How would you define an alpha?

MissMaude · 2017-03-15T20:15:09+00:00

The closest "alpha" guy I can recall was a lead singer in the most popular band in my college town. Always had a super hot girlfriend he was cheating on, he never showered but girls still though he was "hot," very talented but not at all driven, got arrested a few times, know he hit at least one of his gf's, ditched her when said he would go with her to an abortion (not kidding). He lived in the basement of an old morgue for a while which was sound proof and the parties were awesome (also not kidding). He and I were friends but I never understood girls who slept with him... and many, many of my friends did. It was very clear to me that he treated women terribly once their relationship became sexual- he was always sweet to me and treated me like a baby sister.

He's in his mid-late 30's now. Married, fat and a bartender. Alphas age poorly...

shoup88 · 2017-03-15T20:23:44+00:00

I don't really buy the whole alpha/beta dichotomy. I think alpha/beta are a spectrum of traits and no person is all one or the other. It's situational.

However if I were to call someone an alpha, they'd probably be like some macho man fratty douchebag who beats people up for fun. Like the Alpha Betas in Revenge of the Nerds. Basically I think the term is kind of silly.

OmLiLi · 2017-03-15T20:00:00+00:00

Anyone I approve of is Alpha. Anyone I don't like is Beta.

Super cool guy who bangs bad bitches = Alpha

Accountant getting married = Beta

So there's pretty much OmLiLi and his Beta Bitches, and since you aren't OmLiLi, you do the math.

Alpha = Heisenberg

Beta = Walter White

Alpha = Ren

Beta = Stimpy

Alpha = Loki

Beta = Thor

wtknight · 2017-03-15T20:03:53+00:00

An alpha male is someone who uses his innate qualities to attract a woman. A beta male is someone who uses his resources to attract a woman. Certain qualities tend to attract more women than others, but I don't think there are any universal alpha qualities that will attract all women. Different women like different things in men.

buartha · 2017-03-15T21:06:53+00:00

Aggressive, dominant or strives to be, in control/ controlling (depending on circumstances,) doesn't respond well to hierarchies where he's at the bottom, very strong in-group bias, generally pursue their own needs/ wants before those of others. Some good leadership traits when in a position to lead but can struggle to get there in modern situations because they lash out when under the authority of those they feel are less powerful than them.

GinSmokeLies · 2017-03-16T00:26:14+00:00

I was watching The People v. OJ Simpson (and subsequently read a lot about OJ and his trial) and it occurred to me that OJ Simpson is kind of a quintessential alpha.

Obviously he's tall, athletic, wealthy and handsome. He's also well-spoken, charming, manipulative and intelligent. And he's prone to violent outbursts, criminal behavior, reckless decisions and extreme jealousy. He seems like the kind of guy who thinks the rules don't apply to him, the world revolves around him and sees himself as the king of every room he enters.

Actually while watching the miniseries I found myself very distracted by Cuba Gooding Jr. because even though he acted the part well, I just thought the casting was terrible. I couldn't put my finger on why, then it occurred to me: "He's too beta." (This is how I know this sub is ruining my brain.)

Obviously I'm talking about 90s OJ. Present-day OJ is old, fat and in prison.

sublimemongrel · 2017-03-15T21:56:15+00:00

Alphas have good alpha traits (confidence, masculinity, leadership ability, passion, etc.) and bad alpha traits (domineering, controlling, jealous, possessive, impulsive, etc.). They have very few good/bad beta traits and that's why here we get a lot of caricatures/stereotypes of "alphas" because there are few men IRL with this heavily skewed balance of traits.

"Alpha" has nothing to do with intelligence or logical versus emotional.

fetchyminx · 2017-03-15T19:57:26+00:00

The one who doesn't define himself as an alpha.

ManSentHisOwnWay · 2017-03-15T20:16:50+00:00

A confident guy who isn't afraid to be who he wants to be I guess. Looking at my own social circle I think there's one guy who kinda stands out as being extremely admirable in that regard. He's got naturally handsome features and takes pride in how he looks, working out and making sure he always looks on point. He's incredibly trustworthy and loyal, someone who quite naturally leads and inspires others. He's honest and deeply emphatic. He also does extremely well with women, more than anyone I know. He's probably the only person I wouldn't feel stupid looking up to outside of my own father. We still treat one another as equals tho and I'd never defer to him. In fact, I think he kinda looks up to me in some ways as well.

He's also got qualities RPers normally don't call alpha. I mean, he used to be an elementary school friend and we connected again years later because we both struggled with depression. He's the kind of guy you can talk openly and honestly with about those kinda problems.

So yeah, that's as close to an alpha I've ever met. My dad fits the above description as well but I think every son sees his dad as being a special kind of man.

Me2_0 · 2017-03-15T21:53:25+00:00

Alpha is the epitome of selfishness.

Beta is the epitome of selflessness.

WigglyCharlie · 2017-03-16T01:49:44+00:00

This.

APB212 · 2017-03-16T15:58:36+00:00

The whole alpha-beta thing is inaccurate. It's based on wolf pack hierarchies, but genetic testing has shown that packs are family units and the "alphas" are the parents of the "betas". The betas aren't fucking because they're still living at home.

Extrapolating to humans, the "alpha male/beta male" thing should be reformatted as "men vs. boys." Men see Woman as wife and pursue/seduce her, while boys see Woman as mother and fear/obey her. Boys end up in the friend zone because they've triggered the woman's maternal instinct instead of her sexual one.

Rather than worrying about being alpha or beta, boys should grow some balls and start being men.

quantumtrollening · 2017-03-16T13:41:42+00:00

I don't think that "alpha" and "beta" are useful concepts. There's no such thing as an alpha, there's no such thing as a beta, and a system for faking social interactions which relies on these categorizations is always going to look stilted and artificial to normal people.

There's a reason you usually don't hear normal people (bloops) respond when PPD is asked about alphas: normal people don't think alphas or betas exist, and don't waste time obsessing over which one they are.

sunkindonut149 · 2017-03-15T20:27:04+00:00

There are 2 kinds of alphas.

Guys who are actually successful both socially and in terms of their jobs

Bum ass fuccbois who look hot temporarily until meth destroys their teeth

Bum ass fuccbois think the first group is "higher beta".

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Princeso_Bubblegum · 2017-03-15T23:41:50+00:00

I don't.

manletttime · 2017-03-16T00:46:01+00:00

Anyone who is having casual sex with regularity.

648262 · 2017-03-16T01:05:49+00:00

Someone with followers.

solarlexus · 2017-03-16T01:29:29+00:00

Someone who doesn't defer to anyone and is treated with respect and status in groups.

BPremium · 2017-03-16T11:56:53+00:00

someone who can get a young, thin and attractive woman with ease

monkeysinmypocket · 2017-03-16T13:34:07+00:00

It's stupid made up bullshit. People are on a spectrum. And you definitely can't become "alpha" be acting like an asshole and weightlifting.

lapisthewaterwitch · 2017-03-16T15:38:37+00:00

most blue pill people don't really believe in the alpha/beta thing. a lot of people (myself included) believe that the dichotomy is not really scientific. for example, people thought for years that wolf packs were a hierarchy of alphas, betas, etc until it was discovered that wolf packs are just families.

yellingaccount · 2017-03-16T20:15:40+00:00

That's like asking an atheist what heaven and hell is like. The terms are taken from outdated theories on animal mating behavior. They have since disproven the concept of "alphas" among wolves and many other species, so why would you expect them to exist among humans?

There are certainly men who sleep with more women than others. There are also men who spend a lot of time and money on women, and end up getting shot down more often than not. However sometimes they are the same man, so how can you say one is an alpha and another beta?

And in the alpha/beta narrative, where do the men who attract a lot of women but stay with one fit in? What about the guys who lose a lot of wealth because they were caught cheating? Men who could sleep with a lot of women, but get rejected by the one they want? The unemployed guys who stay with women who have income but sleep around? The gay men? The gay women? Straight women who are powerful and attractive in their own right, and date men who are less so?

Nechama · 2017-03-16T20:53:32+00:00

A terper fantasy. That's about it.

Mo_DosEquis · 2017-03-17T00:34:55+00:00

I fucking hate labels. Alpha male is anyone who has a job and gets laid regularly, that's an alpha to me. To most people that would be a beta, but it's all bullshit

VoidsIncision · 2017-03-17T00:45:51+00:00

Alpha's in short are concerned territorial dominance, whether over their mates, over their property, or whatever else, and they like being overt about this. Flashy and materialistic. Tends toward extraversion at the healthy end and sociopathic or narcissistic at the extreme. Beta's envy alphas but just are not efficacious at it. Gammas don't give a fuck about any of this shit.

Title	How would you define an alpha?
Author	Sunhappy_DC
Upvotes	5
Comments	115
Date	March 15, 2017 7:55 PM UTC (9 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/PurplePillDebate
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/PurplePillDebate/comments/5zlqdj/how_would_you_define_an_alpha/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/PurplePillDebate/how-would-you-define-an-alpha.269470 https://theredarchive.com/post/269470

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