If you’ve been reading around in the manosphere for a while, you’ll know that there’s generally two types of guys.
First, there’s the beta males. These are the guys that take orders. They’re the guys that tend to be more submissive, are generally mediocre, and are low in the dominance hierarchy. They also don’t get very many women.
Then, there’s the guys who know how to be an alpha male. These are the guys in the top 20%—they’re the guys that give orders, excel at what they do, and are the creators of society. They usually get tons of women.
What most people don’t know, however, is that there’s a third type of guy that’s actually on the rise…and he’s known as the sigma male.
Sigma Males vs. Alpha and Beta Males
For most of human history, we coexisted amongst one another in social hierarchies. This is where the traditional “alpha/beta” distinction comes from, for example.
Yes, there is such a thing as an alpha male. Yes, there is such a thing as being her beta orbiter, as well… but this model is incomplete.
First of all, you’re not either an alpha male or a beta male. There’s various shades of gray. For example, look at the diagram above—what would you consider a merchant? Or a craftsmen? Or even the slaves?
You can always find someone that’s more alpha or beta, so don’t get too caught up on that distinction.
Second, too many guys who read the manosphere get this weird dichotomy in their head where it’s like that’s ALL THEY SEE.
MGTOW guys, for example, always talk about how something is “alpha” or “beta,” but that’s only half of the truth.
According to Leary’s 8 Circuits of Consciousness, the dominance hierarchy is only applicable to ONE of the circuits, the rest are unique to you.
Anyways—alpha males and beta males can really only exist in a social structure, because by definition, they’re either below someone or above someone.
So, what happens then, when someone breaks free of the social structure? Where do they fit in? This is where the sigma males come in.
What is a Sigma Male?
As I said, for most of human history there wasn’t anything other than either alpha or beta. You were either a king, or a peasant.
You were either at the top or the bottom. Rarely was there ever anyone who was in “the middle” of the totem pole. You were the leader, or the follower.
But once civilization became more advanced, and technology improved, this allowed people to become wanderers, vagrants, and lone wolves.
It allowed people to live OUTSIDE of the dominance hierarchy, neither being below anyone or above anyone.
Suddenly, a guy like Casanova could literally travel the world, and because he knew how to talk to girls and turn them on, he could become an “alpha male” within the different circles he traveled to.
This is the sigma male—a man who does not belong to any tribe. He is a wanderer, an adventurer, and a traveler.
He is not master nor is he slave; he shifts between different social circles and dominance hierarchies, without ever fully getting involved in one.
Previously this wasn’t possible—you needed a tribe to protect you, trade with, and live with.
But as civilization has grown more and more advance, becoming a sigma male has become possible, and even PREFERABLE like it is nowadays (in many ways).
The Rise of the Sigma Male
Ever since the 1960’s, such rapid changes have been occurring all throughout society that we haven’t had time to adapt. So what we’re seeing is a drastic increase in the amount of sigma males out there.
It’s easier to travel than ever, with planes, cars, and boats. It’s easier to meet new people than ever via social media. It’s easier to be alone than ever—as long as you have an income, you really don’t need any friends.
Suddenly, you don’t need to ascend the social hierarchy to date beautiful women. Hell, if you know how to get laid on Tinder, you can become an “alpha male” with a king’s harem, in any city in the world!
The Start of the Sigma Male
So what we’re seeing is more and more guys dropping out of the system, and refusing to be cogs in a massive bureaucratic globalist entity that doesn’t give a fuck about them. More and more guys are becoming sigma males.
Every day I get emails from guys telling me that they’re dropping out of the rat race. More and more men are becoming self-employed, living off of $25 a day in Thailand or something. More and more men are getting fed up with the system.
…and while this is understandable, and while there’s many benefits to being a sigma male, it isn’t something that’s sustainable. Men require a tribe for emotional health and fulfillment. We need a tribe.
The Sigma Male Lifestyle
The benefits of living a sigma male lifestyle are pretty obvious.
You’re not part of any dominance hierarchy, meaning you don’t take orders from anyone.
You also don’t have to worry about giving orders and keeping people in line.
You don’t have many responsibilities—as long as you can pay for your lifestyle, you’re good. You can chase as many women as you want without having to worry about being tied down.
You can live a hedonistic lifestyle, which many sigma males do, with very few consequences.
Yet deep down, no sigma male is satisfied. Deep down, men crave to belong to something bigger than themselves. They crave to be a part of a tribe, and learn how to be a better man.
This sigma male phenomenon that we’re seeing nowadays, with more and more guys dropping out of society, is only temporary. It won’t last.
Things are going to start shifting very soon, as guys reorganize themselves into better, more efficient, and more humane dominance structures.
Why We Need Hierarchy
It seems, on the surface, that being a sigma male would be enjoyable. You don’t answer to everyone, it’s stress free, you don’t have to take orders or give them, and you don’t have many responsibilities.
But upon closer analysis, it becomes apparent that dominance hierarchies are phenomenally important, for damn near every aspect of life.
Sigma Male Social Hierarchies
Although the social justice warriors who deny female privilege deny this, dominance hierarchies are not always a bad thing.
Dominance hierarchies give us mentors. They allow elders to pass down wisdom. They allow the competent to lead.
They allow men to form an integrated structure, and operate as a unit, accomplishing more than they ever could alone.
Being thrust into the alpha/beta male social structure is natural to us. We want it, deep down, on some level. We want to be included into it, and even more so, we want to advance to the heights of it.
In the words of Jordan B. Peterson, an ideal dominance hierarchy is large enough to be worth climbing, but small enough that you can actually hope to climb up relatively high.
This is why so many men are dropping out of the global clockwork. It’s far too big, and they don’t feel a part of something greater than themselves.
The Return to Structure
As more and more men have been dropping out of the system, they’ve also been creating new infrastructures and systems.
It used to be a handful of dominance hierarchies (AKA corporations) that controlled everything: the media, pharmaceutical drugs, and consumer goods.
Now, however, more and more men are taking the route of the sigma male, at least temporarily. Then, once proficient enough, they create their OWN dominance hierarchy, in the form of a business or an organization.
Sigma Male Evolution
Now we have like-minded men banding together over common causes, ideologies, and goals—they’re forming their OWN social hierarchy, separate from the globalist, corporate-owned one.
They’re forming their own tribes.
In other words, there’s an exodus of sigma males, BACK into social hierarchies! This is the key to saving Western civilization.
More and more men who were previously outcast, and who had dropped the system, are finding a place that they fit in, where they feel like they can make a difference.
We’re seeing this particularly in the US where there’s all kinds of grass roots organizations evolving, particularly for conservative youth and traditional gender values. Generation Z has been red pilled, men, and things are going to change.
Summary
I realize that I covered a lot in this article—I probably could’ve made it 5,000 words long, but have been meaning to get this concept out there for a while.
The life of a sigma male is becoming more and more common, and it definitely has it’s perks.
But, more and more men are realizing that becoming a part of a tribe, and dedicating your life to something bigger than yourself, is the only way to live.
Men are social creatures. We crave mentors, or those who are above us in the social hierarchy…and we crave mentees, or those who are below us in the social hierarchy.
We crave a hierarchy, because it gives us a place, and allows us to accomplish far more than we ever could alone.
So GO! Discover your tribe. If you don’t have one, then find one. If you can’t find one, then build one. The time of the sigma male has come, and the return to the dominance hierarchy is here. Prepare yourself accordingly.
❓ What Is A Sigma Male?
A sigma male is a man who is neither an alpha male nor a beta male, but rather a man who refuses to play the game altogether. Where an alpha male is at the top of the hierarchy, and a beta male is at the bottom of it, the sigma male isn't even in the hierarchy altogether.
This can be equated to going MGTOW, as men who "go their own way" often refuse to play in society's games. Being a sigma male has numerous advantages, but also several drawbacks that are often not discussed.
❓ What Are Some Sigma Male Traits?
Sigma males are typically lone wolves. They can be very charismatic if necessary, but typically operate within their own boundaries, social structures, goals, and motives. They are not too concerned with power games, and typically focus on their own lives.
Classic examples of sigma males might include outlaws, lone wolves, bandits, hackers, and other "anti-social" types who are certainly able to socialize with others, but mostly choose not to. Sigma males prefer not to tangle themselves up in society as a whole.
❓ Difference Between Alpha vs. Sigma Males?
Alpha males and sigma males share many common characteristics, actually. They're both typically very confident, know what they want in life, and they both take action to achieve their goals (for the most part). The main difference is how they do so.
Alpha males typically achieve these goals by leveraging social structures and climbing to the top of the hierarchy, whereas sigma males prefer to do so without engaging in social politics or power games. In other words, sigma males are like lone wolves.
Sigmas have always been a thing, just recently given that label. That being said, this particular article is the most Beta BS I have read in awhile.
Just say you’re a Beta, know you’re a Beta, and “struck out on your own” to feel like an Alpha!
Dumme Scheiße
There’s no officially registered dictionary definition of the word “sigma.” The basis of this article is not even scientifically and factually supported. A breed of Sigma males? I don’t think so. Nice try using a completely irrelevant info-graphic of Egyptian hierarchy. Besides, I haven’t heard of a “sigma-type” woman mentioned here. If your narrative is only going to include one side of the story, it’s not going to cut it.
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I’m getting some seriously cringe PUA vibes from this article. Why is it always larping incels who write this drivel..?
I stubled across this term today and I originally thought hmm this describese pretty well but the more I read, which the articles and videos I’ve come across aren’t very consistent, I’m not sure. I don’t see myself as an alpha but I’m sure as fuck not a beta. I can affectively lead people, although I usually take great care in knowing who I’m leading and paint them into a corner if I have to because I have zero patience for fuckery, but I also can follow just the same. I’m not clambering to be on top but strive be at my best. I don’t get my ego squashed by pittly shit. Point is, I don’t really fit in anywhere I can be fully content in my own sphere but can, and do enjoy, good times with people. I am married and legitimately feel like it is successful but my wife isn’t a twat ether, another type of fuckery I can’t stand.
I do have a tribe and I suppose I’m the alpha but really don’t care about social norms. I will fight, even untill death, to keep whoever threantans my way of life and my tribe.
That’s the thing, people cannot be categorized as “alpha, beta, introvert, extrovert, x,y,z,” etc. All people have unique personalities, characteristics, and each their own set of values. The spectrum of what makes a person “x, y, z” is too broad and although a lot of people share similar qualities, they are never really “x, y, z.” To say you’re an Alpha Male or an Alpha Female can offer people a picture of the qualities you may have, but it will never reveal who you truly are because there are just too many other factors.
dude. this is so freaking me. i do not need women, i have bobux. i have so many dabloons. women love me. i reject them. instead i hav s*x with men.
I never knew a Sigma was a thing until recently. I was researching different types of introversion people have, then i stumbled on the word Sigma. In all due respect I completely disagree with your piece. Every piece, blog, whatever is missing so much. I never knew what was different about me when I was younger, but I knew I was unique. I was never comfortable in groups. I was extremely popular and had more testosterone in grade 7 then any other male there. I graduated with a 4.2 gpa and never saw the need for even one friend. I have think things through on ungodly levels, I will run 5 consequences across before I even reply to people in conversation. I am 29 now and every single mistake I have made, I have bettered myself. I need myself, I do not need a single damn person telling me how or what to do. I rarely reply to stuff, but you do not understand a Sigma, and how dare you say we need a hierarchy. Real cool Jon Anthony, keep up the bullshit.
We’ve all been through bullshit, my friend. The thing that separates the men from the boys, is that the men accept it, move on, and better themselves and the world. The children stay lost in anger.
Being sigma has nothing to do with “anger” or bitterness. Those things are for omega males. Omega males are those who have given up completely and blame everything but themselves for it. Being sigma means being extremely confident, able to give orders and mold and shape your life to how you want it. The same traits as those of an alpha. The difference is that alphas attain, aspire and conquer to “be seen” and to compete with other alphas, where sigmas attain, aspire and conquer to have the life they want. They don’t care about competition. In fact, they are awakened enough to see how unhealthy and primitive hierarchies are.
I totally agree with you, Zach. I appreciate getting sound advice,, but I don’t want to attach myself to any mentor. I’m only too happy to dole out a few sage words of advice to the inexperienced, but I don’t want the responsibility of being someone’s mentor.
I will interact with a tribe for the sake of my own survival, but I don’t want to be a member of it.
I don’t want to lead; nor do I want to be some alpha’s sidekick.
Sigmas have always existed in some form or another another as well. We sigmas are the ones who can gracefully move in and out of social structures as need be without ever being a part of it.
And you know what? WE LOVE IT THAT WAY!
Been a Sigma male all my life………..just didn’t know there was a name for life style.
Me too. I just discovered this term. I thought it was either Alpha or Beta. Then saw a video where a guy was pointing out Gamma males and their traits. I thought that some of those sounded like me a bit, but not all of them. So I took a test and it said I’m Sigma. And I’m looking at multiple sources for comparisons. I’m definitely a Sigma. I think we can all have traits that bleed into other types. I mean, my relationship with God has softened my heart to there I can be very empathetic with people. But my empathy at times is still very calculated. A case in point is when I see homeless people begging on the street. I’m very non-empathetic to most of them and will not engage them. Much of this stems from experience with being around many of them and seeing their drug habits. But at other times I will feel called upon to bless someone seeking a helping hand. And I won’t do it for recognition and affirmation from others. Helping others can at times help yourself. I’m not a sociopath, but I can recognize when establishing boundaries and distancing yourself from others can be a method of self-preservation.
Interesting. I’m currently in the process of becoming the sigma male myself. But I think it has to be done temporarily to ultimately return as a better man.
Fro what the blogs say, I am a sigma. It’s just as well, I never really got how alpha’s were a big deal as it is. They are merely trend chasers who pretend not to be and worship women while pretending they don’t matter. One day they’ll have a faux-hawk, the next a flat top and even a mullet- if the “beta” males who determine what trend will will like would say so, lol!
I don’t know where you got this idea of alpha males following trends, but that’s hardly alpha at all. They may follow some trends for the sake of social status (eg having style, keeping up with popular TV shows, etc.) but they will never do anything that compromises their value system or their integrity.
They don’t have a value system. Just, ass (for notch counts to compare with others, not for fun), cash and pictures of pools. They are hedonists in a hedonic society.