What is Alpha, exactly?

[Enticing]

I think I may have been confused a bit, on exactly what makes people classify a guy as \'alpha\'. If you watched Dr. Dolittle 2, I suppose most ppl think it means an aggressive guy, a do-er, a player, a provider.... I dunno? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif That is why I am asking.

Is a man with quiet self assurance, considered alpha, if he is financially successful? A leader in his field?

The swaggering playa that brags on all his sexual conquests, is he \'alpha\'?

And lastly, does an alpha man appreciate an alpha woman, or does he prefer the more submissive type he can \'protect\'? Does he always \'spread his seed\', is he threatened by his woman becoming successful?

I\'m assuming that there\'s \"good alpha\" and \"bad alpha\". Bad alpha being the guy that drinks a six pack of beers and then smacks his wife around... ??

Curious about your responses... thanks!

[metroman]

I\'m glad you bought this up Enticing. For me a true Alpha has confident & quiet self assurance. Insecure types who are predisposed to beating their mates aren\'t really alpha even though they might have deluded themselves into thinking they are.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

The um, what would you call them? I\'m thinking of Irish, Oscar, Bassman, DrSmellThis - forum masters? Have written really good posts on what constitutes an alpha male - maybe we can pursuade them to write some more?

Enticing, maybe you have seen documentaries about, for example, wolves, where there is a lead wolf and he\'s the alpha, and whichever female he picks becomes the alpha female of the pack (by virtue of association, in the case of animals, because in the case of one that I saw, the new alpha picked the she-wolf who had been the omega, the outcast, picked on and shunned. Her status was elevated so quickly it must have made her little wolf head spin). Anyway. Natural leaders.

[marv14yag]

Ah, you believe Alpha to be that of a badass? Or, perhaps that of a leader?

No, you see, it has been studied...Boys with high testosterone but [bad word] life usually turn into a badass.

But, however, boys with high testosterone and good home life turn into leaders.

Alpha male has NOTHING to do with good or bad. But rather, how much test you have. How much of a doer you are, v.s. a follower.

It doesn\'t matter in what way it comes. From running a business, to perhaps excelling in some type of sport, to being some badass biker or from being the president, it doesn\'t matter.

And, guess what?

And, I know FTR is going to argue with this...

But, girls don\'t CARE which way you go.....You want to be a badass jerk, or you want to be a leader IT DOESN\'T MATTER! As long as you are alpha male, it doesn\'t matter to them.

(Despite what they may say.)

They want Gamma male, but only want to f*ck Alpha Male.

An example, is on King of the Hill...

Debbie, is married to Dale, the skinny guy, and loves him, but she wants to f*ck that d*mn INdian guy (and does so 3x a week (headadche sessions, lol)

Cartoon, yes, example, yes.

This Indian would be unknown as for badass or leader, doesn\'t matter, so long as you have the \"confidence\" etc.

And, very few people actually KNOKW about that confidence you have if you don\'t show it. That\'s why a lot of the skinny dudes will get girsl before you....They are less alpha, yes...But they use what they have...You don\'t use anything.

Get what I\'m saying?

Smack girl on the ass...Gentelman...IT doesn\'t matter, so long as you\'re Alpha Male...You\'re the big Indian dude, or the guy in the business suit, or the dude in the football pads, doesn\'t matter.

Bart

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Right, Bart. And you have had sex ... how many times? I\'ve forgotten...

[marv14yag]

Nevetheless... I described Alpha Male perfectly....

And, it doesn\'t matter which end, you can still be Alpha Male either way.

I never said anything about if women prefer an Alpha Male, or if women prefer whatever...

Definition is still the same, lol.

Alpha Male is Alpha Male, whether it\'s beating someone up, or making a touchdown, or closing a business deal. Alpha Male is Alpha Male.

And if someone is attracted to Alpha Male, it will make no difference.

Well, it would make a difference, because she might end up leaving the \"evil sided\" Alpha Male because she thinks he\'s a jerk, but that will come AFTER he f*cks her...And that\'s what the Alpha Male would care about.

So it really doesn\'t.

Hey, listen....You can ask me how many women I have f*cked...

But, think of it this way.

Kiss your arm.

Did you feel anything?

No?

That\'s how it feels to kiss someone who is nothing to you.

I DO KNOW that (experience too).

Bart

[DrSmellThis]

Wish I wasn\'t on my way to work. I\'d say something really...ahem...brilliant. Now all I can think of is, uh, PENIS.

An alpha male carries himself as if he is the leader of whatever pack he sees himself as belonging to. He must be able to back it up, but in his own way. He tends to have higher testosterone; but partly as cause, partly as effect.

He is smarter and more mature; knows who he is and what he is; accepts his faults and yet won\'t hang around where not valued.

He has achieved something, and values contributing. His concern for others and authentic humor makes his ego unreachable by his frustrated enemies, whom he will nonetheless have quite a few of. Others will admire, love and respect him. These are biological laws.

He is father to many, in the metaphorical sense; though it could also be in the literal sense. The archetypes of father, shaman, and warrior are important parts of his psyche.

He is not just about talent or technical prowess in some area. His wisdom renders him master of every situation.

Merely cocky dudes are alpha pretenders; they are masturbaters and fantasizers.

He doesn\'t hang around and ramble when late for work. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[franki]

Do you work as a psychologist on Sunday?? Or what else do you do?

Franki /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Elana]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Do you work as a psychologist on Sunday?? Or what else do you do?

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Male prostitute

[upsidedown]

I think an alpha male can be different things to different people. . . I would say if you have to ask if someone is an alpha male, they\'re probably not one.

Just to take a stab at it though, I think an alpha male is just looked on as a natural leader. An alpha male doesn\'t have to try to convince people that he knows what he\'s talking about or doesn\'t have to tell other people that they don\'t know what they are talking about. Anybody who has to resort to this is definitely NOT an alpha male. Instead, the alpha male has gained the respect of those who know him from his actions. And, people will just normally feel comofortable in the judgment of a man who is an alpha male. Women just feel comofortable around an alpha male, they know they are safe with him in everything he does. The alpha male doesn\'t have to toot his own horn to be heard or respected...everybody already notices and respects him.

Anyway, those are just a few thoughts that came to mind, although I\'ve not giving the subject a whole lot of thought up to this point. I think it\'s hard to describe. In general, I think a person just knows an alpha male when they see one.

But, for those who still aren\'t sure about the subject, I\'ll provide two links I found for what they\'re worth. The first link is for guys to help determine if you are an alpha male. The second is for women to determine what kind of alpha male you prefer. Not sure I agree with their findings..but I provide them FYI (The first one is intended to be humorous...the second one....not quite sure.)

http://www.modernhumorist.com/mh/0006/alpha/index.cfm (\"http://www.modernhumorist.com/mh/0006/alpha/index.cfm\")

http://www.totchi.net/alphamale/quiz/quiz.html (\"http://www.totchi.net/alphamale/quiz/quiz.html\")

[metroman]

Excellent posts DrSmellthis &amp; Upsidedown!

[proteus]

An alpha does what he wants, gets what he wants, sometimes, quietly, sometimes through conflict - but what he wills to do is always done. He resolves what he wants to do, then does it.

[Elana]

This is a great thread. I love hearing what all of you guys have to say about what makes a man an Alpha man.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I would agree with that. Alphas are effective and focused people.

[Elana]

I can just feel an Alpha man\'s presence. I guess I must be sensitive to a man\'s testosterone. Is that possible or is it just my imagination? It\'s like an animal magnetism that\'s so powerful.

[Whiffy]

My two cents: Alpha doesn\'t spend an afternoon deciphering/defining who he is. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I\'m outta here...

[Elana]

I sniffed you out a while ago. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Whiffy]

Had a strong feeling you would, Elana... Gotta get those pics for ya... But, no excuse, just haven\'t done it.

[Elana]

You just like making me wet....I mean wait

[marv14yag]

What about Growth Hormone?

And, there\'s different kinds of Alpha Males...

But what describes and alpha male...

A male, who knows what he wants, and gets it.

HOW HE DOES IT DOESN\'T MATTER (FTR!!!)

lol

Different types, like I described...

All are alpha males....

Although, some girls wouldn\'t really want to KEEP GOING with some of them (ie, jerks...)

Bart

[Whitehall]

It\'s not an either/or situation. People exist in social heirarchies - Saddam was alpha but so where lots of guys down the chain. The lower level guys wouldn\'t meet some of the above definitions. A sergant can be as alpha as a general.

Better to use a self-confidence index for alpha-ness. How a man carries himself and responds to the inevitiable \"slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.\" A beat man is obvious; one who won\'t let himself be beaten is discernable to others too. The ones who overcompensate for their internal insecurities \"just\" act alpha - I see that a lot in younger guys.

Women also have more or less subtle discrimation of alpha-ness in men. Some do a Monica and only go for the very top guy. Maybe that includes the groupies who only do the lead singer and ignore the drummer.

Most women seem to me to eventually learn to sort out the poseurs from the real men.