Beta Male

While the term Beta male often seems degrading to men as according to animal ethology, beta’s are inferior to alpha’s, the majority of men would be considered “beta males”, by people who support such systems.

While the alpha male is known for his leadership skills, assertion and even aggression, his attractiveness to the opposite sex and his confidence, “beta males” do not show these traits

“Beta males” show more insecurity, more thought but less action, less confidence, female attraction and assertion of masculinity.

They may have good leadership skills, but they will never have the confidence and assertive skills to claim it.

However, many women claim that they much prefer a “beta male” over an over-confident, aggressive, egocentric Chad.

The “beta male” does ot treat his woman like a toy or servant, but sees her as his equal, an attractive mate for human females, opposed to other, alpha-favouring animal species.

The term stems from animal ethology, the habit of pack animals to build a hierarchy with a sole leading alpha followed by several betas.

In 1982, primatologist and ethologist Frans de Waal published his book Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes, where after close observation of a chimpanzee colony he compared their interactions to those of humans, and found certain similarities.

Particularly when it came to their social hierarchy.

However, his theories are still rather controversial within the research community, and some claim there is no such thing as alpha or beta males among humans at all.

The term is recurring on platforms that are part of the “manosphere”, a collection of blogs, webpages and forums that encourage extreme masculinity and expect female submission.

A quick Google search will give you endless articles on “How to become an alpha male” or “Why beta males are better than alphas”, and for women “Are alpha or beta males the best partners?”

Some men that didn’t fit into neither categories created the third “omega male” option, for men that are either below both alpha and beta, or not associated with the hierarchy at all.

• The Modern Man – Alpha Male vs. Beta Male: What’s the Difference?
• Urban Dictionary – Beta Male