Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink. Today, we will learn about the dominance hierarchy.
Now, let’s begin The term “dominance hierarchy”
has many definitions. In some contexts, a dominance hierarchy is used to categorize
aggressive and submissive personalities. In others, it’s a professional pecking order,
differentiating high-achievers from slackers and underperformers. But what is a dominance
hierarchy, really? And how does it affect your career, your social interactions,
and your relationships with your peers? A dominance hierarchy is a social ranking
system within any group of social animals. In this social hierarchy, higher-ranking individuals,
usually called alphas, exert some power or influence over lower-ranking individuals,
traditionally called betas. For example, groups of mountain gorillas are led by a single alpha male,
typically the largest and strongest member of the group. Because of his size and power, the alpha
has more access to resources, like food and water, and higher rates of reproductive success. But he
also acts as a leader for his social group. He takes responsibility for protecting weaker members
as well as the group’s resources and territory. Though the largest males typically occupy alpha
roles, there are many examples in the animal kingdom of groups led by dominant females.
Pods of orcas, or killer whales, are usually matriarchal, which means they are led by an
alpha female. Other matriarchal species include ring-tailed lemurs, mole rats, and honeybees.
Whether male or female, alphas stand at the top of most dominance hierarchies. They are traditionally
strong, aggressive, and protective of their social groups. As the highest-ranking member,
an alpha’s job is to keep their social group alive and thriving. If they fail, their rank
may be challenged by another alpha or, in rare cases, a lower-ranking member of their own family.
Below alphas, one or more betas populate the lower end of most social ladders.
Betas have less access to resources or potential mates, but they also bear less responsibility.
Betas are not expected to protect their social groups or territory.
As a result, they lead less stressful and demanding lives than most alphas. In other words,
betas are typically followers, not leaders. They are generally submissive to their respective
alphas, though in some cases, betas try to compete with alphas for positions of power.
There are many examples of lower-ranking animals engaging in disputes with their pack leaders.
Some compete for territory or resources, while others want the attention of potential mates.
In either case, members of many species jostle for higher-ranking positions in
their dominance hierarchy, which ultimately governs their lifestyle and social expectations.
For many years, scholars have drawn comparisons between animal dominance hierarchies and
more complicated human systems. Many of our social systems are fundamentally competitive,
often pitting individuals of the same gender against each other.
For example, in the workplace, many companies create a pack-like system in which employees
are ranked according to their achievements or potential. Workers who show promise and ambition
are promoted to higher positions, while those who are lazy or complacent fall lower on the
social ladder. Naturally, it’s advantageous for higher-ranking individuals to remain in positions
of power, where they have greater access to beneficial resources. In the same way,
lower-ranking individuals want to climb the social ladder and improve their quality of life.
The workplace is just one aspect of human society seemingly governed by dominance hierarchies.
Similar pecking orders exist within families, friend groups, and larger communities.
Like most animals, humans are constantly competing for space, resources, and potential partners.
Naturally, we have begun to wonder why some people succeed while others do not.
One answer to this question uses a dominance hierarchy to distinguish between successful
and unsuccessful personality traits. Some personalities, like alphas,
are bound to achieve greater status at a higher rank, while other personalities, like betas,
will tumble to the bottom of the social ladder. Perhaps the most popular example of a dominant
personality type is the alpha male, a term that has become synonymous with social success.
Alpha males are regarded as high-achieving, confident, and attractive. In the workplace, they
are leaders and go-getters who aren’t afraid to take risks and assert their dominance over others.
In social settings, alpha males attract the most attention. They have big personalities,
and they take what they want, yielding greater access to resources and potential partners.
On the other hand, beta males are considered quiet and submissive. They put their heads down
and disappear into the background, failing to make the same strong impressions as their counterparts.
In some cases, betas seek to dethrone alpha personalities, leading to conflict between
these two popular archetypes. In addition to alphas and beta,
the male dominance hierarchy includes several other personality types. Sigma males are
independent and rebellious, even though they rank as highly as alpha males in most social groups.
Gamma males, who rank below beta males, are notoriously introverted, sensitive, and amicable.
At the bottom of the male dominance hierarchy are omega males,
who care little about social expectations and struggle to gain attention from others.
These archetypes are valuable tools that facilitate discussions of confidence, attraction,
and success. But it’s not always helpful to compare human socio-cultural structures to
the evolutionary behaviors of less-sophisticated species. After all, the roles and expectations of
an average human are far more complicated and diverse than those of a gorilla or a honeybee.
This brings us to the central problem with dominance hierarchies related to human personality
types. The traits associated with alpha or beta personalities include only a handful of
qualities that do not paint a complete picture of social dominance in all relevant contexts.
Imagine a boisterous alpha male commits an act of violence in defense of a friend or partner.
In the wild, this behavior is proof of an alpha male’s success and viability as a pack leader.
But humans have very different perspectives on violent conflict. We often reject, criticize,
or avoid individuals who lash out at others. A quality that is considered “alpha” among animal
social groups is considered “beta” by most humans. Even among humans, perspectives vary wildly. Some
people have immense respect for strong, outspoken individuals, while others see more value in
self-control and self-discipline. In other words, dominance is frequently subjective. It rarely
makes sense to categorize anyone as a strictly dominant or non-dominant personality type.
Furthermore, these stereotypes over-simplify human personalities.
Instead of acknowledging the complexities of each and every individual, they boil our personalities
down to a shortlist of dominant or non-dominant traits. Either you’re a high-ranking alpha male,
and everything comes with it, or a low-ranking beta. In no way is this an accurate reflection
of our highly flexible and nuanced personalities. Just like definitions of dominance takes numerous
shapes, our personalities cannot be summed up by a single category or archetype.
That doesn’t mean that dominance hierarchies are useless or unhelpful. While it’s easy to dismiss
information about alphas and betas as harmful pseudoscience, understanding these ranking
systems creates a framework to identify valuable trends in our behavior and social structures.
For example, beta males are commonly associated with passive traits,
which prevent them from climbing higher on the social ladder. It may not be practical
to categorize an entire person as a beta male, but it is helpful to recognize common differences
between dominant leaders and their followers. For example, natural leaders tend to be outspoken,
charismatic, and self-assured. They make an effort to get to know others,
and they display a kind of confidence that others find contagious. That doesn’t mean every leader
is an outspoken alpha personality, nor is every follower a submissive beta personality. Instead,
these categories highlight valuable, respected, or attractive personality traits in our society.
Over time, those personality traits change, and so do our archetypal categories. Consider how
conceptions of alpha males have changed in the last decade. Previously, dominant men were proud,
stoic, and unshakable. They exuded masculinity and rejected traditionally feminine qualities.
More recently, alpha males are emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and altruistic.
The addition of other personality archetypes, like sigma males, represents yet another shift
in popular definitions of dominance, especially among male personalities.
No one perfectly encapsulates a sigma male, nor should anyone limit themselves to exclusively
sigma qualities. However, the recent popularity of this archetype represents a widespread admiration
for independent and free-thinking individuals. While the alpha archetype represents one method
of social success, the sigma archetype encapsulates a different but equally
advantageous cluster of personality traits. The truth is that everyone can have alpha
characteristics. Everyone can have beta characteristics. From week to week,
you might find yourself hitting every single rung on the social ladder. But that doesn’t
make you an insecure beta or a high-and-mighty alpha. Instead, it makes you a normal person
with a diverse and complicated personality. No matter where you think you fall on the dominance
hierarchy, humans are not animals competing tooth-and-nail for food, partners, or territory.
Yet, dominance hierarchies are ingrained within our social and professional systems.
Some people succeed through confidence and aggression, while others stagnate,
perhaps because of fear, laziness, and insecurity. Acknowledging these trends
can be instructive and sometimes eye-opening. For example, by learning about beta personality
traits, you may recognize harmful or destructive patterns in your own life. You may gain a new
perspective on your career or relationships and why these critical experiences didn’t unfold the
way you imagined. On the other hand, learning about more dominant archetypes, like alphas and
sigmas, may help you understand why certain people succeed. You may discover that you have more power
or potential than you realized, and that discovery might inspire you to pursue your lifelong goals.
Remember that human dominance hierarchies are situational observations, not hard-and-fast
rules. We may create archetypes and ranking systems according to social patterns and trends,
but these general structures cannot define who you are or where you stand in your community.
While you might share some traits with alphas or betas, there’s more to you than
any stereotype could ever capture. Thank you for watching TopThink and
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