The Promise of the Sigma Male
First Incel Elegy, and now defending the sigma Male. I am a free thinker! Free Kanye! Within educated neoliberal circles, it’s common practice to mock incel ideology. The sigma male is one of stock characters that has recently garnered such notoriety.
The theory is that the sigma male sits outside of the Alpha/Beta dynamic commonly used to inform incel understanding of the world. In that the alphas are the Chads, the pack leaders, the charismatic, good-looking, tall, and genetically blessed men of the world, whereas the Betas are their subservient standard-bearers, losers of the genetic lottery, and subject to the whims of the alphas, receiving only what crumbs are left for them. The sigma male is supposedly someone who doesn’t care about this social dynamic, but retains the high-achieving traits of the alpha males: in other words, lone wolves living unconstrained by the shackles of society.
The appeal of being a sigma is obvious: who doesn’t want to be a high-functioning, man of mystery who lives without concern for anyone else? Movie characters that are often associated with the sigma male are: Han Solo, John Wick, and Patrick Bateman. This fascination with the sigma male character is further explained by the resignment of the incel community that they will never become alpha males. Becoming “pilled” in incel speak was to accept their ideology that the world was rigged against the majority of men; a large group of incels further believe that the sooner one accepted that it was impossible, or not worth the effort to join the ranks of these alphas and betas, the better off they were, that they should wallow in their own self-created misery. Enter the sigma male, a saviour of sorts for the incels who believe that they will never be able to participate in society the way it demands of them. Instead of bending to society’s expectations, why not ignore them completely and learn to be an incredible male outside of it?
This is the promise of the sigma male for these incels, a way out of the chains of their own forging. With the lone-wolf archetype, as well as most of the hyperviolent movie role models, they fail to see that it is a criticism of the failure of these characters to integrate into society that defines these characters. These men are capable of incredible things, but are ultimately hallow inside because primates are social animals. Of course, incel ideology is primarily about rejection of society as a whole, so this point is moot for them. This is why the sigma male is singularly sought-after as a role model by the incel community.
My friends often send each other such posts in jest. Yet at the center of it all, is some admiration of the single grain of truth it presents. To a certain degree, everyone has their bone to pick with society, and at a certain time would have loved to live outside of it; not necessarily à la Thoreau, but just ignore certain rules and norms as instructed by society. There is also a desire to find the willpower to work hard and become materially successful. Though the critique of fictional sigma males is obvious, a certain part of everyone cheers for them, from Bruce Waynes to the Jokers. The ability to put aside moral compunctions and emotions, while placing ones nose against the grindstone is not only an admirable trait, but also to a certain degree, a valuable one.
Because ultimately many people, especially incels, need the firm kick of motivation. Perhaps once an incel goes about bettering themselves, they’ll realize that society accepts with standards for oneself. Perhaps they’ll be able to integrate back into society. For a similar reason, Jordan Peterson isn’t purely evil either: he is the least offensive figure that connects with these disaffected young men. Likewise, the modern world has its share of distractions that anyone would have difficulty avoiding. Other positive traits are also pushed by these anti-heroes: the tenacity to continue after failure, self-belief and confidence, and single-minded pursuit of ones goals in the face of romantic or material interests. History lauds those who successfully emerge from such travails as heroes.
The society-rejecting ideology of the sigma male also resonates with many people. If the attraction of the sigma male comes from living outside of a corrupt society, its increasing appeal is further explained. À la Tyler Durden, our society is broken in many ways, failing to engage many of its members, both male and female. Neoliberal policy informs on not only what is appropriate to think and say, but also on what is appropriate to feel. Incels take an extreme approach to this, but cracks have been appearing in Western liberal democracies on all levels: economically, politically, and socially. The attraction of the sigma male is not the problem with society, but a symptom of it.
This isn’t a failure to recognize that those who fashion themselves sigma males, are most like the most anti-heroic of their archetypes: the fragment of personality that incites a cult to carry out attacks in society that is Tyler Durden, or the crazed Travis Bickle planning a political assassination because of the depravity and filth in society. Travis Bickle has one of the more appreciable sigma male arcs, showing how someone is driven to this sort of singular-minded pursuit of a goal, and what can also potentially happen when a misguided someone still has some positive core values: they can ultimately be reintegrated into society, and do good. Of course, the accuracy with which Bickle’s failures mirror that of alienated members of society all the way up to the planning of the lone wolf attack is prescient and makes for frighteningly good viewing material.
This is not to defend the lonely anti-hero as a role model, nor the people who look up to him as one, but rather a recognition that his allure stems from systemic deficiencies within our society. If the vague neoliberal western nanny-state wishes to dictate right and wrong, then it is also responsible when it fails a large portion of its society, and they turn to amoral fictional characters for guidance. Regardless of the reasons people tout: identity politics, lack of awareness of men’s mental health issues, or the purported weakness of the modern man, that Andrew Tate and Ryan Gosling characters have become a role model for young men points to a crisis in masculinity. The issue is that with all the finger pointing, nothing is being done for the alienated, and an increasing number of men turn to the sigma male. Beware the sigma male and his empty promises.
