What is the main idea behind the alpha and beta males?

Question

I feel like these are just terms so that the more outgoing extroverted guys can feel superior. As far as dating I feel that the personality and security traits are more important. When I think of alpha I think of the muscular fit guy with money to throw but doesn't actually care about the women. I feel as though these titles are backward and don't actually contribute to a real relationship. Please explain what your definition is and where it fits in.

heavensgift2girls · Accepted Answer

Anytime a group of guys get together, we subconsciously start ranking each other. In order to explain this natural hierarchy to women, and socially awkward men, we often use the words alpha and beta to try and better explain ourselves. It doesn't mean that we run around thinking "Wow that guy is more alpha than me. I need to do what he says." It happens on a more instinctual level than that, and it is difficult to explain to someone that just doesn't have the necessary social skills.

In the past our male ancestors had to work together for survival, as most men were hunters and warriors, and a clear sense of leadership was needed or they would die during a violent struggle. That is why men have this hierarchy, and also why men tend to work in a group better than women do. In the past men's lives counted on them working together and following orders more so than it did for women. This is also why women so often think they aren't being treated with the respect they deserve. Women walk into the group and expect to be treated as an equal to everyone including the alpha, when she hasn't earned the rank of alpha yet.

The kinds of traits that make us rank a guy higher is what we call an alpha. These also tend to be the same kinds of traits that women are attracted to. The term alpha is commonly used by people trying to teach other guys how to attract women. Now the term alpha and beta are thrown around mostly as a way to insult guys, or act like they are better than other people. That however does not mean that alphas, and betas don't exist.

As someone else mentioned who the alpha is can change depending on the situation. It deals with which men have most earned our respect when dealing with a certain type of issue. For instance if you are in a different country and don't speak the language, your friend that is bilingual could become the alpha even if he is normally the shyest and least outspoken member of the group. It is a way to divide power and responsibly to best serve the group, and not about one person that rules like some type of primitive chieftain.

LeoLionEye · Accepted Answer

There is no such thing as alpha and beta males. It's just something that douchebags came up with to make themselves feel better and to try and put down other guys. You only ever hear these terms used by so call "alphas". If you subscribe to this idea you are an idiot and barely a man; and need to be brought down a peg or two because you are a conceded ass hat. Really it is just a way of thinking you are better than someone based upon personality traits. When in fact most "betas" probably possess more traits that women find more attractive. Really whenever I hear someone refer to themselves as an "alpha" I just want to kick them in the nuts to show them there is no such thing since how can you be an "alpha male" if you have a ruptured testicle.

RationalLioness · Accepted Answer

^^^^^ That's an Alpha Male. He's not a douche (that's a Beta male) or someone who is easily walked over (Beta male as well, just on another end of the scale). The main reason for it I believe is to show what types of men are desirable and their personality traits. I'm willing to bet that the majority of women would like a man who is as the link describes.

karahiri · Accepted Answer

meaningless terminology in my opinion. I never think of guys in those terms.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

You got it right! This is one of those stupid ideas made up by guys who need a reason to feel superior to others. If you are truly superior, you don't need to play these word games.

rjroy3 · Answer

Scientific descriptions of character traits seen in the animal kingdom. But often is misused. How some people define Beta Males are really Omega males. Omega males =Bottom Bitch.
Beta male I essentially a second in command type person to the Alpha male who is generally a leader and wins favor in others by having superior strength, looks, social skills and charisma.
Beta males when the alpha is gone will usually rise to the occasion and become Alpha.

There's evolutionary psychology on this subject. If you change your role in life to have more responsibility you get a spike in testosterone. That's why the oldest siblings in a family are usually domineering more so, because they are "in charge" either by parents putting them there or the child taking charge for himself.

Alpha, Beta, Omega are all real characterizations of humans as well but they're often misrepresented. a lot of douchebags like to call themselves Alpha, to puff themselves up. And in some respects he might be an alpha male. All the best athletes in the world are alphas and all display their dominance both physically and verbally. Anyone who I at the top of their field display dominance by being awesome at what they do. But they can also be humble.

bdbee · Answer

Two terms, generally created by PUAs which have no bearing on anything in the real world. Yes there are more dominant people than others, but that doesn't make you alpha and being more submissive isn't necessarily beta.

If you're trying to apply the term which is used for the collective animal packs found in the wild, an alpha would be the sole and undisputed group leader for a DEFINED group. To extrapolate that dating, is idiotic, because the group is constantly changing, the individuals in the interaction just change, and the parameters constantly change with them. Where as in the animal application, you have a designated herd/group almost entirely for the the lifetime of the members involved, with some exception where groups break into sub-groups, so you can apply the notion that yes there is an alpha and betas there.

twobitcoder · Answer

It's an abused term today because all alpha males are out of the gene pool. Centuries ago they were killed off by beta males. So, what you think of today as a brute, jock-type alpha male is really just the most aggressive beta in the gene pool today. That's history.

Today, among the alpha-betas, they are also going extinct. The future alpha will be measured (by women) as a sort of nerd-with-good-looks. Not talking about preppy guys, either. As more and more basic needs are met in our society, money will be less important. Personality, looks, intelligence, rather than machismo.

JohnnySS · Answer

so there are different alpha and beta males ill talk about alpha males

there is a situational alpha male. just another word for leader.

whoever leads is the alpha male or women

the leader varies on a combination of several factors... just list atributes

all it is is who is dominant in a given situation.

u r the leader of urself

there are genetic alpha males

u may have bg muscles but someone else has bigger ones

u have 1 million dollars but someone has 100 mil

it depends who you compare yourself to.

u have 1 mil and u compare urself to 100 mil u r the beta but if u compare urself to someone who has 100k u r the alpha based on money

it is the same with any other atributes

there may be some situation where there r no leaders but co-leaders
it all depends who and what your comparing yourself or something or someone else 2

ReneDS · Answer

ok quit simple,

Alpha males: beta males acting like they are all cool, therefor act like douchebags, critizing others and telling these amazingly fictional stories to sound even cooler.

Beta males: male who dont care, who probably are more manly then alphas since they treat their women with respect. :)

ConsultantIsBack · Answer

Alpha is just an internet synonym of attractive/charismatic/successful all rolled up into one word.

I think it's obvious to anyone with half a brain that attractive, charismatic, refined, intelligent are going places in life and get ahead in careers, in dating, in business/politics, etc.

This is just my definition tho. The variety is huge, which makes for a perfect debate for gaggers. It doesn't involve eating sheep or wolf packs guys lol.

But people on gag like to just throw a fit about silly things, so let them throw a fit. Makes for tons of fun to troll gag tho, lol it's just too easy.

Anonymous · Answer

It's actually terminology used more often by 'beta' males.

To the extent the terms have meaning they mean this:

The alpha males are the males that women want to have sex with. Beta males are useful as providers.

Any other characteristic has to fit into that general model. So if some guy claims alpha males are some way and you see that women don't sleep with men like that, this doesn't mean women don't like 'alpha males'. It means that definition of alpha males is wrong.

Charisma and status are probably the most significant aspects. Big muscles or money correlate to status - sort of. They matter more in different situations. In another situation having the best eco warrior credentials or whatever might be.

tony72722 · Answer

I feel like Betas only bitch about alphas lol. I don't think there is such thing as an absolute beta or an absolute alpha.. just alpha and beta tendencies.. How can you deny the fact some mean are weak and passive whilst other men are strong and natural leaders? If someone is leaning more on the beta side than yes.. I'd call him a beta. If someone is leaning more on the alpha side than yes I'll call him an alpha. I don't know why gagers have such a fucking issue with this.

Anonymous · Answer

Pretty simple:

Go to any social setting like a bar, school campus, rave or whatever and look for the guy all girls are huddling around. This is usually the alpha male.

The beta male is usually the guy who has to walk up and try and grab girl attention through gifts, kind jesters.

The whole concept of what an alpha vs beta can be captured in this mytake:
www.girlsaskguys.com/.../a22916-the-structure-of-the-dating-game-unwrapped-for-young-men-to-understand

Jack-Shepard · Answer

An alpha male is a leader, a man who has a strong personality probably a person who forces his ideas on others whether they like it or not, a beta male is a follower, he doesn't take the initiative to lead the pack or express his opinions, he simply follows the alpha male.

The_Advisor · Answer

Alpha male and beta male stuff is all false. However.
1. Alpha male: those that look to get laid using fair and square tactics.
2. Beta male: Those that look to get laid using under handed tactics. Preying on insecure girls, having sex with drunk girls or otherwise tricks girls into laying him.

BertMacklinFBI · Answer

to me, the terms alpha and beta are just the easiest way to define a person quickly for the sake of a quick input of argument.

ToruMatsuda · Answer

After reading a lot about this, and some thinking , putting it simply alphas are just "leaders " like think of the guy who's the life of the party that everyone's paying attention to, and betas are just followers they do what the alpha says. They are usually second in command, and lacks the skills needed to be a leader

gobsmacked3 · Answer

both stupid label in a world full of too many stupid labels

bubbletrouble · Answer

Fact of the matter is, by nature women subconsciously place guys in these categories.

Sabretooth · Answer

I was talking to about renewing my sub on Swtor, and how it would be like playing a beta version. That gave me the idea that most of the people on this planet are beta by themselves.

TheSpartan · Answer

The idea is that there are dominant leader types, alphas, and more submissive follower types, betas.

thotramuss · Answer

maybe alpha males are leader type of guys who is loved by beautiful girls.

jacquesvol · Answer

The main idea is "I'm better than you".

What is the main idea behind the alpha and beta males?

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