism develop a certain emotional weakness: they become emotionally brittle. They can handle physical discomfort like a cold shower but couldn’t have a difficult conversation with their partner. They can deadlift twice their bodyweight, but can’t control their anger.

Not only do broists destroy themselves and their relationships, but they destroy the very philosophy they claim to uphold. Real stoicism is about emotional resilience, fortitude, and self control.

The tragic irony is that true stoicism offers what all broists crave: strength, confidence, meaningful relationships, and a purpose beyond themselves.

Marcus Aurelius knew the truth about strength. It’s not about conquering your enemies, but conquering yourself. Broicism has given men a way to surrender in that battle without even noticing.

The most radical thing you can do in a culture obsessed with optimization is be a genuine human. Show your emotions. Build strong relationships. Grow. Improve. But not your external image. Your internal self.

That’s what actual stoics do, and it’s much better than any morning routine.

See you on the next one.

-Luke