True Alpha, Alpha Wannabe or Bully?

I agree Kenty, from the angle that what would have been considered ‘alpha’ even 50 years ago, has altered and evolved over a relatively short period, into a less black and white description, then it once was. Gender equality and women in the work place on a more equal footing, has certainly blurred the lines regarding the roles both men and women hold in our society today.

I agree with Sceptical that alpha was a description applied to a figure of authority and someone who was probably considered a “total b*stard” and yet today, that sort of domineering aggression would be considered ‘bullying’. As a child, the stereotypical alpha male teacher would whip out his cane and openly punish anyone who challenged his authority, yet today that is considered ‘barbaric’ and todays younger generation scratch their heads in genuine bewilderment and ask “really? that really happened?”.

The notion of alpha male was very popular when i was a student. It caused me a lot of disquiet.

But even then, in the Middle Ages, there was bullying, and the alpha male was seen as very distinct from a bully.

The public schools (the top end, for sure, Eton, Harrow, Winchester etc) were and are committed to turning their boys into alpha males. Winchester does it very differently from the others, but it’s still the same. It’s not the same as a bully.

To me, a bully is a coward. The bully attacks those whom he (or she) sees as weaker, and part of the attack is to demean and humiliate the weaker person. The bully mobilises support in doing this, as the victim then feels even more isolated; this also makes the victim feel that the bullying is justified, that somehow they are in the wrong.

But when the worm turns, the bully flees and hides. That’s because the bully is basically a coward.

The alpha male is a very different kettle of fish. They’re not cowards. They are psychotics. Very different.

They are rather like the car driver who thinks they are so much better than the poor drivers dead or severely injured in the car wrecks s/he sees in the rear view mirror.

Ge wrote:

‘Sir’ Philip Green would certianly fit all the descriptors of an “alpha” male. Green thought he could “bully” BHS staff out of their pensions and went to great lengths to achieve that. Most definitely a bully and most definitely an “alpha” male.

I don’t agree Green is an Alpha male in today’s society……I think he probably has been and thinks he can carry on as he always has done years ago…..you don’t suddenly become a c*** it takes years of practice to have the arrogance he had to do what he did

got me thinking….I don’t have any alpha males in my life

kent f OBE wrote:

Lol@ slut shamers……read the article…..is there anything new in it to what we would asssume anyway? The biggest trolls obviously didn’t want to be interviewed …therefore nothing ultimately was learnt

Lol. I said on the site comments that all those interviewed in the article believed what they said, whereas a troll will quite often say things they don’t believe in to stir up the mix. I thought it was interesting because the definition of “troll” has become so blurred, just like the description of an alpha male has become blurred and people will now accuse others of being a “troll” just for speaking their mind, to shut down debate and although it is a different debate, the political class are quick to throw the “troll” label into the mix, to shut down genuine debate.

Ge wrote:

kent f OBE wrote:

Lol@ slut shamers……read the article…..is there anything new in it to what we would asssume anyway? The biggest trolls obviously didn’t want to be interviewed …therefore nothing ultimately was learnt

Lol. I said on the site comments that all those interviewed in the article believed what they said, whereas a troll will quite often say things they don’t believe in to stir up the mix. I thought it was interesting because the definition of “troll” has become so blurred, just like the description of an alpha male has become blurred and people will now accuse others of being a “troll” just for speaking their mind, to shut down debate and although it is a different debate, the political class are quick to throw the “troll” label into the mix, to shut down genuine debate.

Okie dokie….and yes the word troll is probably overused somewhat

on the flip side…I think some of the quieter type of people in real life find a bit of confidence online to voice an opinion (they aren’t usually nasty opninions)