re: No Such Thing As Alpha Males

The left believes in science except when they dont

Bet you were picked last for dodge ball.

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Oh yeah? Why don't you show me some peer-reviewed behavioral psychology that in any way supports the idea of alpha males in human beings. And let's keep it within the last 30 years if possible

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I just linked a 2009 article from the American Journal of Primatology, written by people who - I can assure you - know more about this topic than some Business Insider writer posting Twitter screen caps as his source material.

They talked about alpha behavior in chimpanzees. You support science right? Pray tell, what animal do you think humans have more in common with? Chimpanzees or chickens?

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My first thought as well. That was one of the most try-hard and curated articles I've ever read.

The alpha male concept isn't real? Well shite, you better tell that to these dumbasses from Harvard and the Jane Goodall Institute for Primate Studies. LINK

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We are talking about humans, not chimpanzees.

"We all know what an “alpha male” is. An alpha male is a man who takes charge, one who imposes his will on others, not the other way round. Other men want to be him, women want to be with him. An alpha male intimidates, he’s unquestionably in charge, no matter what the situation. An alpha male is loud, brash, doesn’t care what anybody else thinks. An alpha male says what he wants, does what he wants, wears what he wants, as long as those clothes are roomy enough in the trousers to accommodate his gargantuan gonads and don’t dissolve in response to all the testosterone constantly leaking from his pores.

That’s the general idea, anyway. But the idea that human men can be alpha males is actually far from scientifically accepted. This may come as a surprise, given how common and widespread the notion is. The most recent example would be Donald Trump in his presidential debates. People have labelled him an alpha male, Nigel Farage even defended Trump’s obscene comments about women as “alpha male boasting” and compared him to a silverback gorilla, which for those familiar with primate anatomy is . So what, scientifically, is the case for alpha males among humans? As ever, it’s somewhat complicated.

The origin of the human alpha male
New York Magazine has a very informative and detailed article about this, but the take-home message is that before the 1960s there were barely any examples of humans being described as alpha males, the term was restricted to fields like primatology research. Species like chimps and gorillas do have social structures and hierarchies with a dominant individual at the top, typically a male who has achieved that positon via displays of strength and physical prowess. The fact that alpha males exist isn’t disputed, it’s whether humans can actually be such a thing.

"The term started being applied to humans with the publication of Frans de Waal’s Chimpanzee Politics, which made direct comparisons between human and chimp behaviour, including the dominant behaviour of males. It became more mainstream when used in the context of Al Gore’s presidential campaign.

It really became accepted as something men should want to be with the success of Neil Strauss’s The Game, based on lessons he acquired from the Pick Up Artist community. This should trigger alarm bells for many; terms and methods acquired from Pick Up Artists should be treated with extreme scepticism at the very least. But, sex being the powerful motivator that it is, the idea that being an alpha male would improve your life and make you more successful with women proved incredibly beguiling, so acceptance and use of the term has now become the norm. But this doesn’t mean it’s valid, just that it’s common."

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We are talking about humans, not chimpanzees.

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oh, well in that case, the article in your OP is talking about chickens and wolves. Not humans.

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Now this is just sad. I mean, there's no reason to publicly admit you're pathetic OP. We already knew.

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Derp

Sooo..what instrument did you play in your high school band?

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Sooo..what instrument did you play in your high school band?

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I believe he played the skin flute

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just linked a 2009 article from the American Journal of Primatology, written by people who - I can assure you - know more about this topic than some Business Insider writer posting Twitter screen caps as their source material.

They talked about alpha behavior in chimpanzees. You support science right? Pray tell, what animal do you think humans have more in common with? Chimpanzees or chickens?

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I still don't understand why you're talking about chimpanzees. We're talking about people here.

psychology today

This is an article by someone who has a Ph.D in psychology and is about humans.

The male African lion is so alpha that he makes the females hunt for him while he relaxes. Then when they bring him the kill, everyone else stays back unti he eats his fill. Pretty alpha to me!