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It’s a recurring theme, especially for guys on GaG, to be talking about alpha and beta personalities. Superficially some people just joke about it, or use it to either put others down or raise their status/perception of others. It definitely has an impact on the readers, even though these are traits that are definitely more accurate to observe in immediate interactions.
Confidence and self-esteem might be the most common parameters used when it comes to determine if an individual has either a Type A, or Type B personality. Physical strength, or prowess is another trait that we use to measure if someone is either “alpha” or “beta”.
To understand what these are, it’s important to analyze what these personalities are according to certain male groups that have their own interpretations of what alpha traits are.
MGTOW
This is probably the first I considered when doing this take, because men who consider themselves MGTOW place a high value on themselves and to other men who go their own way, because it’s perceived as alpha to focus 100% on themselves and work towards their own goals while abstaining, and making a conscious choice of not relating to females.
Sure, having discipline and focusing on yourself might be an indicator of an alpha trait, so does an honest refusal to accommodate to societal and female expectations (and definitions). They don’t want to get distracted by women, or be used by them for that matter. This strikes as having a dominant personality, but it also could mean just pride. Distancing yourself fully from women, and refusing to commit or interact with them isn’t necessarily a dominant personality.
The motive, regardless of what it might be, doesn’t necessarily make you an alpha. Frustration, or becoming extremely cautious due to possible emotional trauma imposed by women aren’t usually associated with having a Type A personality, especially if you aren’t satisfying something as primal as female validation accompanied with sexual release.
And many men who consider themselves MGTOW’s are men who aren’t successful with women. The latter simply can’t attain or seduce women which may be sure indicators of having a beta personality. A married man isn’t necessarily a beta, a single man (by choice) isn’t necessarily an alpha.
Remember that in the animal kingdom the selected males, by the females, are the ones who will protect them and will father all of the children among the females. Wolves, particularly, follow an alpha-beta hierarchical system, where the young wolves rise up to displace the leading male of the pack, yet they usually live in families.
So, even though we cannot compare our nature to the wolves, we can assure that as humans being involved (co-habitating) with a female isn’t a good indicator of being alpha or beta. So distancing yourself from females doesn’t necessarily put you in the position of an alpha male.
Bodybuilders
Bodybuilding forums, and bodybuilders themselves do not focus (as a collective, at least) to improve themselves intellectually. I mean, we are all familiar with the particular lingo they use, the #nohomo jokes, topics on “banging chicks”, anabolic steroids, etc. With this said, you can’t individually qualify them as dumb, so the only thing I will consider in this particular group is what their main interest is, which is acquiring bigger and defined physiques. I'm not taking in account intelligence or lack of here.
Mostly, bodybuilders run with the idea that having great physiques are sure indicators of being alpha. Being physically stronger and having more stamina than other males makes many of them believe they are dominant.
Male gorillas, which are social creatures not very different from humans, have fights for dominance in their respective social groups. At the same time, gorillas are in constant competition, and they are wired to prove themselves numerous times to be physically dominant over other gorillas. They also expect all the other gorillas to be dominant and they have some sort of awareness that all fights are challenges.
Humans, on the other hand have, of course, reason, and they evaluate (consciously or subconsciously) others to determine if they have their respect or not. Also, humans aren’t driven to compete necessarily in physical aggression. Contrary to gorillas, we also aren’t built-in to our ape-like brains to determine ourselves physically to win partners.
Now, certainly achieving your body goals, and having a strong dedication and effort might be indicators of alpha traits (which are also generally seen as attractive), but not necessarily. And achieving general goals in life might not even be a surefire to alpha personalities.
Say, Bill Gates found success most of the people in the world will ever see in life. His status, strictly related to wealth places him above pretty much anyone who isn’t richer than him.
Even if we consider someone like Jonah Hill, who isn’t particularly gifted in looks, but has great success on his own, might have greater status and options of women than the average bodybuilder.
Female humans, more than being social creatures (like men), have a natural drive for security, so many times money and status override pretty much any other quality, regardless of Type A, and Type B personalities. And conversely, many people who have success may have beta personalities.
My point is, men who achieved their individual goals being either physical, economical, and even intellectual (which wasn’t discussed here) doesn’t equal being alpha.
Pick Up Artists
Of all three groups I considered for this take, this is the only group (in my opinion) that has it all wrong.
Setting aside the obvious misogynistic undertone that many of these pick up artists display, it’s the concept of trying of faking, or act dominant to expect “getting laid” with any female available at the time. This concept isn’t only erroneous in thinking there are such thing as “techniques” to display dominance and pick up women but also that it completely ignores the male drive of receiving female validation (although the MGTOW movement also does).
You CAN’T pretend to have a Type A personality if you have a Type B personality. Ignoring women, and using manipulation techniques isn’t feasible because you are or you aren’t, you can’t fake these things. I do not know how successful are the guys who buy into this, but I’m very sure it isn’t sustainable. It simply ignores female and male nature completely, and it’s based on pretense. “Pump and dump” isn’t going to fulfill you if you are a man looking for female validation, that assuming if you are successful. Otherwise, prepare to hit the fence.
Also, being a dick isn’t necessarily going to do to you any favors. Which leads me to my next point.
Bad boy/nice guy aren’t related to Type A and B personalities
Being an alpha doesn’t make someone necessarily an asshole. Having determination, being disciplined and goal oriented aren’t synonyms of being a jerk. Just as being attentive, doing favors for females, and being a pushover doesn’t make you a good person. You may as well be a total asshole while being the generic “nice guy”, just as you may as well be a kind hearted person while fitting in what we may perceive as a “bad guy”.
At the same time, you can have a great physique, frequent clubs/parties, wear your hat sideward, drive a cool car filled with chicks all the time, treat others like shit and get away with it and still be a total lucky beta. While you can be aloof, discrete, generous, courteous, and still be an alpha.
How much of an asshole, or close to the bad boy persona isn’t going to determine if you are alpha or not. Being a typical nice guy doesn’t either.
So what determines Type A and Type B personalities?
Applying alpha and beta personalities to humans is difficult, just because we don’t move in packs all the time. We all have many or few social circles, but all in different social spheres. We cannot compare ourselves to animals, or have their Alpha and Beta analysis as easily because of our super complex social lives.
You can be the spotlight in the party today, jump out from the pack, and then be the blabbering drunk pissing on the street in front of the pub just a couple of days later.
In modern age we all can connect with many people and work our way through technology and knowledge.
Social dominance is key to us, as I implied before. But it can be achieved through many different forms, and your personality often is not going to define your level of success. You can be a well-known engineer, and you may be involved in many successful projects, all by still having mostly beta traits. Again, intelligence isn't a determinant on whether being alpha or beta.
You can be an alpha, and not be selected by females to commit because of an unstable and forward moving persona, and you can be a successful beta in society and have many females looking to commit to you.
Considering all of the above, I believe there’s only one quality, among the many indicatives and traits of behaviors that defines what Type A personality is:
Assertion
“a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief.”
“the action of stating something or exercising authority confidently and forcefully.”
These two things are possible to do, always with respect towards others. If you are assertive in your beliefs, then you are being honest. Being transparent and blunt in your actions and in what you say makes you an assertive person, therefore everything you do, you do it with passion, honesty, and integrity.
A lot of the situations and things I described above might as well easily come from an assertive person (with the exception of pick up artists), and this is what defines an alpha personality.
You can easily be skinny Steve Rogers ready for battle, and be an alpha. Because you are assertive, you have confidence in your beliefs and your actions, and if you detect you are doing something wrong, you are going to accept fault if necessary and correct yourself. This assertive thought process guarantees you are going to make honest decisions in the future.
This also will allow you to confront other people, always with respect, and take no shit from anyone. If someone is being an asshole to you, you can stop them right at the moment because you simply can’t/and won’t take bullshit. You’ll also have motives and reasons to stay quiet when you have to, and talk when you have to. It all comes down to a deep level of reasoning, always justifying/understanding, and always true to yourself.
You can falter, or be emotionally vulnerable but your feelings will still be sincere. Being assertive may bring success to you, or it will not. Opportunities are all different and they come and go, and you also are allowed to make mistakes. But it’s the immediate correction, and the immediate drive for constantly changing and evolving your course of action that makes you an alpha.
These attitudes can be developed, often they come with maturity and experience, but as I mentioned before these things aren’t learned over night. There are no set of techniques and approaches that will make you earn being an assertive person and put yourself in your place, and many men are at fault for believing in this. If you’ve always had this characteristic, or you earn it through life, that’s why you are the alpha and the others are not. Simple as that.
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