The Alpha & Beta Male

The Alpha and Beta-principle categorizes men into two distinct groups depending on their social traits not only in a group, but also towards the opposite sex. Just like their names suggest, taken from the Greek alphabet, they illustrate a certain hierarchy. For a long time, Alpha has been said to be better than Beta, as he is supposedly physically superior and possesses higher Testosterone levels.

However, more than a decade into the 21st century, one might argue that those traits are no longer needed, when we can access both gyms and Viagra. Before we pick a side though, let’s get clear on definitions. For the gentlemen, here’s a guide serving to identify yourselves. For the ladies, let’s see what the market offers and who to target.

For starters, the alpha-male is most likley to be the Elite Daily reader and the beta-male is the non-Elite Daily reader.

The Alpha-Male: consists of the greatest part of the male population. According to scientists, one possible explanation is that during Stone Age, the men who were most successful during the hunt for food, were physically strong, had a high amount of testosterone and an aggressive behavior (Alpha-traits) which gave them a greater chance of surviving. Basically Darwinism and the “Survival of the fittest”. In the animal kingdom, Alpha gets to be the first to pick the female in the group (sometimes he has the right to all females). He runs the pack and makes the calls. When speaking of humans, the traits are there as well but more subtle; Alphas have a strong self-esteem, work in top positions and get to date the most desirable girls.

Alpha Star-signs: Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, Sagittarius, Taurus, Capricorn, Libra, Gemini

Alpha-male quote:

“I’m gonna tear his eyeballs out and I’m gonna suck his fucking skull”. Gordon Gekko

Famous Alphas: James Bond, Ari Gold, Bill Clinton, Gordon Gekko, Patrick Bateman, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant

Alpha-animals: Lion, Gorilla, Shark

Alpha-Song: Anything Jay-Z

Alpha-Male Pros: Alpha males see it their duty to serve and protect, therefore a woman will at least have the perception of being safe. The Alpha-male wants to provide and is ideally looking for a “house-wife”. Because of their high amount of Testosterone, they focus on feminine women to create a balance. Alphas take initiative. They pick up the bill and love to sweep women off their feet. Alphas prioritize physical strength, and go to the gym, which make them always be in good shape. They tend to drive a nice car. They’re good at math. They are charismatic, and let’s be honest; their seduction skills are exceptional and all women love bad boys. 

Alpha-Male Cons: Alpha-males are restricted “Left-brainers”. As they in general only use half of their capacity, they lack creativity and a sense of “thinking outside the box”. They have a hard time feeling empathy and emotionally connect with other people. They have difficulties in reading facial expressions, and therefore won’t understand that a woman is upset, until she actually slaps him in the face. They have a weak understanding for fashion; they buy shoes once a year. They are bad communicators; Alpha-males do not understand “small talk”, and a some have difficulties in speaking to a woman without letting animalistic instincts take over. In communicative text (bbm, sms, letters etc.) they become formal, reserved and abrupt. They do not understand different layers of language or subtle messages, and in most cases master only 1 or 2 languages. They black-out if a woman outsmarts them in public. Being Alpha is also stressful; when you’re top of the pile, somebody always wants to knock you off.

The Beta-Male: is in minority. Being artistic and calm, the betas that lived during stone-age, creating art on the cave wall and attending his wife’s need, were unfortunately not the ones that made it to the second round. Nonetheless, Beta males are intellectual as they prioritize brains before muscle. Beta is not necessarily a follower to Alpha, rather a different kind. He avoids confrontation and risks. He does not have a need to expose himself and keeps in the background.

He is diplomatic and conciliatory. He is poetic and sensitive. He appreciates beauty. He has an inner self-esteem, and does not prove his value in materialistic terms. He is “chilled” and a “cool dude”. He is cordial and warm. Beta-males are content with non-traditional gender roles a.k.a does not think “Men have to be Men”. The Beta has a normal or low amount of Testosterone. He is either a loner or groups with few other Beta-male friends and female friends.

Beta-male occupation fields: Art, Music, Photography, Fashion, Editorial, Non-for-profit Org, Technology, IT, Medicine, Communication, Administration

Beta-male quote:

“I just wanna say that you guys are all employees of the month’ in my eyes “. – Jim Halpert

Beta Star signs: Pisces, Cancer, Aries, Virgo

Beta-Animals: Dog, Wolf, Panther, Cameleon, Sheep

Famous Beta-Males: Dan Humphrey, Nate Archibald, Mark Zuckerberg, Dr. Phil, Dalai Lama, Jim Halpert, Peter Parker

Beta-Male Pros: Beta is said to be the best choice for a woman of the 21st century. As more and more women reach high ranked positions in male dominated sectors, neutral Betas seem a better call. Betas are sensitive to women; they listen, comfort and sympathize. Thanks to their ability of synchronizing both of their brain’s hemispheres, (Left and Right) they are able to combine creativity with strategy. Beta is refined and emotional, compared to his animalistic counterpart. He is an excellent communicator. Betas also have puppy eyes, which some girls find irresistible. They’re easily convinced/controlled.

Beta-Male Cons: At a young age, often very weak. They’re introverted, and lack the sexy self-esteem the Alpha possesses. They easily get nervous. They’re sometimes intimidated by Alphas. They will not take the first step to seduction. They sometimes pass by unnoticed, and might have a hard time making it to the top, career-wise. Beta’s passive and subordinate role may drive some women crazy as they often lack initiative and their own opinion. Beta lacks a concrete plan, and is undecided about things, waiting for direction. Beta can be coward, as he is reluctant to taking risks. Betas don’t prioritize the gym, and go to the library, computer store or Yoga-centre instead. Betas are a scarce kind, and therefore are time-consuming to track down.

Closing thought: A combination of an alpha and beta is of course possible, but rare. Picture Dalai Lama introducing himself as Lama, Dalai Lama with a James Bond-attitude. Word to the wise; pick a box and deal with the benefits and consequences of each type.

Anna Mikulowska Madsen | Elite Daily