The Low Rent Influencers Are Selling Low Rent Life Advice.

It is fascinating how these "influencers" have rebranded impulsivity as independence and emotional illiteracy as strength. By doing so, they are essentially coaching men on how to be perpetual adolescents—men who cannot follow rules, cannot handle their own feelings, and cannot function within a team.

Your point about the Marine Corps is the ultimate "checkmate" to the first claim. If the most traditionally "masculine" institution in the world thrives on hierarchy and subordination to a mission, then the "solopreneur or bust" narrative isn't about strength; it’s about an inability to play well with others.
The Myth of the "Unbossed" Man
The Claim: Working for someone else is a sign of weakness or subordination.

The Counter-Argument:
This argument betrays a fundamental ignorance of how civilization—and victory—is actually built.
The Power of the Collective: As demonstrated by the military, true power is found in coordinated effort. A man who refuses to work within a structure because of his ego is not a "lion"; he is a liability.
Responsibility as the Metric: There is nothing more masculine than providing for a family and honoring a contract. A man who holds a steady job to pay a mortgage is exercising a higher form of agency than a "hustler" who is one bad month away from an eviction notice.
The Truth of Authority: In reality, even the CEO works for the board, and the business owner works for the customer. The idea of being "unsubordinated" is a fantasy designed to appeal to those who resent authority because they lack the discipline to rise within it.
Recklessness Misidentified as Bravery
The Claim: Driving the speed limit is weak; real men handle danger and ignore "suggestions."

The Counter-Argument:
This is a confusion of courage with recklessness.
Self-Regulation vs. Impulsivity: A man who speeds because he is late or "inconvenienced" is a man who is a slave to his own poor time management and emotional reactivity. He is literally letting his watch control his heart rate.
The Social Contract: True strength is the ability to restrain one's impulses for the sake of the common good. A man who treats public roads as his personal playground isn't showing "dominance"; he is showing a childish lack of awareness of the lives around him.
The Fragility of the Flex: Using a car as a weapon or a tool for "ego-projection" is a sign that the driver feels small. A man of substance doesn't need to risk a high-velocity impact to prove he exists.
Stoicism vs. Emotional Necrosis
The Claim: Showing emotion at stories (movies, music) is weak; men must be "stone-faced."

The Counter-Argument:
The "stoicism" these influencers preach is a shallow, plastic imitation of the real philosophy.
The Full Spectrum of Humanity: To be moved by a narrative—to feel the sting of sacrifice, the weight of tragedy, or the beauty of a triumph—is a sign of a high-functioning human brain. Refusing to feel isn't "strength"; it is emotional atrophy.
The Cowardice of Hiding: It takes far more courage to be vulnerable and acknowledge a human truth than it does to wear a mask of indifference. A man who is afraid to cry at a movie is actually terrified that his "masculinity" is so thin it will wash away with a few tears.
The Psychopathy Gap: If you can watch a depiction of profound human suffering or love and feel absolutely nothing, you haven't achieved "manhood"—you've achieved a personality disorder. A leader who cannot empathize cannot lead; he can only dictate.

The "Underclass" Trap
As you noted, these arguments are often a coping mechanism for people who feel stuck. By declaring that "misery and apathy" are the only true masculine traits, they provide themselves with an excuse for their own lack of progress.

If they can convince themselves that therapy is for the weak, they never have to heal. If they can convince themselves that jobs are for the weak, they never have to be held accountable by a boss. If they can convince themselves that feelings are for the weak, they never have to face the pain of their own circumstances. It is a cycle of self-sabotage masquerading as a manual for "alpha" living.

Ultimately, the man who is comfortable in his job, safe in his driving, and open in his heart is the one who has actually won. He isn't performing for anyone—and that is the highest form of freedom.