The Myth of the Alpha Male

The term “alpha male” is one of those designations we hang on people without much thought of its origins or its true implications.

It’s kind of like describing someone as a “Type A personality” or saying a particular behavior is “passive-aggressive.” What we really mean, in the case of the guy labeled Type A, is that he works hard and gets a lot done. If we say someone’s passive-aggressive, as often as not we’re slapping a pathology on someone who just doesn’t care enough to give us whatever we need at the moment we need it.

But calling someone an alpha male is both more specific and, in most cases, more respectful. It implies that the guy has fought his way to the top of whatever group he leads. Moreover, it suggests he could fight his way to the top of any organization he chooses, and breed…

Tags: Tags: fallacies, family, leadership, personality, science