Are You the Alpha Dog?

Every social and occupational niche has at its apex an alpha male. The guy that the other ninety-five percent of us look to for clues as to how we may be more successful in our endeavors. Because let's face it, most guys want to be the alpha male. Many beta males are just alpha males who lost the fight during rutting season. And at some point, after the realization sinks in that you are destined for a life of being one of the herd, you must convince yourself that you are content.

Many people who know me have suggested that I am an alpha male (I am not talking about the sexually successful aspect) because of my strong personality. I think they confuse being a type A with being an alpha male. This has always made me feel uncomfortable because I don't think of myself as an alpha male. But after a recent editorial I read by a top dog in the dental field I started to give the subject some serious thought: Who are the alpha males in any given social context and what do they have in common?

The opinion piece I referenced above had to do with the seemingly high burn out rate among dentists. The author is a highly successful dentist who happens to eat, breathe and sleep dentistry. I would venture to say it is his vocation and avocation. He was offering advice on what the other ninety percent of the dentists should do to achieve professional and personal satisfaction in their lives. The trouble is, he is not a psychologist. Nor did he reference any literature or studies to support his viewpoint on why there may be dissatisfaction in our profession. He was merely advising that we should just do what he does and we will be happy. "Be like me. If I can do it so can you". And that is what got me thinking. No, I cannot be like you. Nor do I want to be like you (maybe because I can't be like you). This particular person would have been at the top of his field no matter what he had chosen to do. Alpha males first and foremost are doers not thinkers.

This is the quality that allows them to be so successful and rise to the top. Alpha males are not self reflective. They harbor no doubts about their actions. That is a gift one is either born with or has had nurtured in them from birth. Of course this is a quality shared by highly unsuccessful people as well. But my point is all the other personality attributes we assign to alpha men are built upon this foundation. One cannot be charismatic if he is even a bit unsure about his message. Abashedness is never mentioned as a turn on by members of the opposite sex. Physical dominance is never attained by holding back due to some unperceived ethical dilemma. And macho men are certainly never navel gazers.

There is a difference between alpha males and type A personalities. Type A's can exhibit a lot of self doubt. And it may also be very likely that they over think a lot of things. In fact, as I write this I am coming to the conclusion that an alpha male does not even necessarily have to be type A. Here are the personality characteristics of type A's copied from Wikipedia (also seen on other sites);
Symptoms of Type A Behavior

1. Time urgency and impatience, which causes irritation and exasperation.
2. Free floating hostility, which can be triggered by even minor incidents.
3. Competitiveness; this makes them oriented towards achievement which causes them to become stressed due to wanting to be the best at whatever it may be i.e. sports or in work.

I am most assuredly type A. Now if only I had bigger antlers.