Investigating Athene, the Youtuber Who Started a Religion 

Dedication for solid 20 years. I am sure at 80y old athene is still playing gaymzzzz and pwwnnnnning nubs and training bitch*s

that's not gaslighting you have no idea what gaslighting is, neither do most people

@@Yourmomma568 edit, holy shit nevermind the more i watch the more im certain hes gaslighting so fucking much dude, heres my original comment anyway im not sure if i have it correct, but the only reason why athene wasn't technically gaslighting Chris is because Chris wasn't in a vulnerable postion where he would question his perceptions, though i would argue thats a slim margin because athene does have a position of power over Chris in the way that they are talking on Athene's platform, and Chris is still in early investigation so his perceptions being challenged aren't just a psychological manipulation, but also giving misleading information on report. I have enough evidence to know that Athene is not a good rolemodel at the best of times, and actively toxic to members and cultivating a misogynistic group, but the core ideas are not something i take issue with. providing housing, work, and training is a commendable goal, it is however *very* poorly managed. I am only 45 minutes through the video though, so when i get through it all my opinion may change.

@@Yourmomma568 gaslighting isn’t real what are you talking about?

@@KillerlinkAwesome no, i said that's not gaslighting.

@@justinTime077 dude is this your alternate account? you literally respond to every comment with this. this is a sociopathic cult leader. period. get outta here.

Its like when the hooker goes back to her pimp and the police come and ask did he abuse you? erm no sir he is providing me with work so i couldnt possible say that no more..

The sad thing is: His "slaves" chose that position.

@@alaskanmalamute101 the hooker can find a "normal" Job, Like the rest of us.

@@oliveryt7168 This answer proves that you fundamentally do not understand how pimping works. There is a price to leaving the pimp and usually the price is more than the exploited person is capable of handling, whether it be a material, physical, or social price. It's like that old myth of inviting a vampire in to your home, you have to choose to let them in - getting them out is a whole other story.

Yeah wtf

I think he would say that 2+2 was taken context, and that addition is logically unnecessary, what he is doing is multiplying 2x2, and if you were logical like him, you would see that they are fundamentally the same operation, but he is not forcing anyone to multiply, his method is actually helping people, and that is the difference between you and him. This is the kind of logic he uses: crazy making to avoid addressing the question. Just completely missing the point of the question and changing the subject.

@@lordfumblesquid His answers are like a paint by numbers for narcissism if I was to speculate on his character. He probably has the compound guys and gals all duped with his "save the world" spiel which explains why his cohorts are so defensive. Classic flying monkeys.

@@TheFalseShepphard LOL thanks for the quick wit, you're absolutely right xD

@@Gormathius Your comment is generalizing, it's sad. You may have been trying to make a joke, but what I effectively read was that you base every single kind of one thing on only a small number of said thing and equalize them all as garbage. How very unscientific of you. I can understand why you wouldn't like that kind of thing. That said, this does smack of Rick and Morty's community, in essence.

Not women, GIRLS. And GIRLS =/= People. Easily manipulated young women, who depends on them for everything, with their earnings for the work they do locked in a cryptocurrency he controls. And when asked about the imbalance of power, he claims Reese has more power - therefor he should not be asked about it. Its some sociopath-grade deflection, no shame.

Literally the embodiment of "tell me you're a misogynist without telling me you're a misogynist"

Might be a freudian but considering his capability at fluent english, might just be an issue with speaking english.

​@@gial27 what do you mean? are you trying to justify his actions?

@@beanybeanbag No, I am trying to bring forward an unbiased observation on how the clip in question could be misunderstood. Media wants to create crisis and OMG!! titles, I dont deem this video to hold justice to the ethics of journalism despite the creator claiming so, he is obviously taking sides due to personal opinion and prejudice. I am not one to take on to witch hunts, I like to gather objective information and base my opinions on presented facts, not clips taken out of context and interpreted by a person with obvious bias. I am not saying hes not guilty, I think he is, but journalism has standards and ethics for a reason... I am not critiquing the basis of this video, I am critiquing the creator of this video and his lack of understanding for real journalism. Theres a reason why this 'article' is on youtube and not on the guardian.

not everyone agrees, athene has done more good than most people in this comment section. no im not a follower of him, and maybe he is abusive, but comon, there are 100 worse people in your town commiting violent crimes. If someone can be talked into ruining their own life, who has to change?

@@patrikpass2962 so next time you get assaulted, stolen from or infringed upon in any way, don’t be annoyed when people tell you there are others doing worse stuff, that this is your fault for letting it happen, and that you should change. Doing good things does not mean you can get away with destroying peoples lives. I would argue I have done more good by virtue of the fact that I haven’t attempted to destroy peoples lives to attain personal wealth and goal.

"it doesn't matter that you saved millions of lives, you trolled gamers!!!"

@@EroUsagiSama someone didn’t watch the video before commenting.

@@patrikpass2962 nice strawman. You're from his group aren't you? It's pathetic they're resorting to ghost accounts.

Recognizing how incredibly common these traits are in people, where the only really differing aspects are the intensity (and often just them having the actual opportunity to put them to use), is very disturbing but important.

narcicistic personality disorder

Not that I know how cults work, but he seems to be on a path that is skewing towards a cult.

@@randomsandwichian He even looks a bit like Charles Manson

Yes yes yes, God blessed I personally are very sensitive towards emotions which often gives me a "correct" gut feeling. He completely understands how Emotion and Depression works but he uses this knowledge to manipulate in really disgusting way.... Also this girl "accusing" him, later returns to them and takes it back - well exactly this is the reason why emotional abuse is so hard to escape. Why did she took it back? I can't prove it but my gut feeling, my personal experience and logic. She most likely got hooked again somehow. The "cult" is like a drug for her: she needs help to life her life again, she did not, she came back to the compact, she got manipulated again and ah sh*t now she is in it. Getting out for her will be nearly impossible due to her own insecurity, her most likely rly bad damaged mental health and Athene's manipulative behavior... It's astonishing and breathtaking to which degree this guy integrated manipulative behavior in his words. It is clear he does not value indepent women, it is clear he cares for him self and it is clear that he is a professional in emotional abuse. Best example: his video "Death of Athene" -> if you plan on watching the whole video, I personally would advise to watch the Asmongold reaction on it so a) Athene gets no money for it xD and b) because Asmongold comments it very grounded from his standpoint

fewer attempts at homicide and, seemingly, less exploitative child labor, and babbling about alien ghosts being shipped to prehistoric earth across interstellar space in 60's vintage bomber jets, though! .... not sure if that's a plus or a minus on the cult rating scale....

Classic DARVO.

it’s true. i am a virgin

“This podcast/video/website of mine that you’re quoting to me, well, it has been edited by other people, I would need to listen to the entire thing to understand the context.”

/rad flag flags that are radical

@@jenniferchaulam They're like, free radicals man.

duuuude rad flags🤘🏄‍♂️ /j

@@pacidraws3563 omg rad flags

those flags are absolutely radical duuuude

"How do you know it's my turd? There are lots of people in this house. Reese drops many more turds than I do. Why didn't you ask him to go flush the toilet?

"Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?"

"Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?"

"Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?"

"Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?"

You were a kid, you didn't need to be that strong, adults never should have put you in that situation. You are a hero just because you are alive and thinking for yourself, most people didn't have to endure what you did.

You endured more then most and are stronger and smarter because you came through it. Still you and no child should ever have to go through anything like that. For that I'm sorry. Truly. Now you can be a hero to other children and try to help them.

you're allowed to forgive yourself for not living up to the expectations that were put onto you, and you're allowed to not live up to the expectations, you were a kid. I grew up in the same environment. I've gone through a lot of reworking of myself to realize that, and you're capable of the same.

The mere fact that you're here writing this comment proves that you did what you needed to do to make it through. That's amazing ❤️

I just had one for a landlord for several years; I can't imagine what it's like growing up with one as a "parent".

he sound like an elementary school kid. Just worse

Athene is the shittest of politicans no wonder he never got elected lol doesnt answer the question and abuses the interviewer Chris: so you never have abused anyone? Athene: Your the shittest troll journalist ive ever met Chris: Case closed, thanks.

@@alaskanmalamute101 Lmfao. First laugh I've had since watching this video

for athene he laid it out bare when he said that they kick out anyone who asks questions. that's a very convenient and efficient way to filter out people who have the wherewithal to be good advocates for themselves and their own wellbeing

I really like my walnut. My walnut is a true spiritual nut.

I mean it seems like when he's not being challenged he sounds extremely sure of himself but also able to handle and take in and grow from criticism, which is possibly the most ironic thing about this whole situation, some of those quotes from when he was just talking to his followers did sound very self reflective and if that was all you were seeing and you were already in a vulnerable place where you desperately needed guidance this guy sounds pretty damn convincing and encouraging, that's why he's so insidious, he really believes that he's a good person and that he's not doing anything wrong and that he's capable of self reflection and he specifically targets vulnerable people who are willing to believe everything he says so that he never has to actually critically reflect on his own behaviour, how he reacts when challenged is a clear product of this, his ego can't handle being told he's not the revolutionary, pure intentioned, good-doing leader he thinks he is

This is an insult for walnut

@@jaayro I find the crypto and NFT community to be very similar. Anyone who enters the space with genuine concern or questions are labeled as spreading "FUD" and kicked out. It leaves behind only the most gullible and easily manipulated people.

I mean to be fair good people sometimes have to defend their character. If you’re constantly having to, or if your counter is as toothless as “I donate to charity” or “I love my mom” yeah you prbly suck.

I actually found this documentary about him by looking up "incel culture."

@@LikaLaruku hahahahaha Incel + pick up “artist” was also my first association.

Of course, none of this might be true, but I think it's a little deeper than that: Good people don't bring up why they're good people because the actions and thoughts that make them good are their norms. People boast about what they perceive to be extraordinary, not the ordinary.

"I love womAn". Like, he can bring himself to pronounce most things correctly, included man / men, but not women. I reckon this is done on purpose.

i know right, you're sweating, getting anxious, stressed, fed up and just emotionally tired just from listening to the interview, imagine being chris sitting there taking it all, definitely props to him, amazing patience and sticking to journalism

this is session #3 for me taking a break to read comments then gonna try and get the rest in after this break. about 30 minutes to go

that's narcissism from you. he gets high from it, he praises logic but he's being emotional as can be

@@bobaxvcr4324 This exactly. In almost the same sentence he tries to deflect all responsibility by claiming Rheese controls all the cash, but then right away has to hype himself up as "I make all the cash, I can do a stream right now and make $10k" and talking about how no one else there does meaningful work and it's all him.

That part of the interview was so chilling. He came in closer to the camera even.

Just remember: not the brain.

@@qwerty_artist I see you have done your research. You clearly have 'prion' knowledge regarding the subject.

@@compassionatecurmudgeon7025 Eyyy that got a laugh out of me

It would also solve over population. Of course you could also solve money problems by offering them a fairly large sum to sell their legs. You don't (technically) need them and they seem like the best part to eat.

You creep lol But seriously, you are a creep

Not only that, but I've come to notice that this kind of person will then often also *immediately* try to make a new statement with the previous answer as a premise. That way, if you even as much as *try* to come back to the previous statement, they can pretend you're "dodging their question" or "changing the subject" (because making that new statement/question allows them to "shift the subject to something else" while forcing you to acknowledge the previous statement as true).

@@fredg1167 Precisely!!!

@@fredg1167 And when you finally corner him, it's all Reese! Or if it is really bad, it's the other volunteers!

Written debate would be better here. You can design grander questions with direct quotations in numbered points and demand clarification in clear terms. You rob them of the ability to interrupt, go off on emotionally-charged irrelevant tangets, change the subject without making it very obvious they're dodging the question and more.

also, breaking down anything that they're saying dignifies their argument which further fuels them

Textbook case isn't it. People like this frustrate me. They're frequent in the comments too, someone here just deleted my comment after posting factual information with links to the relevant legislation online. I should know better than to respond most of the time - fortunately, I usually don't, but sometimes my frustration with people gets the better of me.

@@xaxabogbart i think recently youtube has been deleting comments with non-youtube links in general, not totally sure though

Athene: I think ive helped people with depression but also maybe caused it Chris: did you just say you’ve caused some people depression Athene: No i would never

Personally I could have run verbal rings around Athene and deconstructed his arguments so easily, however the way Chris approaches it is a far more revealing gg

Tears? Man... People are soft af now a days.

@@fuckwokecultureandblm1712 what's soft about a natural expression of emotion? Considering the amount of abuse you get for it in this day and age, better than storing it up internalising it and becoming a bitter sad lonely person

@@gtaviper r/iamverysmart type beat

@@liyre4189 I mean it’s not hard to call out the bullshit he’s saying, it’s harder to just sit there and listen, but because he did that we can see who he really is

And don’t forget, saying how much he cares about women and their babies. My heart aches.

@@HiMyNameIsKim don't forget that he loves his mother more than anyone!!

well they evolutionary understand emotions better on average. so the worst of them usually prefer emotional abuse, just like the worst men are more directly abusive. ethene phrased it terribly lol, seems like an asshole.

@@BronzeOrwin no. Wen are expected by society to be more social. Variety among brains of people who are the same sex and gender show much wider variety than the difference between male and female identified people with average hormonal levels that would be expected for their biological sex. Those tendencies are so slight that it's really not anything reliable you can fall back on

@@aazhie there are male/female behavioral differences between most mamals. literally talk to any animal trainer/breeder, get outside your box. those 'slight' tenancies literally coincide with the cultures of 99/100 countries, if not more.

yet such a sober interview gave only athene clout, Reese, no words. Just as planned by Athene, he is a genious!

@@rekamud6635 And a master manipulator and misogynist, but sure, buy into this weirdo's cult.

@@michael_gibbs Athene does nothing, yet gets these nice haters and all the cash. Thanks for promoting him though Michael, he changed a lot from 2016!

@@rekamud6635 Just because I'm criticising someone doesn't mean I'm giving them free advertising. If anything it's keeping sane and rational people away.

@@michael_gibbs you're probably right he is definitely toxic and manipulative but Athene slips between the lines so well, he has Charles Manson vibes. But there is a part of me that gives him slack because he's an entertainer from 2007, way before any pc culture existed. Back then the internet was about controversy, explicit content and misogyny, gore, racism etc. If you don't mind me asking, what parts exactly are the ones that make you so angry towards him? You have comedians such ss Bill Hicks saying waaay worse things than "women r manipulative machines". Athene is a comedian.

Hes the most Generic Moderate Right Winger wtf

Guilt and shame are debilitating even without this guy piling it on. I can self-talk my way to freedom, have a normal evening, go to sleep fine and wake up guilty. Wish I had a simple fix beyond keep trying. After a while the pattern that he deflects blame to not answer the question becomes evident, otherwise why not answer the question. He was very convincing and good with words early on but his aggressive manner of deflection repeated enough times paints the true picture.

What's interesting is that I'm not easily manipulated or gaslit. it's just in my nature ig not bragging or anything. But I've gotta say when I heard this guy admit that he was wrong or he acted all humble for a couple secs I found myself shortly enamored by him as in, "this guy is really humble, I should listen to him." I thought this despite the fact that 90% of the time I recognized he was rewriting and purposefully misconstruing everything Chris said. It's interesting, I think this humble facade is how Athene drags in new members. He's so blatantly aggressive most of the time though I can't imagine him acting that way for long periods of time.

I was not swayed by that but I agree with your point. (I too am not bragging I'm just additionally less emotive in some ways which has its pros and cons) It's a mix of behaviours he's using per response he wants, and it's only human that we base our feelings on what's happening Now and sometimes forget the long-lasting point.

Same here! I’m easily manipulated and gaslit because of my father. I would sometimes find myself agreeing with this guy and I had to stop myself to see if it’s because of the way he speaks or because of my personal views. Homeboy really made me question myself lol

@@elisanoro Oof same but with my mom

nice pfp

Having just stumbled across this vid today, I would have loved nothing more than to see Chris reply to such a statement with a timer showing how long Athene had been talking for since Chris asked a question (and consistently having not yet had an actual answer to the question he asked)

Don't forget the constant pivots.

"you're not even going to show your audience the context!" Chris shows his responses in full. Dude's freaking out at the strawman in his head.

He has a lot of incel talking points and expresses a lot of incel ideology, but he is definitely a lot smarter than your average everyday incel. Not that it's hard to be much smarter than an incel, but... you get what I mean

@@einsiedler5075 that's cruel dingus incels r just lonely people not all dumb-asses wanabe killers say u r sorry please

Elmo not a fan of perpetuating bad mans ideologys. Elmo think EVERYONE UNIQUE and can be whoever they want as is not Elmo's place to judge them because Elmo is a puppet!

@@monkeh8165 Wtf lol

@@monkeh8165 based elmo

It's really interesting though, with youtube you can see him losing his mind over the years. He's clearly a bad person now but would have been less harmful had he had help.

Was he that same guy on early RU-vid with the Head Shot friend and who talked about pwning noobs? Or was that a fever dream I had during finals in uni?

@@Cyromantik LMAO no that's jerret cale and Joel Gardiner from pure pwnage. They just released a movie a few years ago.

Honestly, I never really liked him. His demeanor felt way too genuine to simply be an act. Now the tactics changed. Now it's not a funny character but a just cause he's hiding behind.

You act like something for so long, you're bound to become it.

He wants both, he wants to be idolized without any accountability.

Q promoters do this. CH.5 / Andrew Callahan / (ALLGASNOBREAKS) interviewed a bunch of speakers at a Qcult rally and they all vehemently denied even knowing what Q was, and instead tried desperately to lead the interview in the most insane directions.

... but that's the truth xd

Even the cult itself. "Once you click you'll think so logically that you'll overcome addiction" "Well, I didn't think abusing and hurting people would be a bad thing, I just didn't consider it"

Yeah... but it’s such a shame that Chris was muted during the whole interview, because this means that such information won’t reach the people who need to listen to it the most.

He does have charisma, just to a specific audience made mostly out of a subsection of lonely dissatisfied young men.

@@misterZalli true

Even though I knew he was being manipulative I was sill doubting myself as I watched. That interview was uncomfortable to listen too.

You can see how those people that came out against him eventually retracted their denounces. Its so scary how the dude is a master in what he does. I recommend anyone interested to read Elan School. A great reading on how cults operate.

I saw the Nexpo video, and it was soul crushing to hear about what those kids went through.

@@quack7461 There should never be any doubt in your mind that someone who refuses to answer every question is doing so for bad reasons.

I know what you mean. The first half of the interview almost sounded like he was making good points, even if he wasn't answering the questions straight. But as soon as he started talking finances the veil was lifted immediately. Wow. Unsettling how that works, to say the least.

Yeah bro narcissism opened my eyes.

What if its his role that makes money to children charities? Now tell me how much u have made to those charities? Now tell me is there police in germany who you can call if something "emotional abuse" is happening there? Next tell me what you have done for this world other than doubting a gamer who makes millions to childrens charities and basicly lives like a bum himself.

@@michellamberg3230 bru, you're doing half the things I listed. It doesn't matter if someone is a philantropist if they're also abusive and manipulative to the vulnerable people around them - there can always be other philantropists who don't also carry a legacy of abuse to cover their tracks - so why should we permit the abusers who use acts like philantropy to justify cruel behaviours in their personal lives?

Yes Athens is a big red flag just run away from him. He’s so manipulative is scary he’s a guy that justify asking money using girls as sexual objects is incredible. I always wondered how he made that girl in his Best paladín of the world videos be so harrased like calling her and exposing her as pure sexual object. Now I can see Athene is a master at manipulating people

@@michellamberg3230 Pablo Escobar helped a lot of people too :) he also was a drug capo and killed thousands :) stop using that argument and ignoring facts.

I would go insane and leave the chat lol.

@@collection6062 and what's the betting as soon as that happened Athene would weaponise it against Chris 🙄

@@DevilboyScooby yep that's the best way to handle a situation like this. Never thought I'd get to use this saying unironically but Chris holding frame was the only way he could get through this shit show without being made to look like the aggressor

I would have muted the call on my computer then sat there nursing a cup of tea until he unmuted me.

To me he came as a lunatic hell bent on achieving his goals no matter who he steps along the way. Power, good will, fame, helping out. Filling up the ego. Honestly, I think he knows he's a POS, but trying to fix that by doing other "good" stuff to make up for it. Just my take though

I have this weird intresses in cults so he came off as a wannabee Charles Manson

Athene and also Reese are extremely self-absorbed...

My mother is emotionally abusive and hella manipulative. I do not think she recognises it, but that is because she chooses not to self-examine. I am positive she lies to her therapist about how she interacts with others. I do not necessarily think she does this consciously, but she does make many choices (performs a LOT of mental acrobatics) to justify her horrible behaviour. This is how abusers are. She has very few friends and breaks off most relationships after a couple years. Why? Because she makes no effort to consider how she behaves and most people cannot tolerate it. Took me until I was 27 and had years of therapy to cut her off.

I wanted to give him the advice to not have that full beard because it REALLY completes the 'unhinged cult leader' look, but maybe it's better that he keep it, as a warning.

I knew I wasn’t the only one who had to think of someone like Charles Manson with that beard

@@CoratMcRed It was the rambling and "it's not my fault it's these other people who have all the power, not little ol' me" that sold the Manson vibe for me.

exactly what i was thinking... and you should see my hair lol

Shoko Asahara looking ass

I was going to stop watching this video (because of Bachir's bullshit), but then I saw your comment and kept watching. Thank you for your comment. :)

@@HydrantRooster You're welcome. I still struggle to believe how much Bullshit he spits out.

Late to the game, but do you have a timestamp of the exchange with the girl?

@@QuantumWalnut 36 mins in roughly

I noticed that too, it’s so subtle that you could easily miss. He has to have control over the people there and how they portray themselves and the group

They probably had a brainstorm and strategy talk before the stream, with "painting the journalist as a jealous virgin who gets no pussy" being thrown out when they saw Chris looked kinda good, lol.

Look in the responses of any abuse victim talking about how they relate to the experiences of Athene's victims (especially if they're women!) and you'll find them easily!

of course there determined. if you have a cult, you are going to set some members to fight bad press. its basic evil genius stuff.

This is why I browse comments by Top, not by Most Recent All my homies hate Most Recent

@@Sorrelhas Does anyone use the non default way?

@@JonatasAdoM I occasionally do when looking for "that didn't age well" comments on old 40K videos.

Omg that is so messes up why don't we hear more about these things

this is a very effective comparison and sets you up to see more parallels in the way this and NXIVM and other cults of personality work

I takes about 5-10 seconds to figure out that this guy is insane. It's rather fascinating how his hair and beard become increasingly more stereotypically crazy cult leader as well. The whole thing looks like a typical incel group, with some fantasy science and religion sprinkled in. I got a good laugh from the crypto currency, of course there has to be crypto currency too. Ahem. Good luck with trying to reprogram your relative

@Cactus Jack wtf is google

I'm ready

I'd accept a bald head with a fu manchu as well

Your Neighbour I like you!

So what your telling me is that I should get a potato sack and then I am all good to go? Wait fuck I already started a religion...erm... What are the rules on multiple religions with the same head? xD

Yeah it's that weird fallacy where you defend anything bad by pointing out something worse. _"You think it's bad that I hit my girlfriend? Women are literally mutilated in the Middle East, why aren't you protesting about that? Stop overreacting."_

@@TheMrVengeance omg, I didn’t think about it that way. I was so confused as to why and how he brought the argument about the mothers into the conversation and couldn’t myself argue against it. You pointed that out makes so much sense

Sad to see , he was so funy back on days.

Okay black humor does not really save you from being a trash person. Don’t understand why it matters that he was funny once. He sounds like all the other PUA idiots thinking women are some hostile entity. He looks like Rainer Langhans but even more unwashed. The only reason he ever touched a woman is that they can be as lost as the dudes living there. No purpose, just mistakes. So he offers them purpose (in his case literally) then financially and socially traps them. The cult method is as old as humanity itself. You make your followers abandon their family and friends and send them hostility so they lose all people to fall back on, then you make them unemployable by having them work for your fictitious company. Nobody hires an ex cultist cause they have year long gaps in their CVs. It’s why people come back. Because the abuser is the easier alternative to being alone and unemployed in a country like germany where nobody likes to befriend or hire people who don’t speak the language.

So it's working lol

Gaslighting sound like a fallacy, but yeah its weird

He can't resist the opportunity to brag. It's so cringy how he makes up shit and literally contradicts himself to pretend he's a big shot.

Yep, it's like the age old "i'm not racist, I have a black friend"....

@@benmaestro6052 Conveniently leaving out "...whom I make the butt of every joke every time I can, a treatment I don't give to my white friends. But he doesn't _openly_ mind it so it's not racist. Also I may have shamed him for being too easily offended early on when he still complained, but that's freedom of speech init." Not sure why the theoretical racist went british at the end.

@@AlphaCarinae nope, if when someone asks you if you hate women the first thing you go to is their prescribed role is society instead of their individual personhood then you're just telling on yourself. if you don't understand that either things are not looking good for you either.

@@AlphaCarinae as i said, things are not looking good for you.

@@AlphaCarinae nice counter model to my argument, "nuh uh" is my go to debunk as well.

Seesm like he has create dhis own world bubble around him along with yesmen and yeswomen.

@@kudosbudo This is the first thing I agree with on the comments so far. The people there actually view him as their hero. They are fans; they've been very inspired by his feats and charity work, etc; enough that they'd give up their lifestyle and go to his compound to try and make a difference; and you bet they'd bend over backward with a shit-eating grin on their face to nearly any request. This could indeed cause problems with his feedback loop, as you suggest here.

Just Ingrid came to the comments to see if someone else made the connection to that nasty onion

He tried to start a cult

@@WiloPolis03 Yep but this guy actually did start a cult

HAHAHAHAH EXACTLY MY FIRST THOUGHT

If he keeps messing with under-aged kids, he'll have lots of followers in prison.

@@hirakaiko5570 exactly, basically every activist group works like this Athene just added some faux self-help stuff on the top

Im well on my way

YOU CAN DO IT MAN LIVE YOUR DREAMS

We have pizza, and drugs

@@v3ck1n GOTTA DRINK THE KOOL-AID

@@justinTime077 Volunteers with a signed NDA saying that they cannot go against him. You are really gullible. NDA's are scary for people who do not have financial backing and can be sued in court. It is a well known business tactic to curtail people with lower income or skills.

The way he presents himself really sells the creepy cult vibe too

In Germany though? Scientology threatens all kinds of people for saying the same thing and in Germany, they lost that battle. It's one of the only countries in the world where Scientology is illegal.

@@chriswilliamson9030 "It's one of the only countries in the world where Scientology is illegal. " No it is not. It was discussed but no such action followed. Scientology remains under surveillance though.

@@chriswilliamson9030 they have a big ass church in Berlin where i drive by every day. So pretty sure they are not illegal.

Don't forget to invest funding to be registered as a religious organization with the government. Then you can make money off of your enemies' opinions, and keep funding your religion.

everything about the way he speaks makes me sick. i've both personally experienced and done research on manipulative behaviors, psychopathic or non. the more he talks, the more he portrays this "genius" facade that i think most people are too gullible to pick up or see through. he's constantly gas-lighting the interviewer by repeatedly pressing the narrative that he is "doing real stuff and you're just interviewing me for a hit piece". philanthropy does not cover for abuse. ever. a guy can be a fire fighter who's saved 10 lives in his career, but if he goes home one day and beats his wife you'd hold him accountable. because treating people right isn't a game of how things balance out. it's a game of consistency. so this argument that because he donated a lot of money he's good at heart is just fallacious and very gas-lighty.

@@stereoraptor6940 it may be a buzz word but I seriously think gaslighting can account for the majority, or at least their root causes, of major domestic and social issues going on recently

@@mrchairmold2979 logic is the language of the conscious mind, emotion is the language of the unconscious mind.

Stereoraptor I mean of cause that he is gas lighting he is defending himself from criticism

@Charles Clarke yeah almost literally everything he says is a logical fallacy attempting to dodge the question. He wouldn't know logic if it hit him in the face.

Because its true.. people have their own minds man.

​@@jaypond4368 And every mind is easily manipulated.

Jon S maybe yours, bro. Not me.

@@calebcrouch6133 That's what everyone thinks, but truth is we all have been manipulated at one point or another and might even be unaware it happened.

Carey Roberts maybe you, not me.

He may or may not be unhinged. I haven't watched all this or seen Athene in a while, but he's definitely a genius, or at least used to be one. Dude has done very impressive things consistently for his entire adult life.

@@theremaster5345 While his proficiency at manipulating people is high, calling him a genius is definitely a stretch.

thats how it usually goes, him surrounding himself with ppl he manipulates into thinking hes smart has made him unhinged and affirms the shit he spouts to the point where he probably 100% believes it now

@@theremaster5345 Please name one impressive thing he has done worthy of making him a genius in any capacity. And before I get the "he's a genius manipulator!!!!!!", no he's an asshole who picks on vulnerable people.

@Gareth athene is a millenial

@@bobajango55 How would you feel if I told you that's amazing? Exactly.

@Gareth Imagine defending this man

@@Matthill121 Imagine thinking you know ANYTHING about him? You people are the epitome of stupidity.

The best reply to accusations of "being taken out of context" is to say, "OK, then why don't you put that statement IN context for me?" (it ALWAYS results in a self-own "answer." ALWAYS)

I couldn't have done that interview, that's for sure.

This is typical narcicist behavior.

Because there are no facts to be awnsered

Even then, I find him to be really good at what he does, and by that I mean making people believe he's the good guy. He shifts blame away and denies in a really believable way. He always puts actual true shit first, stuff everyone would agree with, like the fact that logic is good, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if some people would actually get to him from this video. I really hope that's not the case.

@@alvin_row Really? I feel like it's just the opposite. He does not speak well, and he does not engage in a logical way. He espouses logic, but instead gaslights. I feel sorry for him. He built a foundation on rot. And may actually want to do good. IDK. But now he is just trying to keep it all together. I do hope the cult changes, or is dissolved.

@@blakecarson6555 I mean obviously there's VERY clear flaws in the way he acts and speaks, but there's a reason gaslighting is a thing: it works really well on insecure people. And given that his method is supposed to cure depression and anxiety (and give every guy a girlfriend) we can safely assume that he's looking for insecure people.

given how bad the numbers of how much is donated, vs how much goes towards the goal in some mainstream charities,with a LOT more oversight/attention paid to the accounting.... that's an....excellent question....

I had that thought too. He keeps flexing the charity whenever his character is put in question, basically reducing those people to nothing more than leverage, but I'm skeptical of how much of this charity actually reaches them.

Easy, if his "charity" was actually legit _it would be a charity!_ Not a "religion" where one single person has over $1.5M in their own personal crypto-wallet/bank-account.

soul crushing? Damn we went from games and goofs to dead serious in an instance.

The same people who volunteered to be there by their own will? Oh

@@Treaxvour Yeah, just like in most cults...

@@justinTime077 How transparent :).

Same, probably second most waited one for me after Keemstar :)

Same!

@Punk Moon what do you mean?

Aye bois u wanna bet yall look rly stupid soon enough? :)

Don't worry, history has shown that fake prophets don't live long

I recall him in early youtube days, presenting himself as great wow player. He had only just mentioned ipower when i stopped most my junk youtube viewing. Cannot believe he is now a tech incel jesus, complete with game production compound.

Jeff Fox “Tech Incel Jesus” LoL that is gold!

He seems insane even back in wow days.

I felt the same way....saw this video pop up on a feed and was like "Holy shit! I haven't seen this dude since '07". Pure entertainment right here.....yet honestly, I'm not even surprised with his transformation into a cult leader. Even though it was clearly an act back in the day, he always came across as a bit of a creep.

My thoughts exactly. I remembered how he was some arrogant dude who thinks he's above everyone else, then it came out it was an act. His presence totally disappeared from me after that. I thought he quit the net, like so many others. But Manson 2.0? That I would have never expected.

I think a similar term is a "fall guy", a guy who takes the fall. It's most used when movie studios, big media companies, etc film in countries without those countries' permission, so they pay a guy to take the jail time for the filming.

@@nai3371 that seems right!

I guess you could call him a scapegoat. It's a broader term but it fits.

People get lost in the idea that the ends justify the means and often forget that the means justify the end

Yep. But the gamer crowd in need to touch grass will gobble that shit up as "logical" and rally behind the person representing the times where they liked WoW. It's a mess.

Yees

link2498 so true. What kind of super-logical demigod that we should be aspiring to be like continually angrily talks over people , sets up straw men over and over (so much for logic), and attacks the interviewer? It’s not like there’s just a couple people curious about what this prick is doing in his obvious cult. That’s how a logical person handles criticism? He didn’t prepare for this? What a fucking idiot. At this point in my life I don’t understand how people fall for stuff like this and get caught up in cults and similar situations, but if I remember back to when I was 17-18, I did meet a girl that I only knew online who was homicidal and insane and I missed huge red flags because I thought she was just playing around. And then once you’re stuck with these people, you’re stuck, because they use coercion and threats that are often credible. This girl for example said if I broke up with her she would have her moms “people” (biker gang people) kill my family and dogs. I found out they were involved in a murder just the year before so I took this threat seriously and stayed with her for 3 years until I let her beat the shit out of me til I had so many wounds that the cops had to take her. Then I got a PFA. Even still, she stalked me in real and online for over 10 more years.

Strawmans, ciclicle logic and deflection all over the place.

Christian Gasior holyshit thats some rough shit bro

Wasn't he a Starcraft player?

What do you mean? He loves his mother, so he can't be a misogynist! Let alone wanting a sex cult? He only objectifies women at every chance, while trying to build a community based on getting trolls laid. I don't see this as a problem. Not at all. Think next time before you accuse someone of such flagrant things.

That's what most man want.

@@B1G_EZ"Urr I dunno maaan, seems kinda gayy to me"- pink guy.

It's like an extremely online version of The Family International.

Isn't that just Mormonism?

I find it very difficult to picture an angry Chris. The only thing that comes to mind is him looking at you with a blank expression while calmly saying "I'm furious right now"

How else can he play an innocent role? All he is doing is a hit piece. He hasn't contributed anything to the world. He is just being destructive

@@TheKrempist lol ... think you dropped your clicky tin foil hat there mate...

@@millehdk You beat me to it...

@@TheKrempist I mean he literally just contributed a 90 minute investigative documentary..

i Ha V e *N o* Id Ea WhA t Y oU ’rE tAl KiNg A bOu T!!!

100% accurate

@@Kyle_Schaff That's because you're an idiot.

His "they chose this, I didn't make them believe anything" argument is the same one Charles Manson made after the slayings.

@@TaiganTundra Uhh he was kidding

Nailed it.

Jup, on point!

@Zombiecraft They DON'T all have girlfriends, that's why Athene is so adamant that more girls need to join.

@Squirrel E i don't think anyone said it was ethical, it just doesn't qualify as celibacy.

And they are pimping the girls. Textbook pimp

It's not even just blaming it on personality, more often than not they go as far as to blame depressed people for not just choosing to be happy, as if they haven't tried literally the most obvious fucking thing they could've possibly suggested. Like, of course, why didn't I think of just not having the problem. Might aswell tell those children in Africa to just not starve while they're at it. EDIT: To clarify, because the difference is very subtle, I mean it in a very literal way when I say they blame people for not choosing to be happy. They treat happiness as a switch you just flick on.

Only idiots with zero knowledge of psychology think that depression is anything but a chemical imbalance in the brain. I don't understand why anyone would take mental health advice from someone who is not a licensed professional.

2 years late to the party on this one (but motivational speakers haven't stopped doing this, so it's unfortunately still relevant!), but they really do treat depression and other mental illnesses like a personal _moral_ failing

Yup!

No, it made me click 🛩

The video is over and its STILL there! hope it wears off soon.

Yeah lol

yep