Well there are all kinds of alpha males. A man can have flawed genes and still be an alpha male. They'll just end up being the bums and losers after high school due to poor decisions, no drive, low intelligence, etc. I happen to be an exceptionally smart and genetically gifted alpha male, although I also have the unique perspective of having been the shy reclusive geek as a kid. From what I can tell most of the negative views of alpha males amongst others stems from specific negative experiences that person has had with lesser alpha males. One should not forget that for every drunken wife beater there's ten good men just living their lives day to day and making a positive impact on others.

To anyone who may read this article:

Forgive me for putting in such a long comment though - please bear with me. I am a 28 year old Filipino male, a local here in the Philippines.

To be honest with you, reading this article about alpha males had opened wounds for me, and has also set me asking about myself, about how I am supposed to stand in this society which seems to idolize men -- or boys -- whom they see as physically ideal to lead this pandemonium we call society.

I cannot really classify myself as an alpla male -- for physically, I am no beefcake. I have a heart disorder and am asthmatic, therefore my physical activities are very much limited (cannot go into sports or any of those male-oriented activities). Due to this I am skinny. Also, since I had not exposed myself to those things that boys would find energetic or interesting ( Due to my physical conditions) I have been bullied, scorned at and shunned away by boys then my age -- now fully grown men, who at this point, have grown ideally to become the things that you call "alpha males" -- young, good looking, strong, and successful in terms of their jobs, love life, etc.

I am no alpha male, nor am I some beta male -- for in a long span of my life, I have been a ghost -- if not a nerd -- physically weak with no experience in most sports, cars or this things that most males especially alpha males, identify themselves with.

But gleaning from experience and with all the men that I see and come across with, it seems that being the top male does not really matter. For as of now, here in my neighborhood, there are some men whom you may classify as alpha males -- physically strong and something that the girls would like to take home with, but in the long span proved to be irresponsible fathers, notorious drunkards, hardened macho criminals (who seem to flaunt their criminal records) bums, and worst of all bullies who like to push weaker people around to the point of beating them up-- weaker men like me.

Somewhat this article about "alpha males" strikes down into those many definitions and avenues of what it truly means to be a man -- a real man in this sense. But to me (and I don't know if you would agree with me) being physically strong or assertive (or being the alpha male in the hot sense of the word) does not really matter right now -- if the guy can prove to be a very responsible and caring father, a dutiful son, an honest worker, or a morally upright leader in the community -- oh yes, and someone who knows how to respect women, bearing in mind that he has a mother or a sister too.

To anyone out there, who may care to read this article and my comments, what do you think? Thank you and more power.

I don't buy any of this alpha\beta stuff. That is reserved for apes and canines. We are humans, much more complex, and we can't be classified like monkeys.

"It should be noted that “nerds” (and here we use the term fondly and affectionately), are becoming increasingly popular. As long-term mates or “boyfriends,” they stereotypically on average tend to be nicer and more respectful toward girls." I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that is frankly not true. Women enjoy the company of "nerds" (again, term used with much respect) as a reliable constant, as a friend; don't expect casual sex or a sexual relationship from being nice. It's not a case of being nice or respectful, or at the other end of that spectrum, to be overwhelmingly dominant over other people and aggravating colleagues and people at large, rather to be respected, to have an aire of dominance achieved through casual (not tense or stressed) interaction with people and to have confidence well from inside.

My suggestions come from little/developing personal experience, but they are however founded on collaboratively agreeable information. Alphaness is merely a description of confidence and although (like anything I suppose) looks, muscularity or wealth/power don't hurt, the keystone is confidence. Unfortunately (perhaps from the perspective of women) the beauty (perhaps from the perspective of men) of Alpha traits is that they are supposed to be subtle. If woman are detecting a strong dominance, because men are hitting on women hard, then clearly sex/relationship will be out of the question as per anon23087's experience. The overpowering tactic is a deterrent and that is a key mistake of the Beta not the Alpha.

Take for example the previously mentioned example about President Obama. "Good communication skills, sensitivity towards others and downplays his strengths in order to showcase the strengths of others", these are not coincidences. Question this, if these subtle tactics were not utilized, could he have instilled a sense of leadership in the American community, leading to an overwhelming majority in his favour. This, contrary to anon18661's view is precisely the idea being the true Alpha male, because all of a sudden the "nice guy" the attentive, intelligent, understanding candidate is in control of the modern worlds largest superpower. His leadership/empowerment happened, but without anyone being acutely aware of why it was you were compelled to vote for him. Alpha.

To conclude the goal of any beta or otherwise is to feed internally a sense of self worth and confidence. Success with women and indeed with everyone will stem from a personal sense of empowerment and certainly not one that always needs to be proven be frequently throwing your power or best qualities around in a really obvious or showy way. After all, women are very subtle, emotionally invested and sensitive creatures, they will (duh) pick up on obvious advances. It's what makes them desirable and worth the care in the first place.

You can be an alpha without being a narcissist. You ask about other's feelings, then *you* make a decision.

Beta males invent the tools to screw up the planet and alpha males use them (to further their own ends).

Being indifferent and having a willingness to emote represents alpha behavior. You don't have to be good looking to exude confidence and be attractive to others.

Alpha male as described here may be a regional American thing. Some subcultures in the US and others outside find the stereotypical US alpha male dubious mating material. Nice to look at, but not so cool when his alpha persona decides after 10 years of marriage it's time to leave for a younger woman. I'd rather have beta fidelity than alpha cocksureness.

The Alpha Male term is commonly used on the hit TV series Survivor (17 seasons). It's applicable to the muscular, stronger males who may dominate physical orientated challenges. They usually don't get voted off in the beginning (need them for team challenges) but they get voted off in the middle of the show (so no-one faces them at the end). The personalities all vary: some are quiet, low key while others are very abrasive, confrontational. Regardless, these guys stick out in the crowd based on their nice physical features.

I can't stand Alpha Males, I encounter them at work, and as a Beta Female, they always try to dominate me. When I refuse to be their subservient toy they try to break me. I'm a small, shy pacificist, and yet they take pleasure in an easy kill! Is it just me, or are there more of them around than ever? Most Alpha Males I've met seem to share many traits with Narcissists.

As humans, we share similarities to other animals, and thus can reflect social behaviors, such as being an alpha male. The Alpha male, where it is present in non-human animal groups, is a being that has characteristics of "leading the pack" in their evolution. Wolves do it because physical prowess and strength, amongst other things, shows that the species will essentially continue to live and succeed. Alpha females support this idea as well. In human animals, female and male roles can both lead to this succession. Alpha roles should be defined in humans as leaders that promote communal succession(thrive, grow and prosper) that harmonize environmentally with our ecology. Managers are not leaders. Corporations are not leaders. Dominators are not leaders. I suppose this might suggest that these leaders would be a yin\yang balance of beta and alpha for humans.

The nerd in the classroom is probably your boss today. If you think your "alpha male" looks and demeanor can steal his/her spouse away (beyond sex encounters), good luck. That spouse will want to keep position in life, first. The view is different from the head table than sitting in the crowd.

Based on the definitions of alpha and beta males above, it seems that John McCain is the alpha male, who's contentious, bullying characteristics in the workplace are not helpful, whereas Barack Obama is the beta male: good communication skills, sensitivity towards others and downplays his strengths in order to showcase the strengths of others. When viewed in this way, it is easy to choose the right person to lead us forward into the 21st century.

That part about the alpha male having higher socioeconomic status (good job, etc...) is utter crap. An alpha male might be jobless and just coming out of the mental institute, he will still do a great alpha male. It's all about confidence when treating with other people.

a sociopath is one who lacks regard for others. alpha doesn't mean they don't care -- it means they dominate.

What is the difference between an Alpha Male and a Sociopath?

ladies, watch out for those alpha males! be prepared to take second seat to them...i bet they're prone to being more controlling and critical if you don't live up to their "alpha" expectations!