Is there really such a thing as beta/alpha males?

Submitted by Garbo in AskRaddle (edited )

Truthfully, I've always been rather beta, but I only use this word due to, well, lack of any better words (as much as I hate it since it makes me feel rather shity).

And as of recently, I attempted to look into it scientifically as though to help explain something or to find a better word. But what I found instead was more or less a bunch of right-wing bull shit.

And so that got me thinking, is this just a bunch of right-wing bullshit or is it a real thing that the ring-wing just took over?

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An_Old_Big_Tree wrote (edited )

No such thing. Also, there isn't even such thing as alpha wolves, where this garbage idea is based.

I'm not sure what you're trying to find a better word for? There's no need for words to describe non-pervasive inventions like this, I think. (non-pervasive relative to race, or binary gender)

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Garbo OP wrote (edited )

Thank you very much! And I suppose I was just attempting to find a word for everything that encompasses the word beta to describe myself. Although I suppose "less-dominate" would entail everything.

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culprit wrote

here's my take on a useful understanding of these terms

'beta' : having the ability to empathize and have critical perspective about oneself

'alpha' : narcissism with sociopath or psychopath tendencies

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AudibleAnarchist wrote

Nope, I think Contrapoints and Adam ruins Everything have done videos on the topic.

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Ant wrote (edited )

Teq's post in this thread has the Adam Ruins Everything video, this is contrapoints

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AudibleAnarchist wrote

Thank you for linking to the vids :) I thing I posted before Teq did or before the link was added.

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jaidedctrl wrote (edited )

Like /u/Tequila_Wolf pointed out, it's all bullshit, really. You should trust 'em, they have first-hand experience with wolves.

You aren't a "beta"-- there are probably a lot of better words to describe what "beta" might mean to you (scientifically and lacking the negative connotation).

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DeathToAmerica wrote

Nah just capitalists and people that give a shit about others.

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Random_Revolutionary wrote

Use intj, from those facebook personality tests, wich doesn't exist either but at least isn't explicitly used by racist white men

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tnstaec wrote

I would have been the target audience of this Red Pill crap when I was in my teens - early twenties. Luckily it didn't exist then. I had very low self-confidence, was not at all assertive, and had low social skills. Add to that, I wasn't athletic and didn't give a shit about cars, though I was embarrassed about not wearing the trendy clothing brands. I was also raised in a pretty feminist household.

So navigating the dating world was difficult for me. RP has a bit of a point in that assholes do seem to have the competitive advantage in the youth dating culture. But that should be seen as an indictment of a fucked up culture, not of being a (genuinely and not entitled) nice guy.

RP is so appealing to young guys because it freely mixes self-improvement with warped reactionary toxic masculinity. Heck, even a lot of their ideas about self-improvement are just buying into capitalist society's commodity-based "values."

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