‘Sigma male’ might not be a term that you recognize, but you’re pretty likely to recognize the characteristics of one – either in a friend or in yourself!
Most of us make snap judgements about alpha males (arrogant and extroverted) and beta males (shy and introverted), even though these are not always accurate.
But what about sigma males? What sets them apart?
Simply put, you wouldn’t be able to pinpoint a sigma male straightaway.
They’re not the type to peacock around, nor are they likely to be pressed into a corner pretending not to exist.
They tend to just be happy being themselves and getting on with their own thing, which means they don’t really stand out.
Imagine a scale of personalities – alphas are one end of the spectrum and are easy to identify; betas are at the other end and, much as they try to hide, they’re pretty easy to spot.
Sigmas? Lurking somewhat mysteriously in the middle…
1. Rebel without a cause
Sigma males aren’t really into conforming. Not because they want to be alternative and stand out, but because they have the choice to – and they’re making the most of that freedom.
Alpha males tend to do things for show, such as branding themselves a ‘bad boy,’ while sigmas just do it by default.
2. You do you
This type of guy isn’t generally bothered about being in a team or group. Instead, they’re happy to do their own thing and march to the beat of their own drum.
Betas might be happy taking a more submissive role because they’re often pretty introverted, but sigmas genuinely just don’t care!
3. Mysterious men
Sigma males are normally quite mysterious. Because they don’t want to conform or stand out, they’re a total mystery.
You can’t figure them out, which only makes you want to even more… You can only imagine how try-hard alphas must feel about them.
4. Going against the grain
Going against the rules isn’t an attempt to stand out or be a rebel for sigma males. It’s just a way of exercising their freedom and their lack of care when it comes to fitting in.
Betas tend to shy away from attention and want to blend into the background out of awkwardness – this isn’t the case for sigma males, as they just want their alone time.
5. Living dangerously
This type of man tends to do what they want. This links to their mindset of being their own person and not conforming.
As such, they can often come across as reckless – and for good reason! Going against the norm can sometimes mean going against the law. Watch out for these fellas…
6. Accidentally abstract
Sigma males are characterized by the fact that they try to blend in (this is not the same as “fitting in”). Instead, they stand out even more because they seem so mysterious.
Beta males might do their best to conform, alphas want to be at the head of the pack, and sigmas barely even acknowledge the pack.
7. Independent man
Tthis type of man isn’t reliant on other people. This doesn’t mean that they don’t care about close friends, family, or partners. It just means that people are more of a complementary part of their lives rather than the ultimate focus.
Instead of depending on other people, they get on with their own lives.
8. Deep thinkers
– sigma males tend to have very analytic minds, read: overthinkers! They are highly intelligent, so think things through and really get down to the nitty gritty.
They work out ways to avoid drama and attention, keeping themselves private and, of course, mysterious…
9. Brooding figure
Men of this type enjoy their quiet time. Silence is indeed golden for these gentlemen, and they enjoy alone time.
They’re happy enough to be in a group setting provided that input isn’t really required. As such, any contributions they make are worth listening to.
They aren’t quiet due to shyness or awkwardness, they just don’t want to waste energy on something meaningless.
This really differentiates them from the standard alpha males who like to verbally muscle their way into conversations.
10. Smart cookie
This touches upon their analytic nature, and is pretty self-explanatory. This type of lone wolf is always hungry for information, be it factual or behavior about his peers.
Sigma males tend to be very intelligent as they have a mind that loves to digest all types of information – they tend to have a strong memory for facts and stats, but could probably read anybody from just one glance.
They’re not as emotionally aware as many beta males, but they’ve got a pretty good grasp on people’s behaviors and feelings just by observing them.
11. Strong, silent type
Sigma males have the intelligence, as discussed, but many of them lack the social skills of alpha males. A lot of their energy is spent analyzing situations and absorbing information, so there’s not always much room for social skills.
This doesn’t mean that they’re boring to be around, just that you can’t expect the same personality you’d get with an alpha.
12. Intriguing and intrigued
Sigmas are always on the lookout for new experiences and information. Their mind is always hungry for new things, so they have their own ways to find out more about other people.
This only adds to their air of mystery and makes them even more attractive to a lot of women. They tend to combine the supposed arrogance of alphas (although it’s not on purpose!) with the quietness of beta males.
13. Lone wolves
Again, sigma males don’t want to be in any kind of pack. They don’t need to follow anyone and they definitely don’t want people following them.
While betas are happiest following in someone’s shadows and alphas are happy leading the way, sigmas resolutely ignore these mentalities and just get on with it.
