As descendants of apes, there remains a lingering ape in all of us that continues to provoke
many of our behavioral and social traits.
In particular, one of the most apparent characteristics that we continue to share with our ape relatives
is the desire for the social position of alpha male.
In the ape world, the alpha male is everything.
He gets his pick of mates, ownership of territory, and control over his group.
All of which are not far from the same desired interests of most men, and often women, in
the modern human world.
So what does it take to become an alpha?
In the ape world, there are several factors at play that determine who becomes the alpha.
They include things like size, loudness, and the ability to dominate others as unequals.
In the human world, becoming this sort of domineering alpha involves most of the same
factors.
We can intimidate other humans into submission through size, intensity, and force.
And if we live with these behaviors, we can become this same sort of alpha.
But how does the function of this position compare in human world?
How do the differences between humans and apes weigh in on the value of such a domineering
behavioral archetype?
The principal difference between human and ape is the depth of our consciousness.
It is still unclear as to what degree our consciousness extends beyond our ape relatives,
but the majority of researchers and philosophers can agree that we have a largely superior
ability to exhibit a consciousness that allows for self-awareness and critical reflection.
We have passed a threshold of mental complexity where we can now think about thinking.
We can consider our intentions and how our actions may affect others.
We can take it one step further and consider how others’ reactions to our actions will
make us feel and think about ourselves.
And we can employ reason, empathy, and morality to act accordingly.
As a result, even though we may still have an ape in us who hungers to be that of a domineering
alpha, our higher human consciousness caters to a different type of alpha.
For example, being an ape-like alpha and getting the pick of any woman may sound appealing,
but it does not really help with the pairing of the right man with the right woman.
In the ape world, the goal of the alpha is to have sex and reproduce with as many mates
as possible, not to form intimate relationships.
But in the human world, we want relationships.
We want to find partners who we can exchange love with and help balance out each other’s
lives.
And in the context of friendships, behaving as a dominating and forceful individual may
acquire you yes-men and followers but not necessarily any true friends, because rarely
does anyone want to continue in a long-term friendship comprised of dominance, fear, and
hierarchy.
In a true friendship, we want mutual trust, respect, and affinity.
Therefore, we must consider how our primal desire to be a domineering alpha affects our
life and appropriately regulate it.
Our ape self is constantly lingering within us and it is not simple or easy to overcome.
But by using our faculty for higher consciousness to understand our behaviors and their affects,
we can construct and execute a new refined concept of alpha.
A conscious alpha.
We did not evolve over millions of years to merely continue to perpetuate the behaviors
of our lesser ancestors.
Becoming a true human alpha involves being able to adapt to the terms of the current
human condition.
To infuse rationality, self-awareness, and empathy into our behavior.
More important than being big and loud and forceful, is being someone who can exhibit
compassion and reason.
Someone who is comfortable enough with themselves to not feel a need to always compete for a
sense of self worth.
Someone who is conscious enough to practice control over their mind and body.
We humans function better off of solidarity, compassion, and intellect, and so it is these
qualities that we must attend to if we wish to truly be a prevailing human.