The male hierarchy or the socio-sexual hierarchy is a way of categorizing heterosexual men in human society.
Like many other animals, there’s a dominance hierarchy of males in humans. Both men and women are sensitive to cues of social status.
Men’s value in society is primarily determined by their status, and vice versa- the value they offer to society determines their status. So men are sensitive to status to figure out their place in society.
Women are sensitive to status cues in men so that they can choose the best, high-value mates.
From alpha to omega
Think of the male hierarchy as a pyramid. At the top of this pyramid are the alpha males. The rare leaders that move society forward with their leadership and courage.
After alpha males, who comprise a tiny part of the male population, we have beta males. These are the loyal, right-hand men of alpha males. They enjoy the benefits of being in the company of an alpha while avoiding the risks, responsibilities, and competition that the alpha faces.
Next, we have delta males. These are the dutiful and hard-working men that run society. They’re the ‘worker bees’ of human society. They prefer living ordinary lives, unconcerned with status and power.
Gamma males occupy the next portion of the pyramid. These are the intellectuals who’re resentful of the alphas. They tend to be rebellious and believe they’re better equipped to take charge than the alphas. They want the status and power of the alphas without the responsibility.
Omega males occupy the bottom portion of the male hierarchy pyramid. These are the social rejects- the ‘losers’ no one wants to associate with. They lack ambition, drive, and responsibility.
Lastly, we have the rarest males- the sigma males. These males reject the hierarchy and ‘hunt’ alone like lone wolves. They truly don’t care what others think and follow their own path.
Taking the male hierarchy test
This test consists of 30 items on a 5-point scale ranging from Strongly agree to Strongly disagree. It scores you on each type of the male hierarchy. We all have a mix of different types.
After you’re done with the test, your dominant type will emerge, which will be the type you score the highest on. The test is confidential, and we don’t store the results in our database.
