The Lone Wolf Alpha vs The Pack Alpha

Introduction

Firstly, I want to start off by noting that whilst being ‘alpha’ isn’t a person, but rather a set of traits as Rollo Tomassi himself even states in one of his presentations, I will be discussing these set of alpha traits in relation to someone who prefers to lead their life as a lone wolf as opposed to someone who prefers to be part of a social group and lead a pack.

Purpose

I have noticed throughout the community that a number of people seem to think that it’s an absolute requirement that you be part of a social group if you wish to be regarded as high SMV, an ‘alpha’, or someone with alpha traits. Also, in many regards certain Laws of Power are being misinterpreted or misrepresented to push a particular angle or narrative.

I am going to argue against that position from multiple angles, taking into consideration the 48 Laws of Power, traits associated with being an alpha, the vulnerabilities of being in a social group, and then pose a question at the end to further encourage discussion on the topic presented.

48 Laws of Power

Law 2: Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies

The leader of a pack alpha needs to maintain a state of always on. He will face challenges, be questioned, and needs to be alert at all times. He says or does the wrong thing and he loses value, and will lose the respect of those that follow him, which for many leaders of a group can be a hit on the ego because of the validation they often require. Also, it is much harder for such a person to distinguish who his true enemies are. They could quite easily be within.

If you’re someone that’s a lone wolf and completely independent then of course this is easier. For one, you’re never going to put too much trust in friends because you do not require any. The lone wolf with alpha traits simply doesn’t need that validation and never needs to maintain a state of being always on. Sure, he should be alert to threats, but because he is not constantly surrounded by people he regards as friends or his group, he is not going to face constant challenges in front of that same group, or give a shit what they think.

Law 3: Conceal your intentions

Again, this is much easier to do when you’re not around the same group all of the time leading that pack, and not being continuously probed by those within the group, all of whom are trying to shatter your frame including those with more beta traits who will go at you in an attempt to impress others in the group by going after the person highest in the hierarchy.

Law 4: Always say less than necessary

Much easier to do as a lone wolf. The pack leader gets probed, will be challenged, will be vulnerable on an off day or when they’re tired or ill, and anything he says can be used against him by the pack, especially a corrupt pack where someone is ready to challenge his position in the hierarchy.

Law 5: So much depends on reputation - guard it with your life

Sure, I’ll concede that it’s much easier to build a reputation in the presence of a pack or social group. However, as you’re always in an ‘on’ state and vulnerable at all times, it’s much easier for holes to be poked in it. The lone wolf can steadily build their reputation, even crafting a different one with any group he encounters, and use that to his advantage to manipulate things to suit himself. I’d also argue that your reputation is built upon a combination of things, including the power in which you hold by sticking to all the other laws plus other things like physical prowess.

Law 6: Create an air of mystery

It’s easy to see how this is done much more easily as a lone wolf than a pack leader.

Law 7: Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit

Again, easier to do if you are living on your own terms and have no ties to anyone. The pack leader that tries to take credit from the group may lose respect, or even be challenged or called out on it.

Law 10: Infection: Avoid the unhappy and unlucky

Much easier to do as a lone wolf. It really goes without saying. If there’s an unhappy or unlucky person in your group, that can corrupt the entire atmosphere. Sure, you can go find a new group, but you may run into the same problem there.

Law 12: Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim

This is also much easier as a lone wolf. The pack leader may use selective honesty with one member of the group, and then tell another member something else. If they find out they may challenge or conspire against you, and you could be vulnerable to power plays or moves they make.

Law 14: Pose as a friend, work as a spy

I agree with this. A lone wolf should pose as a friend with people but always operate as a spy. There should be no deep investment in a pack or requirement for friends. The word ‘pose’ is imperative here.

Law 16: Use absence to increase respect and honor

The person who drifts in and out of your life instead of being the leader of a pack is almost always going to do better in this area.

Law 17: Keep others in suspense: cultivate an air of unpredictability

These are also done more easily as a lone wolf. You move from place to place living an independent life without being a leader of a pack who look up to you. You are not always around so you do not become predictable.

Law 18: Do not build fortresses to protect yourself - isolation is dangerous

And onto the most misinterpreted and misrepresented law of all time we move. A lone wolf is not building a fortress or living in isolation. A lone wolf is independent and should still be out there in society but simply leads that life without a pack following him, or a need for a pack to follow him. A lone wolf should not be getting lonely. He should have a purpose, be keeping himself busy, living life on his own terms and in general doing whatever the fuck he wants because it’s his life. This law has repeatedly been used by some on here to attack those who are not part of a social group.

Law 20: Do not commit to anyone

Why shouldn’t this apply to a pack? The fact is having a pack or having friends is a commitment on some level, so you give up power and you expose yourself each time you’re around those same people who continuously chip away at your frame. Also, if that need to lead a pack comes from an insecurity to be accepted, or ego/showmanship issues, or validation requirements, I’d argue that is exhibiting beta traits as one should be comfortable leading without the need to be followed.

Law 25: Recreate yourself

A lone wolf can do this with pretty much every encounter. A pack leader cannot. If he is with his pack and he starts behaving differently around a new person or group, his current pack will be thinking to themselves, ‘what the fuck?’ and may even challenge him, or question him on it, further pushing. Also, the need to act differently in front of a pack could be seen as a weakness by his current pack, as if there’s something to hide or he’s being a try hard and showing off. It’s not going to go down well.

Law 27: Play on people’s need to believe to create a cult like following

Again, I think this is easier done as a lone wolf than with a fixed social group. The majority of those that started cults throughout history have been lone wolves who harnessed their more extroverted side (often sociopaths who learnt to fit in) and built a cult like following using people to suit their own needs, a power play from the very beginning playing on the emotions of others.

Law 42: Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter

I would say this law also applies to pack leaders. If the pack leader is arrogant then by striking him the sheep that follow him will scatter. Not only this, but by doing so you’re likely to hurt his ego, and expose his insecurities.

The same can be said for many of the other laws that follow, but I think one of the others that is the most important is Law 48: Assume formlessness. By being a leader of a pack or being in a social group your plan becomes more visible and you start to take shape. As a lone wolf it’s much easier to become a shapeshifter, keep people guessing, and for your plan to be unreadable.

Real World Examples

Mercenaries and spies

They are often deployed individually to a new location alone. Why? It helps them maintain power and they’re less vulnerable and at less risk. They may operate as part of a unit but there is no pack whereby one followers the other. That is usually the case when a special services unit is called in once a certain amount of intelligence has been gathered, and there’s movement to be made based on that.

A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link, and the best way to keep the overall chain strong is to ensure every link in that chain is the strongest it can possibly be on an individual level.

In addition to that, numerous psychopaths and sociopaths throughout history have been lone wolves, and why? Because it helps them maintain as much power as possible. They are less exposed and less vulnerable when operating as a lone wolf.

Hitler

But Hitler had a pack and a group I hear you scream? Sure he did, and it contributed massively to his downfall because he entrusted those around him who started making moves against him. As leader of the pack he fell into a situation whereby he trusted others and misplaced that trust because it became impossible for him to distinguish who he could trust and who he couldn’t, which eventually ended with him becoming incredibly paranoid and irrational, leading to disastrous decisions.

Had he operated as a lone wolf and used people instead of having a devout pack of followers, he probably would have been more successful. Instead he misplaced trust, got too invested and other Nazi leaders ran amok doing things without his permission etc.

Fictitious Examples

James Bond

The classic alpha who had no pack. Sure he had acquaintances but for the most part he was a lone wolf who operated alone. His biggest weakness was the fact he broke laws of power by committing to women and left himself vulnerable, and many of his enemies seized upon this to gain the advantage against him.

Stomp The Yard (Film)

In this film there’s two characters, one played by Columbus Short called Darnell, and another played by Darrin Henson called Grant. In the beginning Grant is with the girl, April Palmer, played by Meagan Good. He is the leader of a breakdancing group, he has the pack following him and basically has it all including a hot girlfriend, but he’s also insecure and relies on that pack to boost his own ego and self esteem, because it doesn’t come from within. He also requires the validation of his group.

On the other hand you have Darnell. He is new at the college, and a stoic lone wolf who keeps himself to himself. Darnell is the one guy that Grant cannot win against because Darnell is comfortable in himself as a lone wolf, and doesn’t require a group to know who he is.

In the end April leaves Grant to be with Darnell, which is no surprise because Darnell easily got under Grant’s skin by seeing straight through his fake ass persona driven by his ego and stoically told him numerous times, ‘quit pretending’. On the flip side Grant had nothing to come back at him with. Darnell was a lone wolf, mysterious, and nobody had anything on him.

The film isn’t great, but is worth watching just to see how a confident lone wolf can deconstruct a pack leader.

Bloodline (Netflix)

This show is a slow burner, but there’s pretty decent character development in the show. There is a character Danny who returns to the family home after years away. He’s regarded as the outsider of the family, and a bad egg. I won’t say much more than that as to not ruin it. However, he exhibits numerous alpha traits and is 100% a lone wolf. Watch the show and you will see. He is the typical lone wolf badass that everyone thinks is an asshole yet he is comfortable with being exactly that.

Oliver Queen (Arrow)

In the beginning when he is on the island operating as a lone wolf he is a complete badass. He comes back to the city 5 years later, and is still a badass. He has changed completely, had to survive a true struggle, and is basically a weaponised human being that was tortured.

As the show goes on and he eventually starts gaining a pack of friends and getting oneitis for Felicity Smoak, he starts making far more irrational decisions, and they actually become his weakness because he cares about them. They also start to see his weaknesses more as he’s always around, and at points in the show he has to leave the group and generate absence to prove that they need him so that he comes back.

And whilst I accept that the group do offer a skillset he doesn’t have himself, such as Felicity’s technological skills, I would argue that the negatives outweigh the benefits. He survived 5 years on an island having to hunt for food, deal in harsh conditions, and deal with being tortured. He was mentally steel as a lone ranger yet the moment he comes back and has a group around him, he starts exhibiting blue pill traits almost routinely and loses focus, and loses sense of who he truly is and his purpose.

Summary

I have put forward my argument for why I actually believe the lone wolf with alpha traits is actually the person in the social hierarchy with the most power, simply because they do not expose themselves on a routine basis and therefore whilst it may take longer to build the reputation initially, it is much easier to maintain it afterwards.

I welcome posts that challenge the position and argument put forward as the entire aim was to encourage a discussion on this topic as opposed to the overly simplistic arguments put forward before. Thanks to those that took the time to read all of this.

Question

Would Muhammad Ali have been regarded as less of an alpha leader had he run through Africa in preparation for his fight if nobody had followed him?