2023 and the Epidemic of Alpha Males

    I'm sure we've all seen the videos of men speaking into a mic with some inspirational music in the background and bold captions displayed across the clip changing with the pace of the words flowing out of their mouths. At first glance, you might think, "Wow, I'm about to hear something really insightful," but no, you definitely thought wrong. Because really, all of these men are just yapping for 60 seconds straight. It's humorous at first, don't get me wrong, but after seeing so many videos preaching the same gibberish over and over, it gets annoying. These men belong to the group that consider themselves "Alpha Males." With this, I will address the group that these men have affiliated into, and the self-coined term of "Alpha Male."

    The dictionary definition, and I really mean dictionary, because somehow this term has somehow made it into the 

Oxford Dictionary, is "a man tending to assume a dominant or domineering role in social or professional situations." Yep, you read that right. I'll ask what everyone's thinking: what the hell does "domineering role" even mean? Honestly, this definition just proves that this term is downright elitist, but to each their own... I guess? Before I get into the making of one, let's address one thing. When I went to research how to transform yourself, a legitimate commonly asked question was, "How do I train to become an alpha male?" And Google's response? "21 Things You Can Do to Become an Alpha Male." I genuinely have no idea how to even respond to the absurdity of it all, and guys, the cringe I felt rack my body, I cannot possibly explain. Now, to become such, you've gotta work out and be in peak physical condition, have a job that makes bank and have the confidence of a Top Dawg. Oh, and not be in a relationship, because apparently love makes you weak.

    Now, in all seriousness, the doctrine of an Alpha Male is built upon something that is purely imaginary, or at least deceiving. When you think of the word "alpha," you most likely think of an alpha wolf. Societally, it is thought that alpha wolves secured their position as the leader of their pack because they fought to get it, but really, they only gained their role as the head because of creating pups and mating. This idea that wolves fight has been continuously discredited by numerous scientists, including the original creator of the term "alpha wolf." The term was only popularized fairly recently by fantasy movies and books that aimed to entertain readers, not to be factually correct. So technically, the ideology of the "alpha wolf" is built on nothing but fictitious stories and desires. And, just like what it's based off of, the idea of an "Alpha Male" is also incorrect. Rather, it's a cover for insecure men to act as though they are powerful. This is extremely harmful, as instead of working towards bettering themselves, they put on an insufferable persona that is rejected by a good portion of the public. Nobody said that it's not okay to have insecurities, as it completely is, but using them as an excuse for toxic masculinity is no way to improve yourself, which, if you really think about it, isn't that what being an "Alpha Male" is all about?