What Is MGTOW?

MGTOW is Men Going Their Own Way.

It is a classification or description of a diverse spectrum of men who have consciously decided to avoid legally marrying, depending on a woman, or having a woman depend on them. 

Men take this approach out of self defense; for preservation and protection. They see legal marriage or relationships in general in today's culture as too risky for men, laden with obligations and sacrifices with little to nothing to be gained by them. MGTOW seek to disengage or minimize involvement in systems and situations in which they think men are at a disadvantage.

Just about anyone who would consider himself as MGTOW would also not cohabitate with a woman. Most would avoid exclusive relationships entirely. And many avoid any ongoing interdependent interaction with woman. (This isn't to say such men necessarily shun their mothers, sisters, etc. This is mostly about romantic/social relationships and often professional relationships.)

It is too simplistic to say it is a reaction to feminism. Many MGTOW fully support equality for women under the law, in as much as it is possible. MGTOW a reaction to what is seen as misandry in our common systems and culture, especially our family laws and courts. In fact, some MGTOW could claim also to be feminists is that they support women being equal under the law, strong, and independent.

MGTOW isn't an organization. There are online forums, bloggers, and vloggers who identify as MGTOW, but there isn't a formal movement. Individualism is common among MGTOW. Men who identify as MGTOW might date or not, might be promiscuous or virgins, might have a religion or not, might be politically affiliated or not, might espouse an overall political philosophy or not, might believe in conspiracy theories or not. Some have previously been married, some are fathers. Some have never been through the wringer of family courts, but you don't have to be hit by a bus yourself to know you don't want to stand in the street.

There are no identifying qualities of a MGTOW man, aside from his self-identification as such, other than a rejection of current marriage laws and dominant cultural expectations for romantic relationships.

I really don't expect Wikipedia to be a good source on MGTOW. The entry has changed significantly since I last checked it. I'll respond below to what I found there this time. [This entry has been bumped up and things change a lot at Wikipedia.]

MGTOW purport to focus on men's self-ownership rather than changing the status quo through activism and protest, which to participants differentiates the community from the men's rights movement.

It's also one way it differs significantly from being the "flip side" to most feminist organizations, which seek to impose their wills on society through government force and create or expand government programs for women.

Associated with the alt-right, the MGTOW community has been called a misogynistic male supremacist group. The Southern Poverty Law Center places it "on the borders of the hateful incel community".

These days, the SPLC is a Leftist joke of an organization. I'm sure there are misogynists and male supremacists who identify as MGTOW, but choosing to go his own way doesn't require nor necessarily indicate misogyny nor a belief in male supremacy. Incels are involuntarily celibate (which shouldn't be confused with chaste). MGTOW don't want to get married, at least not as things are now. MGTOW tend to be VOLUNTARILY celibate

Originally libertarian, the community later began to merge with the neoreactionary and white-nationalist alt-right.

That's ridiculous. MGTOW is not an organized movement. Again, there are undoubtedly some men who claim to be MGTOW who are white nationalists, but most white nationalists encourage white men to marry (white women) and have a lot of white babies. There are men of all colors and ethnicities who are MGTOW.

According to Angela Nagle, their rhetoric suggests "punishment and revenge" against women are the driving force behind MGTOW.

Wanting to be free to live life how they want it isn't inherently punishing or exacting revenge against women, unless you think men are obligated to marry and not marrying a woman punishes her. Racism has nothing to do with being a MGTOW. Some MGTOWs might be antifeminist, might be misogynist, might be male supremacists, or might have a victim mentality, but none of those things are inherent to being a MGTOW and many men who identify as MGTOW can't honestly be labeled with any of those terms. Being a MGTOW isn't inherently political; there is no general demand to change laws or create or modify government programs, although many MGTOW do personally oppose laws and government programs they see as unequally/unduly favoring women or transferring money from men to women.

The fact is, there are good reasons for many men to eschew legal marriage and exclusive romantic relationships with women as they are today, and further, to minimize social and professional interactions with women.