What is a sigma male? (Sigma male definition)
A sigma male is a man within the socio sexual hierarchy who chooses to live his life outside of the normal social dominance hierarchy structures of society. Sigma males share many traits in common with the alpha archetype, though their tendency to walk outside of the lines of traditional social dominance hierarchies sets them apart and makes them different.
The archetypal sigma male is defined above all else by his tendency to forsake the traditional social dominance hierarchies of modern society.
These men walk a more solitary path. They’re sometimes called ‘lone wolves’ or ‘wanderers.’
The socio sexual hierarchy, originally attributed to Vox Day, is a system for describing how men and boys relate to one another and organize themselves into different archetypes.
These archetypes categorize men based on who they are, how they behave, what their inclinations are likely to be, and how they’re perceived by women in the sexual marketplace.
But today, we’re going to go beyond the sigma male meaning and answer the pressing question that likely landed you here:
Are you a sigma male?
Let’s break it down and explain it.
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Where Does the Sigma Male Fit on the Socio Sexual Hierarchy?
The exact role of the ‘Sigma Male’ archetype in modern socio sexual hierarchy is somewhat hotly debated. But for all intents and purposes, it describes a man who goes his own way—living as a lone wolf.
I’ve found that the term is often used in conjunction with MGTOW philosophy (men going their own way). Men who believe in the MGTOW movement tend to identify strongly with the sigma archetype.
They see the idea of walking away from social dominance hierarchies and becoming a lone wolf as synonymous with the MGTOW mandate of walking away from both women and a society which has been quote “destroyed by feminism” end quote (I didn’t say it—that’s just one perspective).
But despite the obvious ideological link between the sigma male archetype and MGTOW, that’s not the only filter through which to view the true identity of the sigma male.
To get a truly accurate view of exactly how a sigma fits into the modern socio sexual hierarchy, we need to pull the lens back and take a larger look at how the different male archetypes fit together.
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What Motivates the Sigma Male?
If the alpha male is the king, and if he’s served by a court filled with beta males, then the sigma male is the traveling bard, storyteller, or wanderer who visits the king.
He may dine with the king. He may even hold the king’s favor. His exploits or successes, while not necessarily well known, may earn him respect and admiration.
He doesn’t take a wife. Instead, he sleeps with his pick of the most beautiful women from the king’s court and then leaves as quickly as he arrived to continue his journey.
For the sigma, the journey itself is the true goal. This is what he lives for.
Unlike the betas, he doesn’t lust for the king’s power or favor. In fact, he probably truly doesn’t care if the king likes or dislikes him—because those things are meaningless to him as a sigma.
He also frees himself from the trappings and challenges of trying to compete with the betas.
Why?
Because, once again, he just doesn’t care enough about the social dominance hierarchy to bother with trying to secure himself a place within it.
Sigma Male vs Alpha Male
Unlike the alpha king, the sigma has no reason to maintain a certain public appearance. He has no incentive to please the masses or to appease anyone else’s opinion.
Also unlike the alpha king, he has little interest in competing within the social dominance hierarchy to rise to the top of the social order.
The sigma male willingly forfeits the benefits of the alpha position.
He does this because he sees the benefits of the sigma archetype as superior when you filter them for cost and value.
Unlike the alpha archetype, the sigma doesn’t have to play political games or run every thought process through a tribe mentality filter to produce the results he wants in life.
He’s as self-sufficient as men can get. Alphas are also self-sufficient—though part of their self-sufficiency comes from their investments into the social dominance hierarchies that they choose to be a part of.
Sigmas Aren’t Invested in Tribal Connections
Alpha males typically spend more resources building tribes and climbing through the hierarchies.
As a result, they reap the rewards of strong tribal connections, tribal resources, and higher social status.
The returns on these tribal investments are doubtlessly valuable. But the alpha also takes on a great deal of responsibility, stress, and effort in exchange for these benefits.
This is even documented among Chimpanzee tribes.
Frans De Waal, the author of an incredible book called Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes, sheds light on the true nature of the natural chimpanzee alpha male archetype in this fascinating Ted Talk:
This talk may be about chimpanzees, but human alphas aren’t so different.
The sigma male shuns the social responsibilities of the alpha (at least in theory).
He sees the resource investments into the tribe as high-risk, low reward. The sigma also sees the delicate framework of the social dominance hierarchy as a fragile house of cards.
He chooses to walk away from it because he sees it as smarter and more self-sufficient than hedging his bets on what other unreliable humans may choose to do.
This is perhaps an oversimplification—but it serves to lay the groundwork for the basis of the sigma male archetype, and how it typically fits in with alpha and beta archetypes.
Personality Differences Between the Alpha and the Sigma
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that sigma males and alpha males also tend to have very different temperaments and personality types.
And these personality types definitely play into which archetype a man will gravitate toward.
For example—I’m an alpha male. But I intentionally choose this path because several of my strongest personality traits give me huge strengths in the alpha archetype arena.
For example:
- I’m highly extroverted
- I have a natural talent for reading people
- People energize me
- I have strong natural leadership skills
- I have high emotional intelligence
- I’m highly empathetic
If I were to walk away from the dominance hierarchy and go my own way as a sigma male, I would fail to maximize the returns on my most significant personality strengths.
Plus, since people energize me, I would probably be exhausted by the solitary life of the wandering sigma.
Sure, these personality traits could all help me as a sigma male. But in the end, after taking my personal strengths into account, it’s a far more valuable use of my natural talents and abilities to pursue the path of the alpha.
As an alpha male who exists at the top of several dominance hierarchies in my life, I would be forfeiting my biggest personality-type advantages by choosing to walk the path of the sigma male.
It’s important to understand that the sigma mentality, much like the alpha mentality, is a mentality that fits certain types of men very well.
If a man embodies some or all of the natural sigma traits as his dominant personality traits, then he would stand to gain the most from choosing to live his life according to the sigma male archetype.
Which do Women Prefer?
This is one of the first questions I usually hear when I talk about alpha and sigma archetypes.
The truth is that both types of men can do extremely well with the ladies—albeit for different reasons.
Alpha Male Advantages With Women
Alpha males have high status and power. These are benefits that sigma males are automatically going to struggle with because both of these benefits are closely tied to existing at or near the top of the social dominance hierarchy.
It’s no secret that women love men with high status and power.
The reasons for this are fairly obvious. But I believe that David M. Buss described it best in the following quote from his book The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating:
Evolution has favored women who prefer men who possess attributes that confer benefits and who dislike men who possess attributes that impose costs.
High status and power confer numerous benefits. And so, an alpha male who exists at the top of the social order is automatically at an advantage when it comes to attracting the attention of the highest value women in the tribe.
Sigma Male Advantages With Women
Sigmas bring a few of their own advantages to the table.
Foremost, sigmas are characterized by the mystery and fluidity of their solitary lives. But they’re also characterized by how they’re impossible to ‘tie down’ into a normal relationship.
The unattainability of a prolonged and secure romantic relationship with a sigma male sets them apart from betas, and even from alphas to a certain extent.
And both of these attributes drive women crazy (in a good way).
In fact, Esther Perel describes the relationship between mystery and desire quite poetically in her book Mating In Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence.
Love enjoys knowing everything about you; desire needs mystery. Love likes to shrink the distance that exists between me and you, while desire is energized by it. If intimacy grows through repetition and familiarity, eroticism is numbed by repetition. It thrives on the mysterious, the novel, and the unexpected.
When coaching men, I often talk about the importance of cultivating mystery when building connections and sexually escalating with women.
Some men really struggle with building mystery. It requires a certain level of quiet confidence that few men possess.
Alphas need to work a bit harder at this than sigma males do. Sigma males tend to cultivate it more naturally due to their off-the-beaten-path approach to life.
Another powerful advantage that sigma males have in the dating marketplace is that they don’t care about social hierarchy.
This gives them a ‘rebel’ type of vibe that many women find incredibly sexy.
One look at the character Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford in the Star Wars movies, will tell you exactly what I mean!
7 Traits of a Sigma Male
To fully understand the sigma male archetype, you need to closely examine the most predominant sigma male traits.
My favorite YouTube video on this topic comes from Anthonyspade:
I feel like he does a pretty good job of describing some of the more predominant sigma traits.
With that being said, these 7 traits describe the most distinguishing personality features of men who fit into the sigma male archetype.
Let’s jump in and talk about them.
1. Non-Conformity
Above all else, the true sigma male is a nonconformist. He marches to the beat of his own drum.
If the crowds are following the path to the right, the sigma will tend to strike out on his own and go left.
There are many reasons why this is the case. Firstly, it’s because Sigma males value different things than other men.
Almost every other archetype is going to place a priority on how a certain action or trend will affect their societal status.
But sigmas are an outlier on this front. They systematically rule out societal pressures and expectations as useless.
Their decisions are based purely on the intrinsic value of what they’re pursuing, rather than the extrinsic value placed upon something by society or the masses.
2. Self-Sufficiency and Independence
The sigma male is perhaps the most self-sufficient of all the male archetypes.
It’s not uncommon for sigma males to wander or travel. They may not even own a house or an apartment. They may be just as comfortable with nothing but a backpack of essentials as they would be with a home of their own.
The reason for this is that sigmas are strong natural survivors.
Since sigmas are almost always ‘lone wolves,’ they quickly adapt to taking care of themselves.
They feed themselves. They earn their own money. They pay their own bills. They provide themselves with their own company, nurturing, companionship, and value in life.
If they want something, they go out and get it. If they need something, they find a way to acquire it on their own.
They call no other man ‘master,’ and they submit to no one.
3. They Don’t Need the Social Hierarchy to Thrive
To me, this is one of the most fascinating traits of the sigma.
Sigma males are definitely loners. But that doesn’t mean that they never spend time with other people.
They may work standard jobs. They may even spend time with friends, family, and/or dating partners.
All of these situations require a certain level of assimilation into their respective social dominance hierarchies—and the sigma male rises to the challenge in a truly effective fashion.
But make no mistake. He’s also capable of escaping reliance upon these hierarchies.
In other words—he may go to work and do his work dutifully.
But he’s never dependent upon his boss, his co-workers, or the income to maintain his life or happiness.
If he grows tired of that specific workplace, walking away is easy for him.
Even if he’s well-liked and well-respected by the other members of those hierarchies, he naturally avoids entangling himself in such a way that walking away would be problematic for him.
This is the nature of the sigma male. He’s always ready, willing, and able to walk away and strike out on his own.
4. Adaptability
Sigma males are highly adaptable by nature.
In fact, sometimes their adaptability is so natural and convincing that they may give off the appearance of true assimilation into the hierarchy.
For example—a sigma male who starts attending Catholic Church services may start to wear a crucifix, carry a rosary, and observe Catholic rites.
He may even attend events as regularly as any other member of the Church.
But don’t mistake this temporary social participation for permanent assimilation into the hierarchy. This is what makes the sigma different from the alpha.
The alpha male will be constantly aware of how his actions within the Church will affect his position at the top of the hierarchy, because his position within the hierarchy is valuable to him.
A sigma, on the other hand, rejects all notions of climbing the hierarchy. If he assimilates to any degree, it’s probably because he finds some measure of personal value in it—or because he wishes to share in the experience for his own enjoyment, fulfillment, or benefit.
You can also be sure that he’s fully capable of walking away from it without a second thought. And at some point, he probably will.
5. Self-Priority
The sigma male puts his own dreams and happiness over everyone and everything else.
This may sound similar to the ideology of the alpha—and to a point, it’s very similar. But there’s one profound difference.
Alpha males will always prioritize highly valued members of their tribe over themselves.
For the alpha, tribal investments often take precedence over his own wants, needs, and desires. This is part of the sacrifice of being the alpha.
But sigma males reject the notion that tribal investments will lead to worthwhile benefits.
They’re also unconcerned with appearances, or how they’re perceived by others.
They don’t want anything to do with the tribe unless the tribe serves a rational, practical purpose for them in the short term.
You’re much more likely to find the sigma male alone in his apartment, working on his business or his goals.
He prioritizes these goals over everything else in life.
Even when he dates, he doesn’t date to take care of a woman or to enter into a ‘typical’ relationship.
He’s a free spirit. He dates for enjoyment, novelty, and new experiences—and because he’s a sexual being with sexual desires.
He’s perfectly willing to walk away from the relationship if it ever ceases to be worth the investment to him.
This is how the sigma male prioritizes himself at all times.
6. They Love to Be Alone Because Companionship Slows Them Down
Sigma males often see companionship as a hindrance to what they truly want in life.
Since they care very little about how others perceive them, human relationships are often tedious and meaningless to them.
For the sigma, it’s glaringly obvious that companionship also comes with baggage.
It also tends to offer very little to no value to counterbalance this baggage.
Sure, sigmas may develop a few close, intimate friendships that truly enrich their lives. But aside from this, most humans aren’t going to be worth their time or effort.
Besides, traveling with companions is more expensive, requires more effort, and is less efficient.
Couple this with the fact that sigmas are naturally fast-moving when motivated, and you’ll quickly realize that most humans can’t keep up with them anyway.
I have one friend who is a sigma male. He’s very careful about how he spends his socialization time.
I message him about every two weeks to see if he wants to hang out. Last time I messaged him, this is how he responded:
“Hey Josh what’s up. Thank you for the invite, but I’m not ready to meet up just yet.”
He takes control of his social energy and uses it exactly as he wants to use it.
I respect it, and we have a very fruitful and rewarding friendship as a result.
7. They Don’t Need Attention and Strive to Be Invisible
This is perhaps the most often misunderstood sigma male trait.
Sigma males actually strive to be invisible.
At work, they neither need nor desire recognition for their effort or performance.
They would much rather just be left alone to fulfill their duties in peace.
They don’t strive to be in the limelight. They don’t want people to look at them and think highly or poorly of them.
They don’t need their good deeds to be known or published. They don’t want a public image, and they don’t care if anyone recognizes them or not.
Why?
Because sigmas aren’t driven by outside validation or praise.
They’re loners. The trappings of society and the praise of fellow humans hold little to no value for them.
They live the majority of their lives in their own mind.
They don’t travel to other countries to brag about it to their friends. They’re just as likely to travel, return, and never mention it to anyone else.
They don’t publish blog posts because they hope to become famous.
If they publish a blog post, it’s because they wanted to publish it for their own creative expression and enjoyment.
Perhaps Most Importantly: Don’t Mistake the Sigma’s Rejection of Society as a Response to Being Hurt or Alienated
That is actually an omega trait and isn’t to be confused with sigma behavior.
Sigmas don’t reject society because they were hurt and are now shunning themselves or feeling sorry for themselves.
Unlike omegas, sigmas have not given up on society out of frustration.
They reject society for one reason and one reason alone:
They never cared about it in the first place.
Sigma Male Test : Are You Sigma?
Figuring out if you’re a true sigma male is a bit more difficult than it sounds.
This is because many of us are so plugged into our social hierarchies that the idea of existing outside of them is almost impossible to grasp.
But there are a few questions you can ask yourself that will help you to determine if you’re a true sigma male (or one in the making).
1. Are You Constantly Frustrated By Society’s ‘Obsession’ With the Alpha Male?
There are many similarities between the alpha and the sigma. But to a sigma, the idea of becoming an alpha would be about as appealing as taking a lemon pie to the face.
If the idea of going your own way sounds more appealing to you than tribe-building and climbing the hierarchy—then it’s highly likely that you’re a sigma.
2. Are You Constantly Tempted to Go ‘Against the Grain?’
Do you often feel the need to go against the grain, just for the sake of going against the grain?
Does it irritate you to see people blindly following popular trends?
If your answer to these questions is a ‘yes,’ then it’s highly likely that you were born of authentic sigma-brand stock!
3. Do You Legitimately Enjoy Being Alone?
If you’re obsessively social, highly extroverted, and find yourself energized by large groups of people—then you’re probably not a sigma.
These are alpha or beta traits.
On the flip side—if you find yourself energized by solitude, and enjoy going off by yourself to do your own things, then you’re likely a true sigma male.
This isn’t to say that sigma males are always introverted. The difference is more nuanced than that.
Does socialization exhaust you? Does spending time around other people ‘drain your battery?’
Would you prefer to read a good book, think deeply about your own thoughts, or work alone on your own projects?
These are common sigma male traits—and they can manifest in extroverts, introverts, or even in ambiverts.
Benefits of a Sigma Male Lifestyle
There are many benefits to walking the path of the sigma. Here are the 3 most compelling advantages of choosing to journey through life as a lone wolf.
Freedom
The main benefit of living the sigma male lifestyle is freedom.
Releasing yourself from the burden of caring about what other people think of you gives you the inner power to live life unapologetically on your terms.
This encapsulates many of the benefits of being a sigma—and is perhaps the number-one thing that true sigma men care about most.
Attraction
Women are drawn to the sigma male archetype for many reasons.
First off, sigma males are always willing to walk away.
This is a highly attractive trait to women because it shows that the man is confident and likes himself enough to be content with his own company.
This is a serious high-value marker and exists at the opposite end of the spectrum from unattractive traits like clinginess, neediness, and desperation.
Women are also intensely attracted to novelty and mystery—and the nomadic sigma male fits this stereotype perfectly.
In fact, in the first chapter of their highly acclaimed book Why Women Have Sex, Cindy M. Meston and David M. Buss say this:
Indeed, a certain amount of “mystery” can be sexually motivating for women, or for men for that matter. Not only can mystery stoke attraction; too much familiarity can squash it. As one woman said in her sexual memoir, “proximity can kill sex faster than fainting.”
Efficiency
As a sigma male, you’re not bound to the usual ‘trappings’ of society, expectations, or normal societal pressures.
Therefore, instead of wasting a bunch of time and money ‘keeping up with the Joneses,’ you can live life on your own terms, go where you want, move at your own pace, and spend your resources to further your own personal goals and plans.
Sigma males aren’t dependent upon anyone else’s viewpoint or judgment. Therefore, the need to impress other people goes right out the window—allowing them to be 100% genuine and authentic.
Drawbacks of Being a Sigma Male
Unfortunately, as with every other archetype, sigma males do face some challenges.
They Don’t Have A Tribe
This is probably the number-one downside to being a sigma. And while it’s possible to mitigate this one with some forethought and planning, it’s still important to note.
There are many benefits to being part of a tribe. Friendship, companionship, safety in numbers, having people to help you and take care of you when you’re sick, etc.
Walking away from the social dominance hierarchy certainly comes with some upsides. But the biggest downside is exactly the same as the biggest upside:
You’re alone.
For this reason, some sigmas don’t see the lone wolf sigma male lifestyle as a lifelong pursuit.
These men pursue the ‘wanderer’s life’ as younger men, and then transition back into tribal living as they start to get older.
There are a lot of benefits to having a family, a community, a home base, and a support network. And while the dangers of being a lone-wolf are mostly minimized in our modern culture, they’re still present—and they’re still a factor.
Some Sigmas End Up Creating Their Own Dominance Hierarchies, And Become Their Own Version Of An ‘Alpha’
A perfect example of this is the man who works alone in his office or bedroom to build his business.
But once he has amassed his wealth, he may build a larger company and hire employees to help him.
He builds a team and a tribe—and in so doing, creates his own dominance hierarchy.
He’s still free to live the life he wishes—but he also inherits many of the benefits of being an alpha at the same time.
The Journey Can Be Challenging
Learning to grow into yourself as a sigma male can be a difficult experience for some.
In fact, Steve Jabba, who has probably blogged more about the sigma male mentality than anyone else online, talks about this at length in this blog post.
Sigma males may struggle in their early years. Not understanding why they’re different, and plugged into a society that isn’t necessarily ‘kind’ to those who prefer to go their own way, many sigma males grow up feeling depressed, bullied, discarded, and alone.
Of course, this begs the question—which came first? The bad experiences, or the sigma mentality?
Did a rough childhood condition you to prefer to go your own way as an adult?
Is it possible that bullying and/or negative interpersonal experiences early on in life play a key role in the sigma male’s decision to walk away from the hierarchy later on?
Personally, I think there may be something to this. But I also think that it’s a blend of nature and nurture—and that there’s a certain part of it that you’re born with.
Studies show that victims of bullying tend to carry ‘wounds’ from their experiences into adulthood. People who were bullied in school, for example, tend to have worse mental and physical health as adults than bullies or kids who were never bullied.
Children who were chronically bullied in their formative years tend to struggle the most as adults. These individuals tend to not only be poorer as adults but also less educated and—perhaps most noticeably—more isolated.
This isn’t to say that your sigma male tendencies are being caused by some hidden childhood wound.
But—everything that happens to us holds significance as we grow into adult men and pursue our own destinies.
Famous Sigma Males
Once again, I reference Steve Jabba. He created a pretty awesome YouTube video showing some of the most well-known sigma males from pop culture films. It’s an interesting list.
Here are a couple more who I think deserve a mention.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves is arguably the most famous real-life example of a sigma male. Interestingly enough, he’s also the spitting image of a sigma male in some of his acting roles, like the John Wick series for example.
He’s often shown in interviews acting quiet, humble, and kind. But there’s an intriguing, alluring confidence behind him that screams “I’m the man.”
Keanu is also famous for staying hushed about his personal life. He’s the kind of guy who’s content with himself and doesn’t feel the need to brag about his success to others. If you’ve seen his interviews, you’ll know what I mean.
To add, Keanu has embraced the sigma lifestyle so effectively that fans were actually worried about him being lonely at one point in his career.
The Doctor – Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British sci-fi television show that follows the adventures of a character called “The Doctor.”
I believe that this character ticks all of the major sigma male boxes.
He isn’t really tied into any particular social order or hierarchy. He sometimes takes on companions, but also has a habit of walking away from them and moving on when the time comes to do so.
Since he’s a Timelord who regenerates every time he dies, he definitely knows what it means to walk through life alone. He always outlasts the people closest to him.
He’s mysterious, obsessed with his own personal mission, and certainly prioritizes his life’s work over everything else.
Harbard – Vikings
I love the show Vikings—the History Channel’s historical television series created by Michael Hirst.
And there’s one character who strikes me as being one of the best examples of a sigma male I’ve ever seen on-screen.
His name is Harbard.
Played by Kevin Durand, Harbard is a wanderer who visits the city of Kattegat while the main protagonist, Ragnar Lothbrok, is away at war.
He’s mysterious, charismatic, and talks about how he loves the freedom of wandering.
He even tells far-fetched, yet riveting tales of meeting gods, witnessing magic, and many other things.
He tells fascinating stories and seduces many of the women of the village. His charm and charisma are obviously formidable—despite the fact that he holds no official place in the hierarchy.
He even beds the king’s wife, as she finds him simply too fascinating and tempting to resist!
Sigma Male Zodiac Signs
Technically, there isn’t any true sigma male zodiac sign. But there are at least a few of these signs that represent the sigma personality quite well.
Let’s break these signs down and note the key traits that align them with the sigma mindset.
Scorpio
Scorpios are naturally determined, focused, and mysterious people. They’re passionate, deep thinkers who fearlessly tackle life’s problems head-on.
And just like sigma males, they’re inherently equipped to lead and they make great close friends. Scorpios often seek truth and knowledge; they aren’t afraid to perform fierce research on a topic of interest. To add, their weaknesses are similar to a sigma because they’re distrusting and manipulative at times.
Capricorn
Capricorns are confident loners who harbor an intense sense of independence. Like sigma males, this desire for freedom allows for dramatic growth in their personal and professional lives.
Capricorns are also masters of self-control and they’re well equipped to lead and make plans. Their weaknesses are interestingly similar to sigma males in that they’re unforgiving towards people who’ve hurt them. But Capricorns always strive to learn from their mistakes in order to grow.
Leo
Leos are born leaders and they’re known for their passionate, warm-hearted, and confident personalities. They’re like sigma males because of their leadership traits and their insatiable drive to achieve their goals. Leos are naturally alluring people who, when they put their minds to it, can accomplish any task.
Occasionally, like sigmas, Leos become self-centered and stubborn because of their strong self-confidence and their inflexible attitude.
Sagittarius
Sagittarius signs don’t hold back with their brutally honest approach to life. Like sigmas, they love freedom, travel, and philosophical viewpoints that encourage deep thought.
Interestingly, Sagittarius signs, like sigmas, aren’t fond of clingy people and hate the thought of living a life full of constraints. They’re particularly good at turning thoughts and ideas into reality. Additionally, their idealistic nature brings them closer to the sigma mindset than people often realize.
Top 10 Sigma Male Quotes
Many men consider themselves loners without knowing anything about the sigma lifestyle.
So if you consider yourself someone who loves to be alone, check out some of these great quotes from famous lone wolves who’ve thrived in their own solitude:
1. Franz Kafka
Isolation is a way to know ourselves.e
2. Jean-Paul Sartre
If you’re lonely when you are alone, you’re in bad company.e
3. Wayne W. Dyer
You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with. e
4. Aristotle
Whosoever is delighted in their own solitude is either a wild beast or a god.e
5. Anthony Burgess
To be left alone is the most precious thing one can ask of the modern world. e
6. Aldous Huxley
The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude. e
7. William Manchester
But there are no loners. No man lives in a void. His every act is conditioned by his time and his society. e
8. Albert Einstein
Be a loner. That gives you time to wonder, to search for truth. Have holy curiosity. Make your life worth living. –
9. Arthur Schopenhauer
A man can be himself alone so long as he is alone. If he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom; for it is only when he is alone that he is really free. e
10. Nikola Tesla
The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone—that is the secret of invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born.
Is the Socio Sexual Hierarchy Real?
If you research Theodore Beal, also known as Vox Day (the creator of the socio sexual hierarchy), you’ll discover that his rabbit hole is deep, fleshed-out, and filled with rather controversial ideologies and material.
I personally don’t always agree with the material he puts out. But I do find value in this system as a means of observing behavior and coming to a better understanding of who we are in our lives as men.
According to the system, there are:
The classification of ‘sigma male’ was added later after Vox Day had already created the YouTube video (we embedded the video toward the beginning of this post) that gives his explanation of the archetypes. Vox Day himself is a self-described ‘sigma male.’
Understanding your male archetype can help you to understand and develop your strengths and qualities as a man.
I believe it’s worth mentioning that there’s some doubt about whether the socio sexual hierarchy itself is what you’d call a perfect, exhaustive, reliably objective system of categorization for males.
It’s also ‘fractal,’ meaning that it’s highly context-dependent (Vox Day himself even pointed this out).
So, someone who is an alpha at church may actually be a delta in the workplace, etc.
With all of that being said, there are numerous benefits to applying the socio sexual hierarchy theory to your own life.
I definitely see value in it as a subjective classification system that we can use as a tool to become more self-aware.
This can help us in our journey to become successful, effective, high-value men.
It can also help us to understand where and how we usually tend to fit in and give us an idea about the parts of our lives that could use improvement.
It can also serve as a sort of quick-resource guide to dealing with other men, as many of the concepts espoused by Vox Day are actually quite reliable—especially if you don’t try to overthink them or reduce your opinion of other men to only your perception of their obvious archetypes.
Conclusion
The sigma male is a fascinating archetype—though it’s also supposedly one of the rarest archetypes to come across.
At the end of the day, I suggest using the socio sexual hierarchy for self-reflection and learning. If we take it too seriously, we can pigeon-hole one-another (or even worse, ourselves) into roles that may not be accurate.
Remember—the goal is to level up as men, to become the best version of ourselves that we can possibly be.
And if it helps you to identify yourself as a sigma—then it’s all for gain.
I resonate with the path of the alpha male, and this brings me a great deal of clarity and understanding about myself.
If you can find resonance and clarity on the path of the sigma male, then I see it as being a truly worthwhile use of your time.
What are your thoughts about the sigma male journey? Follow us on Instagram and let us know via direct message.
FAQs
What is a sigma male personality?
A sigma male personality is the type of personality that doesn’t need anything from anybody else. Sigma males are self-sufficient lone wolves who walk their own path in life.
They don’t follow the crowd. They’re confident in themselves, know what they want, and they don’t care what other people think of them because they intentionally ‘unplug’ from traditional social dominance hierarchies.
What are key sigma male characteristics?
You can tell a sigma male by his fondness for going his own way, and by his lack of need for companionship.
Sigma males are loners. They reject traditional social dominance hierarchies and focus almost completely on doing their own thing, on their own terms, on their own timeline.
They’re men who have walked away from mainstream society to forge their own individual destinies.
They love to be alone with their thoughts, solve problems, and work on their own passion projects.
They tend to be deep thinkers who value a deep and profound understanding of life and the world.
Are sigma males attractive?
Sigma males are often highly attractive, intelligent, and popular with women. For all intents and purposes, they’re considered to be on par with the attraction levels of alpha males.
They tend to be mysterious, adventurous, and charming.
Should INTJs consider themselves a sigma male?
INTJs are prime candidates for the path of the sigma male—but that also doesn’t mean that all INTJs are going to feel drawn to this particular archetype.
INTJs tend to be highly analytical, logical, and creative.
But they also have a strong tendency to want to work alone. Pair this with their tendency to be ‘callous’ or ‘insensitive,’ and you have the classic makings of a sigma male.
This makes them the most likely out of all the 16 different Myers-Briggs personality types to identify with the sigma archetype.
What are the best sigma male careers?
Sigma males tend to thrive in career paths that allow them total freedom and control over their lives. They’ll assume a role where they take orders but the end goal is always freedom and independence from the hierarchy.
Because of these traits, sigma males are versatile and won’t have any trouble fitting into a normal worker role or a higher-up managing position.
But ultimately, the world of freelancing and entrepreneurship is where a sigma male truly shines and finds his calling.
Consider these career paths if you align with the sigma lifestyle:
– Business Owner
– Graphic Designer
– Web Developer
– Computer Programming
– Engineering
– Copywriting
– Marketing
– Writer
– Artist
– Musician
– Photographer
– Scientist
