You Are Not An Alpha
A lie, Mark Twain famously wrote, can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. This may explain why people are still talking in terms of "alpha male," derived from the social structure of the wolf pack, when we have known for years now that is not a thing.
![wolf-2106894_640.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://res.cloudinary.com/hpiynhbhq/image/upload/v1517164335/mfqeeilvzoubvnu8af9b.jpg)
Image credit: Wilda3 on Pixabay
In case you missed it, and didn't click the above link, the cases where a wolves ran in packs, with alphas and betas and all of that, came entirely from wolves observed in captivity. Wolves in the wild run in families. And while there is dominance in the pack, it's the dominance of the parent over the child, which ends when the child grows up and is sent off from the pack.
But I'm not here to talk about nature, as fun and cool as it is. Because this is Feminism Sunday, and I want to talk about people. Specifically, dudes who justify shitty behavior towards women by saying they are "alphas."
My man, you aren't an alpha. You're an asshole.
But let's go back to those studies for a second, and what they can tell us about dudes who behave this way. Wolves act in this unnatural way when imprisoned. The unnatural conditions of captivity create the wolven version LORD OF THE FLIES. A society ruled by force and cruelty.
Dudes who act this way are in a prison of their own. What is it? You guessed, it's patriarchy.
![timber-wolves-907680_640.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://res.cloudinary.com/hpiynhbhq/image/upload/v1517164431/kmhnhiuk0tghucx8dcux.jpg)
Image credit: Pixel-mixer on Pixabay
It's funny. The sort of person who relies on outdated animal sociology is often the first to mock and reject current human social sciences. But as pat and obvious as it is, patriarchy is precisely the prison you are in.
Here's a thing about feminism opponents tend to ignore: Feminism isn't there just for the women, because patriarchy doesn't only hurt women. This veneer of toughness, this lack of emotional expression that patriarchy tells you is the way to be as a man? It's is hurting you. It is making you mean. It's not actual toughness. There is no correlation between having a "tough guy attitude" and being tough in a crisis.
So if you choose to be an asshole, well, that's definitely a life choice you made. But please, don't try and justify it with fake, outdated science that was never about people and isn't even true about wolves.
Related posts:
Let's talk intersectionality
Ban Men
How to succeed with women (with Hamilton gifs)
Yeah. Let's stop giving wolves a bad name and start looking at the ways our society encourages us consider each other separate, as competition, instead of teaching the truth: we are all connected.
@didic, you got a LOL outta me on this line: "My man, you aren't an alpha. You're an asshole."
Ha! smh... Beyond the on-point humour, there's a lot of wisdom in this post. Steem on, my friend.
IKR? 👍
Any "excuse" derived from biology is extremely lacking, and usually is an is-ought fallacy, arguing why something is the way it is, rather than arguing why it isn't the way it's supposed to be.
Im in circles with this but i love it... :P
"My man, you aren't an alpha. You're an asshole."
great statement!! There is this legend about female wolf saves the entire nation. need to find the English version if you are interes to read it.
I'll fully own up to the fact that I wrote this post specifically for that line.
I am from Turkey that is very patriarch society.
It's funny that once upon a time a shaman society who adores female shamans. I keep reading about how man overpowering female. I am very lucky and fortunate that I am coming a family that female figures are more powerful than male. Our men are very respectful to our woman and never overshadow us. So your post is very interesting one for me particulary.
Im gonna make t-shirts with that line if its okay wif you lol
Send me one!
Please translate the legend and tag teamgirlpowa!!!
amazing posts
Ha—love it! Those dudes bother me, although I have encountered very few of them in the wild, thankfully. (Well, other than the wilds of Facebook, but I can at least block them from interacting with me there, if I so choose.)
Anyway, wolves rule, "alpha" dudes drool.
AWESOME STUFF!
TRUTH
Should be written in 10' High Letters!
👍👍👍