More than two thousand years after his death, Alexander the Great remains one of the most revered names in all of history. A true sigma male, he was born in what is now Macedonia in the 4th century BC, and although he died at the young age of 32, he became one of the most successful and widely respected military commanders of all time. This was not by mere coincidence – the epic war hero lived by a unique set of rules that allowed him to completely change the world throughout the course of his short life. Indeed, the sigma males of today continue on in the spirit of Alexander the Great and embody these all important life rules. Let’s take a look at the top life rules lived out by both Alexander the Great and 21st century sigma males. Read carefully to the end, as these rules contain the secret to greatness.

1

Think big to inspire passion

Sigma males are inspired by ideas that truly seek to change the world. They are not interested in superficial or performative change, they want to feel that their efforts are concentrated into something worthwhile that they truly believe in. From a young age, Alexander the Great set his sights on being the best he possibly could be, and set himself ambitious goals that he knew would ignite his passion and push him forward in life. Even if today’s sigma males don’t have military conquest set as their number one priority, they still understand the value of setting goals that inspire them with passion.

2

Form a higher purpose

Having an idea of the bigger picture of life helps to form a sense of higher purpose. This, in turn, makes overcoming obstacles that appear in the way far easier. Rather than appearing as impossible challenges that cannot be overcome, each individual obstacle becomes just another step along the path to greatness when a man has a higher purpose in mind. No one battle was enough to throw off Alexander the Great from his path in life, as his strong sense of higher purpose kept his eyes fixed firmly ahead.

3

Maintain intellectual thirst

Maintaining a strong intellectual thirst throughout life is absolutely crucial for maintaining the mental fortitude and sharpness that a sigma male uses to achieve his goals in life. Alexander the Great was famed for his intellectual thirst, and never shied away from learning about the world around him. Indeed, it was this intellectual curiosity that gave him the in depth knowledge of the world around him that he needed to succeed in battle and perform the impressive feats of conquest that have made him a legend.

4

Have trust in yourself

Sigma males are deeply reflective in how they think about both themselves and the world around them. They spend a great deal of time thinking back over their experiences and learning a lot about themselves. Over time, this leads them to become deeply in tune with themselves, their thought processes, and their abilities. Knowing themselves so well, sigma males develop naturally sharp instincts about the world around them, and learn to trust these instincts in a moment of crisis. Alexander the Great epitomised this sigma male characteristic, trusting in himself to do what nobody else before him thought possible.

5

Learn from others

Alexander the Great possessed a great intellectual thirst from a young age. Until the age of 16, he was tutored by another one of the most legendary names in all of history – the Greek philosopher Aristotle. It was from his mentor that he learned to think inquisitively about the world around him, forming a sharp intellectual prowess that led him to greatness. Sigma males to this day know that in order to grow, they must be willing to observe and learn from those around them. 

6

Ask good questions

Crucial to intellectual growth is learning how to ask good questions. This is not something that comes naturally to everybody, but it is a skill that can be trained over time. Under the tutelage of Aristotle, Alexander the Great became an expert in the art of asking the right questions. Learning to ask the right questions helps to shape the way we approach finding a solution to a problem, and can often illuminate perspectives that we might not have seen at first glance. Sigma males are not afraid to ask good questions, as they know the value of receiving good answers!

7

Triumph is internal

Sigma males know that a sense of triumph and victory is something that occurs internally, regardless of what those around them think. Sigma males care little about impressing others. What is most important to a sigma male is setting goals that he truly believes in and sticking to them no matter what. A sigma male does not need fanfare and celebration, the sense of inner triumph he feels when he hits his target is reward enough in itself.

8

Don’t be afraid of taking risks

Without taking a great number of risks, Alexander the Great would never have been able to conquer so much of the known world. He was not afraid to put his life and reputation on the line if he believed his plan was one that could succeed. Being a sigma maleAlexander the Great turned every possibility over in his mind, and inspected it from every angle, meaning that even when the chances of success seemed slim to those on the outside – he still had perfect confidence in the risks he took. Sigma males today get ahead in life by being unafraid of taking risks – as they carefully think through any potential risk they might take.

9

Think rationally

Rational thinking is one of the trademark characteristics of sigma males. Even in times of great crisis or challenge, sigma males do not cave in to irrational or emotionally driven ways of thinking. They always keep a cool head and are able to think clearly about how best to approach finding a solution to their problems. Throughout his life, Alexander the Great faced many challenges that seemed insurmountable, but his calm and rational way of thinking always allowed him to come up with a solution.

10 

Let go of material possessions

Material possessions meant little to Alexander the Great, as is the case for most sigma males. The reason Alexander’s name has gained such might over thousands of years is because his ambitions were focused above the material. Alexander the Great was a man who focused his efforts on achieving targets using careful analysis and creativity, and never focused his efforts on gaining riches. He wished to continue his father’s legacy of uniting the Greek states, which gave him far higher aspirations than any material wealth. Similarly today, sigma males are motivated by a sense of purpose that transcends the superficiality of material possessions.

11

Plans mean nothing without follow through

In an attempt to reach success, many people sit around and manage to fill their heads with aspirational plans for greatness – without ever considering a realistic strategy for making these plans a reality. Sigma males understand that there is no point in setting a goal if you are not going to approach it realistically and do whatever you can to manifest the results you want. ​​Alexander the Great was the king of follow through; His plans were designed with execution in mind. He took a great deal of effort to perform detailed research and analysis while developing his battle strategies, which is why they were executed with such precision and produced such impressive results. All sigma males take this same approach to laying down their future plans – they know that no amount of planning is worth anything without an equal amount of follow through.

12

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box

Part of what led Alexander the Great to his mighty status as an epic military commander was his ability to think outside of the box. He came up with unique strategies to achieving his goals of conquest, which often left others in a state of surprise – ultimately causing them to falter in their ways. Alexander pioneered new military tactics, including unique configurations of soldiers that allowed his forces to strike quickly in battle. Alexander understood that his armies were stronger when they worked together as individual parts of one big organism, as opposed to a collection of individual fighters. He thought creatively about how to get his soldiers to work together, and pioneered new approaches to siege warfare while he was at it. Sigma males to this day use their analytical and reflective way of thinking to come up with unique and innovative strategies for achieving their goals. Indeed, many of the free thinkers and thought leaders of our time, such as Apple creator Steve Jobs, are modern examples of this same sigma male characteristic in action.

13

Whenever you get knocked down – get right back up

Even with the sharpest mind and most calculated plan, life can be unpredictable. Every now and then in life, we are bound to be blindsided and caught off guard. After all, there is no reward without struggle. The key rule to overcoming this fact of life is to remember that no matter how many times you get knocked down – what’s most important is how you pick yourself back up again. Even when the odds were against him, and his health began rapidly failing, Alexander the Great motivated his men into action and ended up never once losing a battle in his 15 year military career. This is because sigma males know the value of keeping their eyes fixed firmly on the future, and never let a challenge get in the way of them moving forward.