Sunday, June 26, 2005

Alpha Male

So I'm trying to figure this alpha male thing out. I mean... As one myself... and as the brother of two others... I have some experience and perspective in the matter... but what I've recently been tryin' to wrap my head around is... where do we come from? What makes us what we are?

The most obvious thing that Alpha Males have in common, is the way they change the atmosphere just by walking into a room. Whether they want it or not, they become the focal point. Even when someone else is the center of attention, it's almost as though they are performing specificly for the Alpha in the room.

I was aware of this before... in the way that someone is aware of say... quarks... You know they are there, but you don't think about them much... That is until DrWho said something about it the other day. And there-in is another salient point... the chicks always know who the alpha is in the group... and rarely is there ever disagreement among them about it.

But back to this focal point deal... We were at a party with several folks from her department... it was a little one's second birthday, and we had arrived pretty late. There was no reason for me to be the focal point at all, and in fact, I had no interest in being such. However, it ended up happening anyway. All the guys ended up standing around talking to me. Literally following me around. At one time or another, every woman there walked up to say hi and chit-chat.

What's that about? I was by no means the biggest dude there... in fact, I was maybe the smallest. I wasn't the smartest... nor anywhere close to the most financially successful. In a room of very fit, highly successful, highly educated, highly intelligent men... What made me the Alpha?

Why is it.. that all through high school... and all through college... whatever group I was in... was always centered around me? hell... in school I had more followers than friends. What's that about?

Fact is... we humans have a leg up on critters in just about every area, and this is no different. Put to male dogs together, and they have to establish a pecking order... regardless of the size of group. We don't have to do that. For example... My buddy Curt is also an aphla... but we get along great. Why? Because we're both perfectly secure in ourselves, and neither of us is worried about the other. Curt knows he could kill me with his bare hands.... and I know I'd blow his head off before he got the chance. We don't have to fight it out.

That's one of the odd things about humans... we alpha males often seek out other alpha males as friends. We prefer them in fact. This of course throws a huge monkey wrench into that grand feminist theory that macho some how relates to insecurity. Try again honey.

We prefer to be in exclusive groups made up of those we consider badasses. We needle each other, and insult each other, and prank each other... as tests. Not to build ourselves up, but to tear down the other, to see how he handles it. We want to be around those we can trust.

But in the end... the facts that we surround ourselves with other alpha males... and the fact that people can tell we're the alpha... those are just symptoms. What makes us alphas?

We do.

The way we walk. The way we talk. The way we carry ourselves. It is in fact the exact opposite of what the feminists or modern psychologists would tell you. Its confidence. It's security. It's knowing who you are, what you are, and being well aware that you can handle any situation that comes up.

Say... Speaking of handling every situation... DrWho goes back to work Monday... so that's probalby today for you folks readin' this... Prayers are welcome... as she's not very happy about it at all. As for me... I'll be here with my two boys... and well... It's gonna be wild I reckon.

But I can handle it.

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