Social dominance hierarchy is popularized as a sub-culture where men are categorized into distinct sections depending upon their socio-sexual status in society.
This hierarchy is dominated by Alphas, where Betas are also in the structure. There are other gameplayers as we go down in this structure, such as Gammas and Omegas as well.
But there is another type of male that even though theorized in this study but doesn’t fall into the structure.
These men are as powerful as Alphas but only to defy the baggage of being an Alpha and remain in the tribe.
They are none other than- Sigma Males. Sigmas do not obey the hierarchical dominance and hence do not regard any respect for the status or power of Alphas.
Alphas have no control over Sigma as they are free from any societal bondages and prefer solitude and freedom. Sigma is as popularly known as ‘Lone Wolf’ or a ‘Wanderer’.
Here we dig deep to explain and analyze the Sigma male.
what does sigma male mean?
Sigma male is often used as a slang term popularly or widely materialized in masculinist subcultures to represent a successful, popular but highly reliant, and self-independent man.
It has been mentioned a lot of times in the media and pop culture. From there, it becomes even more useful for the general public, preferably in young generations.
Another popular term used to denote a sigma male is a lone wolf. It also has been mostly seen to be used by the same members of what’s known as the Manosphere.
They are also someone who used other Greek letters to denote this formation of social hierarchy, including Alpha male, Beta male, Omega male, and Gamma Male as well.
Not just that, the Sigma male is also has been used to mock the hierarchical social labels given to categorize men.
The Origin Of Sigma Male
Sigma male, this term is coined by far-right activist and writer Theodore Robert Beale who is also known as Vox Day.
He started using this term in the early January of 2010 when he first mentioned and further defined it in his own blog.
Sigma is basically the name of the 18th letter of the Greek Alphabet whereas capital sigma is denoted as Σ, and lower case sigma is written as σ and ς placed at the end of the words.
Just like other Greek letters such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omega used to create a pattern or structure of the social hierarchy of masculinity.
However, it is still unclear why Beale specifically chose Sigma for the representation and not other letters that are yet to be used for the hierarchy denotation.
What is a Sigma Male?
A Sigma male is a man who lives within the socio-sexual hierarchy but chooses to live his life outside of the given dominance hierarchy structure of masculine sub-culture and society.
Sigma males share quite many of their traits with the Alpha males, but they tend to remain out of the traditional social structures, routines, and hierarchies.
Not abiding by the very rules of the system, they set them apart from it and other or most of the social encounters or indulgent.
If you see the archetypal sigma male, they are very well defined by their tendency or ability to devoid themselves of the traditional social dominance hierarchies of the society.
Such men decided to walk more of a solitary path. They truly enjoy and cherish their alone time, considering it sacred and non-negotiable. Sigma males are often called a ‘lone wolf’ or ‘wanderer’ as well.
It all goes back to the social-sexual hierarchy developed by Vox Day. It is a system that describes how boys or men relate to each other and organize themselves in different structures of archetypes.
These various archetypes under socio-sexual hierarchy define how these men behave, who they are, what are their preferences, where their inclination will lie, how they perceive, and much more.
The Role Of Sigma Male In The Socio-Sexual Hierarchy
Well, to begin with, the exact position of the Sigma males in the socio-sexual hierarchy is quite debatable.
However, to just simply define the highlighted characteristic of a Sigma Male that truly defines them is their own way of living away from the social hierarchy, like a lone wolf.
Sigma Male often relates to the philosophy of MGTOW ( Men Going Their Own Way) as the very people or men who believe in this are most likely to identify themselves as Sigma males.
This idea of ‘walking away’ seems to be rebelling against the traditional social-sexual hierarchy or any other traditional system made to put people in a certain way.
Even with such resemblance, it is to be duly noted that there is no single or particular filter that makes a person get identified as a Sigma archetype.
To really understand how Sigma males play out in the socio-sexual hierarchy, you also need to see how other male archetypes fit in and are in comparison to each other and Sigma, as well.
Motivation Behind A Sigma Male
You might wonder! If Sigma males find their own way out from the Socia-sexual hierarchy, how do they still fit in in the scenario?
And then, what motivates them?
Well, think of it like this. If an Alpha is a king where he is served by numerous Beta males, Sigma is more like a wanderer, a storyteller, traveler, and loner who often visits the king.
Sigma male may dine with the Alpha, the king. He even can help him or hold the King’s favor.
His conviction, success, skill, or achievements may earn him respect, admiration, and a reputable place in the heart of the King.
He doesn’t marry and stay in one place to live the life of a family man. He sleeps with women from the King’s court, only to leave the next morning to further continue his journey.
The journey is what truly matters for Sigma, and that’s what he lives for.
They are certainly not like betas in the King’s court who lust for the power of the King or want favors from him.
In fact, the chances are Sigma even doesn’t care whether King likes him or dislikes him. He remains free from any bondage and any petty competition with other betas.
The truth is Sigma males don’t care about their place in the social dominance hierarchy. Since they don’t want anything from that world, they don’t get pulled by it as well.
Sigma Male Vs. Alpha Male
Alpha Male is at the top of the socio-sexual hierarchy, he is the king, and in the modern world, they are leaders, influencers, business tycoons, and more.
But Sigmas, unlike the Alpha males, are not part of this social dominance hierarchy and also the core society.
In the modern world, Sigmas are artists, travelers, poets, philosophers, highly skilled self-employed businessmen, and more.
They do not do things that rely on the traditional medium of society. They pave their own path wherever it leads them.
If not the actual journey, they are on the metaphorical journey to explore themselves trying unique things not affected by social factors such as wealth or status.
Sigma males also have no incentive to please the masses or appease anyone and their respective opinions.
Again, unlike the Alphas, they do not have to make public appearances or remain in the limelight.
Sigma Males have the least interest in competing with others to find their way to the top of the social order like Alphas needs to.
Why Sigma Males Give Up Alpha Position?
One of the ways to see Sigma to the respect of an Alpha is they are someone who willingly gives up the benefits or advantages of an Alpha position.
They seem to be in the same position as the Alpha but out of the equation as to how they want themselves to be.
Even though Sigma males could have just become Alpha and enjoy the advantages of being one – why do they willingly give up Alpha-like dominance and power?
Why did they choose to be a Sigma archetype instead?
Well, it is because he clearly sees the advantages of the Sigma archetype as superior to Alpha’s advantages when they compare it on various scales.
They filter it out with the cost and value in both situations. Unlike Alpha archetypes, Sigma males don’t have to go through this powerplay or political game to achieve the highest success of their life.
More than that, it is not worth it in the eyes of Sigma. In fact, it is useless to them. The tribe mentality makes them tiresome.
Sigma males consider themselves self-sufficient to fulfill their life in the way they decide to. They do not consider traditional parameters that are called to be “successful,” to define or dictate their life.
Sigma Males Not Interested In Tribe
The tribes are highly significant to an Alpha. After all, they are the leaders of their tribes, and tribes are what actually makes them more of an Alpha.
They spend a long part of their life building their tribe, gathering resources for it, and climbing their way up in the hierarchy to become the leader, an alpha.
And that they tend to gain the advantage of having such tribal connections and resources that are available at their disposal.
Not to mention the kind of high social returns they gain from their Alpha position due to the tribal structure.
In other words, tribalism promotes the concept of Alpha and their dominance, so it is indeed an integral part of an Alpha male’s life.
In modern days, tribes can be a group of individuals connected to each other through a an ideology or a common interest in which an Alpha leads them due to their dominance and leadership ability.
It is true that Alpha does reap highly valuable rewards from his tribal investments, but for that, he does have to go through extreme stress, challenge, responsibility, and consistent effort.
But when it comes to Sigma, they are just plainly not interested in tribal culture at all, at least the archetypical ones.
The Sigma male seems to just shun the social responsibilities that an Alpha takes on, at least they try to or do in theory.
Sigma males see the resource investment to build the tribe as a high-risk and low-reward deal.
They also consider the structure of the social dominance hierarchy an unstable and fragile house of cards.
Sigma males preferrable chose to walk away from this system or the framework of societal hierarchy because it is a smarter move for them.
Being self-sufficient or at least striving to be one, they do not see the point of tribal culture, at least not to themselves.
They are unable to put their bets on unreliable humans so instead, they better be self-reliant.
Now, it is true that is the most unlayered oversimplication of Sigma males but it does lay the groundwork for what you know as Sigma archetypes.
Men ‘Alpha’ vs ‘Sigma’: Who do women prefer?
It is called the socio-sexual hierarchy for a reason, as this system of categorization or labeling goes back to the Chimpanzee era.
Or the just early men’s era where the power dynamics plays a crucial role in the sexual preference of the women.
So the question lies – which one amongst the Sigma and Alpha do Women prefer the most?
But the one-line answer to that could be simply – Both types of men do well with the ladies, however, for different reasons.
Also, to account for the very important factor as what the particular woman is looking for the man she seeks.
Both of these types of men get their fair share of advantages over women.
Advantages Alpha Men Get With Women
Alpha males are known for their dominance, high status, physical strength, and power. These are the advantages that make an Alpha an Alpha.
Above these two, the more foundational one is high status and power, which you see in both of these as they are the topmost or near the top tier of the social dominance hierarchy.
But these are the very benefits that a Sigma doesn’t possess easily. They have to struggle for it, whereas, with Alpha, they are more natural and effortless.
Women certainly love men with power and high status. So Alpha does get their fair share of advantage, and even more with women.
Since Alpha males exist at the top tier of the social dominance hierarchy, they are naturally very good at attracting the women in the tribe with higher value goals.
Advantages of Sigma Men With Women
Sigma has its own set of advantages when it comes to attracting women or getting compatible with them.
To begin with, the most highlighted characterization of Sigmas is their solitary lives which seem all mystery and fluid to get hooked upon.
Women always get attracted to the mystery in men. So that’s something that works in favor of Sigma males.
However, Sigmas are also known for how troublesome it is to get them tied with one particular normal relationship.
With Sigma males, women have this level of unattainability for a secure and prolonged romantic relationship, and that’s what even sets them apart from the betas and even Alphas to great extent.
In the book Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intellegence, it is mentioned how love and mystery are interconnected to each other and so, the eroticism.
Intimacy may grow through reputation and familiarity, but it numbs the eroticism, so for that, it needs mystery, unexpected, like a novel or journey to the quest.
Well, that’s something Sigmas are naturally gifted. While other men try to build mystery in their personalities, Sigmas are great at it already.
Even Alphas try to work on it as they have to do more hard work on this in comparison to the Sigmas.
One of the other advantages Sigmas have over Alphas is they do not care about the social dominance hierarchy, making them kind of a ‘rebel.’
Such a rebellious approach gives the kind of a vibe that many women find quite sexy and attractive.
Confusing Sigma Male With An Omega Male
One of the most important things to remember while understanding or learning about the Sigma Male is to not confuse it with an Omega Male.
It happens when their rejection of society is mistaken as the response to being alienated or hurt.
It is in fact, a trait that is found to be in the Omega males. Sigma males are not someone who just rejects society because they are being hurt or rejected from society themselves.
Also, they are not someone who shun themselves from society because they feel sorry for themselves or feel disheartened and depressed.
Sigma does not give up on society due to frustration, unlike Omegas. They only reject society for one and only reason and that is they never cared for it in the first place.
Advantages of Sigma Male Lifestyle
Freedom
The primary benefit or advantage of living a Sigma male lifestyle is freedom. You are simply forsaking the societal boundaries, rules, and regulation that handicaps you from thinking freely.
You are basically releasing yourself from this burden where you constantly think about what the world would think about you.
It gives people their inner power to live carefree life unapologetically on their own terms. Freedom is the best advantage that Sigma Male gets from their lifestyle.
Attraction
It is undoubtedly true that the sigma male archetypes attract women for more than one reason.
It has to be one of the countable advantages of being a Sigma male. The ability of Sigma males to always walk away makes them a free-spirit and bold.
This is something that women get highly attracted to because it reflects the confidence of the person.
It also shows the person is capable of enjoying just their own company and being peaceful about it.
This is something completely opposite of those unattractive traits that women do not like such as neediness, desperation, and clinginess.
The mystery and novelty quotient of the Sigma males also attract women to a different level. It definitely has an intense level of pull that they get from their personality.
The nomadic Sigma male even goes perfectly with this and tends to get even more attention from women.
The mystery in the Sigma males sexually motivates women or men. This is just the opposite of too much familarity that kills the attraction.
Efficiency
When you’re a sigma male, you don’t have to be bound to the constructs of society, which feels like treatment.
Sigma males do not abide by the rules of the society for which they have to take unnecessary pressures.
Since they also don’t try to live upto the expectations of society or the people around them in it; they are free from everything.
When you don’t have people to please or do stuff for the sake of society, it is surprising how much time, money, and more of yourself you can save.
You can just live life on your terms, travel wherever you want, and just move at the pace of your own.
It also puts you at the place where you decide how and where to spend your resources. It allows you to have your own personal goals and plans.
Sigma males also don’t look for validation, others’ judgment, or even anyone’s point-of-view as well.
Since you don’t have anyone to impress, you live a genuine, authentic, and free life making you highly efficient in what you do.
Sigma Males Living Without A Tribe
This has been the primary drawback of being a Sigma male archetype. Not having a tribe can be problematic or simply leave too much on the table.
The benefits of having a tribe are too many to count. When you have companionship, friendship, or just people by your side, you are more powerful.
People take care of you when you are low or are in trouble. There is safety in number, for sure. Anytime there will be a problem where your friends or companions can come to the rescue.
Tribe back you up all the time, always and unconditionally be with you. When you walk away from the social dominance hierarchy, you definitely get some upsides.
But being alone has some great downsides too. This is the reason why some of the sigmas do not see their ‘lone wolf’ lifestyle for a long time.
Sigma men who pursue a ‘wanderer’ lifestyle apparently get back to tribal living when they start to get older.
They also start enjoying the benefits of having a family, a community, a home, and a network of people around them.
More To Explore:
- Sigma Male Vs Alpha Male: Difference Between
- 20+ Traits of a Sigma Male: The Independent Thinker
- Alpha Male Personality Type Explained
- Alpha Female Personality Type Explained
- Six Sigma: Definition, Principles, Methodology, Techniques
“Vision, strategy, and inspiration – these three words describe me the best. I am the founder of “TheLeaderboy” dedicated to leadership and personal development. As a self-taught practitioner, I have been studying the principles of effective leadership for the past decade and my passion lies in sharing my insights with others. My mission is to empower individuals to become better leader