grifter

How the Term “Grifter” Is Used by Mediocre People to Stifle the Growth of those they can not keep up with

By Supreme

Brooklyn, NY - As long as you are not begging for money at every venture, women are allowed to come to whatever conclusion they damn well please. Feminism, growth, and personal evolution are not about meeting someone else’s expectations or adhering to a rigid ideology dictated by others. Every woman has the right to think critically, change her mind, and form her own beliefs—without facing backlash from those who believe they got there first. PERIOD. 

Just because you were born a radical feminist or embraced it when God sent Moses and no one listened to your pleas doesn’t mean that the women now considering radical feminist thought are grifters. That’s absolute bullshit. Growth is not a crime, and arriving at feminism later than someone else does not make a woman any less legitimate in her convictions. The idea that only those who have always held the same beliefs are “authentic” is nothing more than gatekeeping disguised as moral superiority.

No one owns a woman’s perspective, and no one gets to dictate how she should think, feel, or process the world around her. The expectation that all women must conform to a singular ideology or never shift their views is just another form of control—one that mirrors the very patriarchal forces feminism seeks to dismantle.The term grifter has become a catch-all insult wielded by those who struggle with their own lack of progress. SECOND PERIOD. It is often hurled at individuals who have changed, evolved, or found success in ways that others have not. But rather than acknowledging that growth is a natural and necessary part of life, the mediocre cling to this label as a way to dismiss those who outpace them. Catch that tea. 

Learning equates to growth, and growth equates to evolution. With evolution comes a natural progression away from stagnation. A person who remains the same as they were yesterday has failed to embrace the fundamental truth of human existence: we are meant to evolve. That evolution—be it intellectual, emotional, or ideological—should not be stifled simply because someone else lacks the same grit to shift their mindset.

For starters, the term grifter is generally defined as a person who engages in deception, fraud, or manipulation for personal gain, often financially. The term is commonly used to describe individuals who exploit others—whether through scams, lies, or insincere behavior—to advance their own interests. 

Further, in modern discourse, especially online, grifter is often misused to attack people who change their views, gain popularity, or achieve success, even when there is no deception involved. Instead of accurately referring to scammers or con artists, it has become a catch-all insult for those whose personal or ideological evolution others dislike.

Let's get into it. 

The reason why the term grifter is problematic in radical feminist spaces, is  because ALL WOMEN EXIST UNDER PATRIARCHY and, at some point, have acted in accordance with it. Whether you became a housewife, homemaker, baby mama, or porn star, the reality is that at some point in our lives, most women have acted in ways that men wanted or expected them to. 

That is the truth. 

If you’re one of the rare women who never had any interaction with a man, who came out of the womb reciting Andrea Dworkin, then congratulations—here’s your gold star. But understand that many of us weren’t as lucky as you. Most of us had to unlearn patriarchal conditioning, navigate male-dominated spaces, and find our way to feminism through lived experiences, not from an untouched pedestal of ideological purity. 

The point isn’t to shame women for where they’ve been, but to acknowledge that we all arrive at awareness in our own time and through our own struggles. Instead of looking down on those who had to break free from male influence, we should be focused on how we move forward. 

Consider popular content creators on YouTube—many of whom have shifted their perspectives over the last 15 to 20 years. Take Cynthia G, for example. If you’ve been around long enough, you’ll remember that she was once a strong advocate for Black men, believing that American society was particularly harsh toward them. However, through years of study and research, her stance changed.

Cynthia G realized that many of the beliefs she once held—likely shaped by narratives pushed by Black men—were historically inaccurate. One major example is the claim that welfare programs pushed Black men out of the home and that Black women willingly traded their relationships with the fathers of their children, for government benefits. After conducting her own research, she discovered that the policy restricting men from households receiving welfare assistance only lasted a few years, was in one state and that it was, in fact, a Black woman who successfully sued to overturn the law. 

Despite Black men holding onto this narrative to shame Black women, Cynthia G presented Black women with factual data after she herself learned it. She equipped Black women with the truth, and many Black women would not have known this if it were not for her. They would have forever been under what Black men told them, which we now know, is a lie. Would Cynthia G have reached this conclusion had she not investigated the truth for herself? No. Would anyone call her a grifter simply for correcting misinformation and changing her stance based on new knowledge? Absolutely not. Instead, we recognize that she educated herself, re-evaluated her beliefs, and adjusted accordingly.

This is precisely why the term grifter is ridiculous in the context of feminist—especially radical feminist—discourse. Feminism is about critical thinking, unlearning patriarchal conditioning, and embracing growth. To attack women for evolving in their understanding of oppression is not only counterproductive but also hypocritical. If we truly value knowledge and progress, then we must allow women the space to learn, question, and then shift their perspectives. 

Using the term grifter as a way to undermine someone else’s progress is often a deflection—a tactic employed by those who are unwilling to acknowledge their own lack of growth. Instead of confronting their own stagnation, these individuals project their frustrations onto others, labeling them as opportunists or frauds simply for evolving, succeeding, or changing their perspectives.

This behavior stems from a sense of resentment. When someone sees another person advancing in their career, shifting their ideology, or gaining a platform, it forces them to reflect—often uncomfortably—on their own position in life. Rather than recognizing that growth requires effort, risk, and adaptability, they find it easier to dismiss the person’s progress as deceitful. Calling someone a grifter becomes a lazy, knee-jerk insult, designed not to expose any actual wrongdoing but to diminish the accomplishments of others without engaging in meaningful self-examination. 

The irony is that true grifting involves deception, exploitation, and manipulation for personal gain. Yet, many of the people accused of being grifters have done nothing of the sort; they have simply outgrown certain spaces, changed their viewpoints, or achieved success through legitimate means. If someone earns their place through hard work, if they evolve because of new knowledge and experience, or if they are supported by others who value what they offer, there is no “grift” involved.

The real issue, then, is not that these individuals have changed—it’s that their growth highlights the inertia of those who remain stagnant. Instead of using grifter as a shield to avoid self-reflection, perhaps the real question should be: Why am I not progressing in my own life?

The fact is, as women, we are entitled to do whatever the hell we want—so long as no one ends up in a coffin or a prison cell. Our choices, our growth, and our evolution are ours to navigate, and no one has the right to dictate how that unfolds.

Calling someone a grifter is nothing more than an attempt to police behavior, often by those who are less successful or unwilling to take risks themselves. It’s a way for stagnant people to dismiss those who have evolved, made progress, or shifted their perspectives. Instead of acknowledging that growth is a natural part of life, they weaponize the term grifter to shame others for moving forward—because deep down, they resent being left behind.