Reply to Why do so many young males see themselves as alphas, gladiators, lions etc.?

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Reply to "Why do so many young males see themselves as alphas, gladiators, lions etc.?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Because they're listening to trash podcasts who want to sell them "workout supplements".

The secret to all of this is there's always an angle to make money.  To be "alpha" you have to buy their classes and protein powder and gym equipment.  Oldest trick in the book, make someone feel inadequate but then offer to sell them something to "fix" it.[/quote]

This right here.

Growing up pre-internet you "found your tribe" organically among your real-life peers. Even if you were bullied and made fun of for what you liked you usually had at least some peers or mentors supporting you.

I was a total nerd as a kid. I loved reading sci-fi and using computers (back when that was actually something that got you labeled as uncool). I was not invited to parties, I was called names at school. I didn't have a lot of friends but I had a core group of 3 or 4 kids where we could be nerds together and have the time of our lives when we were together regardless of what else was happening in our lives and social circles. I knew I wasn't an "alpha" (not that anyone used that term back then) but it didn't matter because when I was with my friends it was OK to not like sports and to not be good at talking to girls, and I got affirmation and positive reinforcement for being good at the things I [b]was[/b] good at - setting up a LAN so we could all play Doom together or memorizing all the quotes from Monty Python movies.

Nowadays kids who feel alone or who don't feel like their skills and interests are valued have a box in their pocket constantly sending them surgically targeted messages that what they like and what they're good at and how they act [b]isn't[/b] good or normal, and that only by being an "alpha" will they ever feel good about themselves or achieve acceptance and recognition. And what's worse, that box sending them powerful negative messages is absolutely required to be used for them to function in society [i]even if[/i] they have a supportive and nurturing friend group, so the danger never ever goes away.

It's an incredibly dangerous and insidious phenomenon that isn't getting nearly enough attention.[/quote]

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