Gold pill
The gold pill is a philosophy and practice defined by two motives: 1. Men expecting women to come to the relationship table with a material or economic commitment, and 2. Rejection of the unbalanced romantic model that favors passion over family.[1]
The concept is an culmination of discussions within the men's issues community, which coalesced during a series of online streams and interviews during 2025. The title of "gold pill" was first suggested by iTrebor during a stream by This Is Shah on Saturday Night Stream on May 10, 2025, which was enthusiastically embraced by all with an interest in the topic.
Rationale for rejection of romantic love
Romantic love is based on a feudal model of men providing 'love service' to women, with women expected to contribute little to a relationship other than natural beauty and innate moral purity. The romantic model is at odds with the traditional idea of women coming to the relationship table with a material contribution, and over time it tends to weaken the expectation of female contribution.
Other forms of love are sometimes conflated with the romantic model, loves that are more compatible with the idea of women contributing; these include loves such as storge (spousal and family affection), eros (sexual desire & pleasure), agape (selfless, charitable love), philia (friendship), and pragma (practical, pragmatic love as symbolized by dowry or other material offerings).
Freedom (Greek eleutheria) is also relevant to the formation of relationships today, as it underpins the freedom to choose a partner. The only freedom of choice in the romantic model, however, is the freedom for a woman to choose a vassal, and the freedom for a man to choose his domina. It’s a very narrow set of choices. Outside the romantic model, freedom of choice allows people to select from a far greater range of love-styles and qualities in a prospective partner.