What is a sigma male — the so-called rarest man?
He’s not the alpha and He’s not a beta, He is something else
The alpha and beta discourse has been around for a few years now — used primarily by those who frequent incel and pick-up artists circles. recently, chatter on social media has people buzzing about the oh-so-rare sigma male.
here’s a quick primer to catch you up to speed.
Whoa, slow down. What’s an alpha or a beta in the first place?
Alpha and beta are terms attributed to certain personality traits that a man possesses.
An alpha is the kind of person every guy wants to be, according to the manosphere (more on that further down).
An alpha is charismatic. he dominates a room, ladies cling to his arms, he’s attractive and fit and he’s successful in all aspects of life. Think James bond.
being a beta holds a more negative connotation as nearly everything opposite to an alpha.
A man who is a beta generally means he’s introverted, not-so-good with the ladies, seeks validation (perhaps from his father who belittled him as a child) and rarely hits the gym.
A beta never steals the spotlight; he’s the nice guy who always finishes last. Think Andy in The 40-yearold Virgin.
OK, so what’s a sigma?
Alright, buckle in. A sigma is an alpha, but he’s got more of an edge to him. Think of the lone wolf type of guy. A sigma also commands a room, but with his quiet mystery and intrigue. because of that, women gravitate to him.
he also finds success in his career, but he isn’t afraid to push the envelope and take risky moves.
Men in the manosphere regard the sigma as the “rarest” archetype of a man and pine for those kinds of qualities.
Think John Wick. Some even regard Keanu reeves himself as a sigma.
The idea of a sigma male has floated around in internet communities for years now, but has recently picked up with people mocking it on social media.
One Twitter user last week posted a series of pictures showing infographics and screenshots of sigma-related content with the caption, “What the f--k is going on with men?” The tweet went viral, spurring recent discourse.
who believes in these archetypes?
The terms originated in the manosphere — an all-encompassing internet community whose members focus on hyper-masculinity, misogyny, anti-feminism, involuntary celibacy (incels), men’s rights activism and/or pick-up artistry.
The community carries negative connotations with it, especially with incels who promote violence against women, and pick-up artists who harass women.
but, it’s important not to overgeneralize a group of people who believe in these archetypes, said James Cantor, a psychologist who researches human sexual interest.
“The broader phenomenon,” as Cantor puts it, typically includes young men who are romantically and socially insecure and use these oversimplified archetypes to navigate life and cope with social deficiencies.
“For them, (the oversimplified male archetypes) make achievable something they had difficulty with before.”
how is it made achievable?
Through videos, online forums and articles, knowledge and tips are shared about the differences between the archetypes of men.
There are tips on how to transform from a beta to an alpha — and subsequently attract more women — using pseudo-science.
This video compares “alpha” and “beta” men to animals whose social hierarchies consist of an alpha male who fights all the other younger males to maintain top-dog status.
The video suggests men can change their “beta” tendencies, such as acting “too nice” to everyone or showing a lack of surety by asking whether his outfit looks good, by exhibiting more alpha behaviours — confidence, hyper-masculinity.
With the sigma man, there, too, are videos and articles explaining how to become the “rarest” kind of man through presenting those mysterious-but-go-getter qualities outwardly.
There are even two-hour long “sigma male affirmation” videos with the audio echoing phrases like:
“I have a steely gaze and strong presence. I am hard to understand.”
“From a place of powerful intuition, confidence and perception, I can easily pierce through lies and manipulation.”
“I am comfortable being the brooding figure.”
The downside of adhering to these archetypes means it can limit a person from developing their own natural sense of self, Cantor said.
“There’s a healthy part experimenting and trying to develop your own identity. but there’s also a negative part in that it might limit the kinds of things a person might try in discovering themselves.”