Are you truly a sigma male, or in fact are you an introverted beta male? Despite being in many ways total opposites, when it comes to their outward personality traits – sigma males and introverted beta males can be easy to confuse with one another. This is due to the fact that, to the rest of the world, they both appear to be of an introverted nature. In reality, however, aside from their quieter nature, the two personality types stand in almost total contradiction to one another. 

Because of their surface level mistakability for one another, many men who are in fact introverted beta males have convinced themselves that they are in fact sigma males. Likewise, there are sigma males who are surrounded by introverted beta males and fail to realise that they are in fact a breed apart from their peers. Let’s go through the key differences underlying the personalities of sigma males and introverted betas, so you can learn to more accurately tell the difference.

1

Betas operate within the social hierarchy

The traditional social hierarchy, that places alphas on the top, and betas beneath them, is the basic social structure to which beta males adhere. They idolise what they believe to be the natural dominance of alpha males and understand these “natural” qualities of dominance to be the key to success in society. Introverted though they are, these beta males will seek to leverage their relationships with alpha males as a way of navigating the social dominance hierarchy and earning respect and creating opportunities within their lives. These introverted beta males believe that it is by remaining in good standing with those “higher up” than them, that they can come to manifest their wants and goals and get what they want in life. 

2

Sigma males operate outside of the social hierarchy

Sigma males, on the other hand, cast aside the entire notion of the social dominance hierarchy. They have no interest in viewing society as a ladder in which some people are placed, rather they float outside of this hierarchical way of looking at the world. They are unconcerned by whether another person is “above” or “below” them in social standing, and do not base neither their treatment of others, nor the way they expect to be treated, based on these notions of hierarchy – rather, sigma males view everyone as inherently equal and judge them based on their values and actions.

3

Betas seek approval

Because beta males believe they are living in a world of clearly defined social rankings, they will then seek to validate themselves externally via recognition by others on the social dominance hierarchy. By seeing the world in this way, beta males see social relationships as inherently transactional and will focus themselves on trying to generate the best “deal” for themselves in every social interaction. They struggle to have an inner sense of worth that is not easily influenced by what others around them think, or how they find themselves treated by others.

4

Sigmas create their own sense of validation

Sigma males, on the other hand, have little to no need for external validation. Rather, a sigma male holds himself responsible for how he views himself. His sense of worth, and his sense of inner value is defined by how well he feels he is living in accordance with his own personal beliefs. Sigma males do not lose sleep at night wondering what others might think of them – they walk to the beat of their own drum.

5

Beta males struggle to set boundaries

Because of their tendency to want to impress others, or win their approval, beta males can often tend to be people pleasers. They therefore struggle to set boundaries between them and others, and can often struggle to make it clear what they themselves truly want. They often find themselves agreeing to do things that they may never have wanted to in the first place, all out of the need for approval from others.  

6

Sigma males stick to their principles

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have the strong-willed sigma males of the world. Boundaries are key to how a sigma male lives his life. Before heading into any social situation, a sigma male will set out clearly defined boundaries for himself based on what it is he truly wants, and nothing is going to bend him away from these boundaries.

7

Betas put on an act

In order to win the approval of others, beta males will often resort to putting on somewhat of an act around those they wish to impress. This is not a malicious or deceitful action, rather it is a natural consequence of wanting external validation. Even the most introverted of beta males might catch themselves exaggerating their skills or achievements in order to appear more impressive to those around them.

8

Sigmas are 100% true to themselves

Sigma males have no time for pretence. They are deep thinkers who reflect a lot on themselves and the world around them, and develop a strong inner sense of who they are and who they strive to be. Sigma males have a deep value for honesty and integrity, and are always very sincere in how they present themselves to the world. This is a quality that often ends up, somewhat ironically, winning them the respect of their peers – as those around them can see that the sigma is comfortable enough within himself not to put on any kind of act.

9

Betas struggle to assert what they want

As beta males operate within the social dominance hierarchy, they often find themselves fulfilling the ambitions of someone else, rather than their own. In fact, many beta males will never even question for themselves what it is they want to do in life – and never end up asserting any true ambitions of their own. Rather, they will find themselves forever a tool of more ambitious people, working to make their dreams a reality and not their own.

10

Sigmas stick to their ambitions

Sigma males are very goal oriented creatures. They think long and hard about what it is they wish to devote their energy towards, and once they identify these goals – they stick to them. Sigma males will not let external setbacks or the discouragement of others dictate the path of their ambitions. This is part of the reason why sigma males so often become innovators or pioneers in their fields, as they are willing to strive for their goals even when they seem unrealistic to those around them.

11

Betas stick to the status quo

Beta males are not one to rock the boat when it comes to the status quo. Over time, betas develop a pattern of adhering closely to what those around them are used to, and expect. By sticking to the status quo, beta males feel that they are increasing the likelihood that they will be accepted and rewarded by the mainstream of society who benefits from this status quo.

12

Sigma males take risks

Sigma males on the other hand, are not afraid to disrupt the society around them. They take risks when they need to, and are not bothered about what others will have to say about it. Many of the great thought leaders throughout history have been sigma males who were only able to change society because of their fearless ability to take risks.

13

Betas always take the back seat

Beta males will just about always take the back seat when it comes to life. They rarely aspire to greatness, nor do they seek out positions of leadership. They are generally happy to follow the lead of others. They have a reputation for being indecisive, because they don’t want to make any decisions that they will later on regret. This tends to make them a poor choice of leader, as when it comes down to the bone – they will struggle to take the decisive action necessary.  

14

Sigmas can make great leaders

Like beta males, sigma males are also not famed for their pursuit of leadership roles. That being said, the difference between sigmas and introverted betas is, while neither of them seeks out roles of leadership – sigma males do in fact possess the capability to become strong leaders. Sigma males tend to shy away from these roles because they are naturally lone wolves, but their strong will, respect for others, and critical mindset enable them to be some of the most impactful leaders out there when duty calls and they step up to the plate.

15

A beta’s number one goal is acceptance

The number one goal on an introverted beta male’s agenda is to be accepted and respected by his peers. He will do whatever it takes to fit in to the society around him, and relies on others to reach his goals in life. Beta males in fact set their goals based on what they think will be respected and appreciated by those around them. At the end of the day, beta males see the world as being about status, and long for the status of acceptance.

16

Sigma’s number one goal is independence

While an introverted beta male is seeking out the respect and acceptance of his peers, the sigma male has no such interest. Rather, the number one goal of a sigma male is to achieve and maintain as much independence as possible. Sigma males want to live life on their own terms, and refuse to cave in to the pressures and expectations of those around them. The gap between longing for acceptance and longing for independence is perhaps the greatest way in which sigma males differ from introverted beta males.

While the outside may see both introverted beta males and sigma males as introspective characters, the reality of their mindsets could not be farther apart. By knowing these key differences – you can learn to identify the true reason underlying a person’s quieter nature.