11 May Debunking The Myth of the “Alpha Male”
Posted
in Industry Knowledge
The manosphere is built on the myth of the “Alpha Male”, and its growing overlap with far-right and alt-right communities that glorify violence towards minorities and encourage misogynistic attitudes should be a cause of concern. The myth of the “Alpha Male” has been widely and vocally debunked, however it still holds traction with people in these groups and is still part of the lexicon surrounding what it means to be a man. In this post, I will talk about how science has debunked this myth, how dominance has been confused with prestige, and why this is such a dangerous myth requiring continued discussion to break its hold over people.
WHAT IS MEANT BY THE "ALPHA MALE"?
The concept of the “Alpha Male” first emerged in the 1990s when mainstream media suggested there were similarities between the power structures of human and ape social groups, and began to apply the term “alpha” to successful business leaders. The term then gained further ground in the late 90s and early 2000s through the emergence of the pickup artist community, which was popularised by the book “The Game” by Neil Strauss, in which “alpha” status was argued as the ideal for attracting romantic partners, which all men who wish to be successful in this area should aspire to.
The term “alpha wolf” was first used in 1970, and the author who used it to describe social hierarchy in wolves has pushed back aggressively against its use, considering recent research. The term is so out of date that the author, David Mech, successfully campaigned to have the book taken out of print so that it can no longer be referred to as a source of credible information. The group that was studied that brought about the term “alpha wolf” was a captive pack in a zoo, adults of no relation, resulting in a dominance hierarchy equivalent to what would happen in a human prison, not in a natural environment.
Short primer on wolf packs: wild packs of wolves are usually made up of a breeding male, a breeding female, and offspring from the past 2- 3 years who have not yet reached maturity – generally totaling 6-10 individuals. Modern research on wild wolf packs suggests that all pack members defer to the breeding male, and all pack members besides that male defer to the breeding female. The rest of the hierarchy goes in age order, although when food is scarce, the young are fed first to ensure the survival of the weakest. In typical wolf packs, infighting for dominance is unheard of, and even general family conflict is rare.
The ”Alpha Male” myth, when applied to humans, extends in the following way: there are “Alpha Men” who are considered “real men” who sit at the top of the social hierarchy and have greater access to power, money, and mates, gained through physical ability, intimidation, and domination. In contrast, “beta men” are weak, submissive, and subordinate, with low status and only accessing mates once women decide to “settle down.” This is a false dichotomy, built upon flimsy, discredited research and with no basis in evolutionary psychology. Let me explain.
SCIENCE OF DOMINANCE
The myth of the “Alpha Male” is built, in part, on the idea of “dominance” being more attractive to mates. However, the evidence from research on people does not support this and is much more complicated. Although scenarios depicting dominant men were considered more sexually attractive, they were also considered less likable and less desirable as spouses. While dominance can be considered sexually attractive in men, aggressiveness and domineering behavior do not increase sexual attractiveness according to the studies. Furthermore, dominance can take many forms, and what researchers have found is that confidence and assertiveness score higher in comparison to other behaviors.
Evolutionary psychologists firmly critique the “Alpha Male” vs “beta male” conceptions of masculinity, as they say that human social status is more accurately defined by a combination of dominance and prestige. Whereas dominance is characterized by intimidation, threats, and coercion fuelled by hubris (more anti-social behaviors), prestige is characterized by accomplishment, confidence, and authentic pride (more pro-social behaviors). Studies have found prestige to be a more significant factor in male attractiveness; however, the most attractive men are a blend of characteristics. Therefore, the black and white dichotomy of “Alpha Male” versus “beta male” simply does not stand up in the real world.
THE CONCEPT OF THE ALPHA MALE IS A DANGEROUS INTERNET MEME
Speaking of the real world, the myth of the “Alpha Male” is a product of and a concept proliferated widely online. Through memes, influencers, and discussion forums, the belief spreads like wildfire, despite scientific evidence to the contrary. It paints a black and white picture of masculinity, generalizing and completely underestimating a man’s potential, while at the same time not accurately capturing what is attractive to women. The very dangerous result of this myth (aside from the violent and anti-social rhetoric that accompanies it) is that by imposing two categories of “male,” we deceive young men into acting in pre-defined ways that align with these categories, and these ways of behaving do not lead to successful or happy lives.
But if the myth is not rooted in science and leads people to be less happy and successful, then why does it endure?
The answer lies in peeling things right back to the basic principles of our societies, which are patriarchal and capitalistic in nature. Under patriarchy, the strongest and most powerful are celebrated, and anything or anyone considered weak and feeble is ridiculed. Under capitalism, the more other people have (power, money, and resources), is directly correlated with less other individuals. By using nature as evidence for why we behave and think in these ways, we think this is a justification for continuing the behavior and promoting it to others. The research, which initially supported such behavior, has been widely discredited, with the key reason being that it was based on captive wolf packs, not those living aligned with nature but in an artificial environment where things are very different. This provides additional evidence against the myth of the “Alpha Male”; when humans exist in patriarchal and capitalistic environments (the opposite of natural), anti-social and self-destructive behaviors emerge to cope with a hostile situation. Just a thought.
Rem Sequence is an Australian adult content creator, blogger, and internationally published alt model. She has a background in psychology, philosophy and political science and worked in health and sex education, youth work and trauma counselling for almost two decades. Now, she works full time in the adult industry, as well as indulging her passion for arts, writing and music in numerous side projects.
The manosphere is built on the myth of the “Alpha Male”, and its growing overlap with far-right and alt-right communities that glorify violence towards minorities and encourage misogynistic attitudes should be a cause of concern. The myth of the “Alpha Male” has been widely and vocally debunked, however it still holds traction with people in these groups and is still part of the lexicon surrounding what it means to be a man. In this post, I will talk about how science has debunked this myth, how dominance has been confused with prestige, and why this is such a dangerous myth requiring continued discussion to break its hold over people.
WHAT IS MEANT BY THE "ALPHA MALE"?
The concept of the “Alpha Male” first emerged in the 1990s when mainstream media suggested there were similarities between the power structures of human and ape social groups, and began to apply the term “alpha” to successful business leaders. The term then gained further ground in the late 90s and early 2000s through the emergence of the pickup artist community, which was popularised by the book “The Game” by Neil Strauss, in which “alpha” status was argued as the ideal for attracting romantic partners, which all men who wish to be successful in this area should aspire to.
The term “alpha wolf” was first used in 1970, and the author who used it to describe social hierarchy in wolves has pushed back aggressively against its use, considering recent research. The term is so out of date that the author, David Mech, successfully campaigned to have the book taken out of print so that it can no longer be referred to as a source of credible information. The group that was studied that brought about the term “alpha wolf” was a captive pack in a zoo, adults of no relation, resulting in a dominance hierarchy equivalent to what would happen in a human prison, not in a natural environment.
Short primer on wolf packs: wild packs of wolves are usually made up of a breeding male, a breeding female, and offspring from the past 2- 3 years who have not yet reached maturity – generally totaling 6-10 individuals. Modern research on wild wolf packs suggests that all pack members defer to the breeding male, and all pack members besides that male defer to the breeding female. The rest of the hierarchy goes in age order, although when food is scarce, the young are fed first to ensure the survival of the weakest. In typical wolf packs, infighting for dominance is unheard of, and even general family conflict is rare.
The ”Alpha Male” myth, when applied to humans, extends in the following way: there are “Alpha Men” who are considered “real men” who sit at the top of the social hierarchy and have greater access to power, money, and mates, gained through physical ability, intimidation, and domination. In contrast, “beta men” are weak, submissive, and subordinate, with low status and only accessing mates once women decide to “settle down.” This is a false dichotomy, built upon flimsy, discredited research and with no basis in evolutionary psychology. Let me explain.
SCIENCE OF DOMINANCE
The myth of the “Alpha Male” is built, in part, on the idea of “dominance” being more attractive to mates. However, the evidence from research on people does not support this and is much more complicated. Although scenarios depicting dominant men were considered more sexually attractive, they were also considered less likable and less desirable as spouses. While dominance can be considered sexually attractive in men, aggressiveness and domineering behavior do not increase sexual attractiveness according to the studies. Furthermore, dominance can take many forms, and what researchers have found is that confidence and assertiveness score higher in comparison to other behaviors.
Evolutionary psychologists firmly critique the “Alpha Male” vs “beta male” conceptions of masculinity, as they say that human social status is more accurately defined by a combination of dominance and prestige. Whereas dominance is characterized by intimidation, threats, and coercion fuelled by hubris (more anti-social behaviors), prestige is characterized by accomplishment, confidence, and authentic pride (more pro-social behaviors). Studies have found prestige to be a more significant factor in male attractiveness; however, the most attractive men are a blend of characteristics. Therefore, the black and white dichotomy of “Alpha Male” versus “beta male” simply does not stand up in the real world.
THE CONCEPT OF THE ALPHA MALE IS A DANGEROUS INTERNET MEME
Speaking of the real world, the myth of the “Alpha Male” is a product of and a concept proliferated widely online. Through memes, influencers, and discussion forums, the belief spreads like wildfire, despite scientific evidence to the contrary. It paints a black and white picture of masculinity, generalizing and completely underestimating a man’s potential, while at the same time not accurately capturing what is attractive to women. The very dangerous result of this myth (aside from the violent and anti-social rhetoric that accompanies it) is that by imposing two categories of “male,” we deceive young men into acting in pre-defined ways that align with these categories, and these ways of behaving do not lead to successful or happy lives.
But if the myth is not rooted in science and leads people to be less happy and successful, then why does it endure?
The answer lies in peeling things right back to the basic principles of our societies, which are patriarchal and capitalistic in nature. Under patriarchy, the strongest and most powerful are celebrated, and anything or anyone considered weak and feeble is ridiculed. Under capitalism, the more other people have (power, money, and resources), is directly correlated with less other individuals. By using nature as evidence for why we behave and think in these ways, we think this is a justification for continuing the behavior and promoting it to others. The research, which initially supported such behavior, has been widely discredited, with the key reason being that it was based on captive wolf packs, not those living aligned with nature but in an artificial environment where things are very different. This provides additional evidence against the myth of the “Alpha Male”; when humans exist in patriarchal and capitalistic environments (the opposite of natural), anti-social and self-destructive behaviors emerge to cope with a hostile situation. Just a thought.
Rem Sequence is an Australian adult content creator, blogger, and internationally published alt model. She has a background in psychology, philosophy and political science and worked in health and sex education, youth work and trauma counselling for almost two decades. Now, she works full time in the adult industry, as well as indulging her passion for arts, writing and music in numerous side projects.
