• gardylou@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    36
    ·
    10 months ago

    In nature the ‘alpha’ wolves are actually just the parents.

    The original study that this term came from was based on wolves in captivity and the original author has spent decades reputitating the common interpretation of wolves being hierarchical and following an alpha leader like the common interpretation imagines that term to mean.

    • rekabis@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      35
      ·
      edit-2
      10 months ago

      Those “alpha” wolves were just a bunch of strangers thrown together and operating off of fear. They were just trying to build a pecking order to have some interpersonal security.

      So any “alpha male” is just a frightened, insecure stranger who is out of their depth in scary circumstances and operating in a reactionary manner.

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        14
        ·
        10 months ago

        Except in their case this frightening situation exists purely on the inside of their skulls. Usually there isn’t really anything happening.

        Mostly it’s just the existence of other people that worries them.

      • CADmonkey@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        So any “alpha male” is just a frightened, insecure stranger who is out of their depth in scary circumstances and operating in a reactionary manner.

        As can be easily observed when dealing with one.