You know, I actually don’t like all the rankings people have for how high each of us is in society, but if you are into such things, John Hawkins has a post called “The Ten Essential Traits of Alpha Males”:
A lot of people seem to confuse being an alpha male with being an asshole. There are alpha males who are assholes (Steve Jobs fit that description), but that’s certainly not necessary.
Let me also note that if you have to tell people that you’re an alpha because they won’t just figure it out on their own, then you’re not an alpha. When people are around you for a while, if you’re really an alpha male, it will shine through.
Furthermore, when people try to define what an alpha is, they often tack on all sorts of extraneous qualities that may be good to have, but that aren’t necessarily alpha. Is it good to be funny? Sure. Is Chuck Norris funny? I don’t know, but I do know he’s an alpha male. So, is being funny one of the keys to being an alpha male? No. Is it good to be organized? Yes. Is Connor McGregor organized? Who knows? But, he’s definitely alpha. So, let’s get down to brass tacks; what are the essential traits of alpha males?
Hawkins’ take is that alpha males are leaders, confident, take control during a conflict, masculine, have charisma and on and on. I think this was yesterday’s alpha male.
In today’s political climate for men, maybe the traits of “alpha males” have changed. To have charisma now is to be a Barack Obama type who has the “right politics,” to be masculine will get you accused of being a sexist, taking control might get you thrown out of college, and confidence might get you labeled a privileged male to be put in his place. It is hard to navigate the current system and successful men may need a different set of skills.
What skills and traits are necessary to be a successful man in our society? Have the traits changed or do they still work?
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