Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor XqueezeMePlease asked:
"What are your immediate thoughts when you hear a guy refer to himself as an 'Alpha Male'?"
People shared their interpretations to hearing a guy declaring himself an alpha.
Self-Granted Permission
"Translation: 'I am going to be an unapologetic a**hole.'”
–darkwulf1
Moving Forward
“I can’t take anything from him seriously from now on.”
– YourLocalOrangePeel
"It's a real life cheat code to make your reputation go to 0%."
– AstronomerNo556
Being A Male
"try to explain to them how much of a bitch they really are for having to boost their self importance by telling others how great they are....instead of actually BEING great."
"i will never forget my father telling me 'being a male, does not mean your a man.'"
– tokikain
What is he really saying about himself?
Hiding Insecurity
"That he’s deeply insecure."
– ButternutSnuggleButt
"Narrator: he wasn’t an alpha male."
– Yellowmellowbelly
The Thing About Actual Male Confidence
"The entire sub-culture around 'Alpha Males' is centered around men being insecure. And I say this from personal experience. In middle school, high school, and even early college I was a very insecure guy and I’d watch videos constantly on 'how to be an alpha' and it would only spiral into me hating myself more for not amounting to the standards of an 'alpha'.
"Confident, secure men wear what they want, do what they want, and are comfortable being themselves regardless of what society or its standards say. I mean take Harry Styles for example, that man can wear a dress, put on makeup, and be himself confidently AND he still is more of a man than any self-proclaimed 'alpha.'"
"Manliness and masculinity isn’t about looking like a lumberjack, drinking whiskey, and working out 24/7 (though it’s okay if you do any of these things because that’s what you genuinely enjoy), its about being confident in who you are as a man whatever that means for you. People fail to realize, if you are a man and you do something, anything, that in and of itself is inherently manly regardless of what society says."
"I’m so happy that I was able to come to these realizations and deal with the real underlying issues I had of low self-esteem but it’s so sad to see so many young men fall prey to “alpha” bs and base their entire existence on the concept of trying to be 'alpha' all because instead of talking through their feelings and mental health they let their insecurities dictate their life."
– ccalicich32
Measure Of A Man
"Small dick energy."
– NeoWarriors
You want to stay away from these types of men.
Self-Aggrandizement
"Translation: I’m extremely insecure and need to feel superior and also think woman are property."
– TwistedFate21
Potential For Abuse
"My girlfriend has bruises she lies about"
– AsperaAstra
Code
"'Alpha Male' is just code for I think I can beat up most people around me so I want to be treated as special and not be forced to obey social niceties and laws."
– anon
Public Threat
"Like an alpha of a program or videogame, highly unstable and should not be available to the public."
– Whismurr_
Let's face it. No one using the phrase "alpha male" to describe themselves is going to be likable.
Unless you are desiring to be dominated by a superior alpha under erotic pretenses, you're better off keeping your inner circle exclusively without complete morons.
Curious to explore this, Redditor minimotres asked:
"How can you tell if a person is a d**chebag?"
A person with so much bravado is a prime example of a D-bag.
Amen
"The Narcissist's Prayer
That didn't happen.
And if it did, it wasn't that bad.
And if it was, that's not a big deal.
And if it is, that's not my fault.
And if it was, I didn't mean it.
And if I did, you deserved it."
Anger Issues
"They go out on a Saturday night and if they're not getting laid then they're fighting someone."
Superiority Complex
"How they treat anyone performing any service for them. Servers, taxi drivers,etc."
Tough Guy
"The amount of weird, 'tough guy' window stickers on the back window of their vehicle."
Rowan Atkinson Attack GIF by Working TitleGiphyConfidence is sexy, but too much self-assurance is just cocky.
Manipulator
"Poor listening skills and if they're intent on making you do something you don't want."
The Flunky
"If they're the 'never in the wrong' kinda person. I don't mean someone that has an inability to admit they're incorrect (which is also douchey), but the kind of person, even when caught dead-to-rights, will find a way to claim no wrongdoing. I once caught a college roommate going through a care package my mother had sent me— happily eating the baked goods, perusing the clothing she'd sent— and I was like, 'dude! What the F'K?!' and he goes, 'I thought you said I could have some!' I'd received the package a day earlier, when he wasn't even around, and had put it under my bed while STILL SEALED. Yet he thought that 'I thought you said I could have some' sh*t would work. He even told me to 'chill the f'k out' when I got righteously angry. So glad that jacka** flunked out in the first semester."
Missing The Mark
"They decide whether or not a sh**ty comment they made was 'just a joke' based on people's reaction."
These are the epitomes of condescension.
I Can Do Better
"Everything is a competition. You say you had a long day and you're tired? Well their day was harder and they're MORE tired."
Boastful
"In a conversation, if they often use phrases like 'Not to brag, but...' And/or are constantly making empty threats."
All About Them
"They have to be the center of attention whether small or big occasions. This being obnoxiously loud, showing off etc. 2nd would be acts different around various people, to once again show off."
If anything goes wrong, don't expect these people to fess up.
The Deflector
"I find if someone constantly blames their hardships/problems/etc on other people, they are usually a d**chebag."
Never Claims Responsibility
"Nothing is ever their fault, it's always someone else's."
"You run into an a**hole in the morning, you ran into an a**hole. You run into a**holes all day, then you're the a**hole."
I saw a guy berating an employee at a clothing retailer for not having the right size shirt in stock.
It was a clear indication to me that this individual was used to getting his way all the time, a classic signifier of someone who was a D-bag.
I felt bad for the guy who was just trying to maintain the shop floor, only to be chewed out when he had absolutely nothing to do with the low inventory.
Of course, the angry customer could have been having a bad day and was taking out his frustration on someone who had nothing to do with his First World problem.
And yet, as I attempted giving the benefit of the doubt, I pointed out another example of why this dude was a complete D-bag.