Muscle is not zero sum. Everyone can get swole together.
1. What is the point of muscle?
First and foremost, let us consider the purpose of muscle. What is the point of muscle?
My thought is from a very pragmatic perspective, muscle is strength. Muscle is power.
Power for what? Anything and everything.
For example, if we consider tenacity, endurance, where does this derive from? Not the mind or the silly nonsense of “willpower”, but rather, muscle and muscle power.
2. Why this anti muscle trend?
It seems that nowadays, muscle and being muscular has fallen a little bit out of vogue. Why? I think the new modern day male aesthetic is towards being feeble, weak, androgynous, non-threatening and nonconfrontational etc.
For example, if you are a muscular, and have muscles, other people feel belittled by you. For example, if someone is salty about your physique, it is simply a sign that they wish they were as fit as you.
3. Muscle cars?
Am I the most jacked person that I know who just drives a Prius?
A funny realization:
We are allowed to flex our muscle cars, yet, we are not permitted to flex or muscles in public.
Also, virtue. Scholarship and education; we are allowed to flex how virtuous we are, or how good we are, or how enlightened we are or how wise we are, or how “educated” we are, yet, we are not permitted to flex or muscles and our body?
Why this bias?
I have some theories.
First and foremost, maybe it is a capitalism thing. We are permitted to flex or muscles in terms of our economic prowess, and to quote Benjamin Franklin, capitalism is a virtue.
Also, I think I have a good definition for what it means to be a “white person“— to quote Kanye West:
White people make money don’t spend it — I’d rather buy 80 gold chains and go ignant.
Therefore, in America, according to the cult and new religion of capitalism, any sort of activity towards building capital, whereas not “wasting it” is seen as a virtue.