Alpha/Beta & Omega

In society, it's widely accepted that there are two archetypes within the social hierarchy - Alpha & Beta. I'm sure you've all heard the term 'Alpha male'. 'Alpha' basically refers to a powerful, confident and above all else, DOMINANT figure in society; the leader of a group, the head of a corporation, or the person who "wears the trousers" in a relationship. Alpha males often have a reputation for being brash or supermasculine, although those traits aren't necessarily Alpha traits. An Alpha is strong and dominant, confident and respected.

A Beta male or female is a follower - not necessarily a weak or pathetic individual, just someone who doesn't have the dominance of an Alpha. He or she is part of a group and is happy to go along with other people's plans and ideas. They're often easy to get along with because they're passive; however, Beta behaviour is often (not always) rooted in insecurity and a lack of personal confidence.

In society, these are the two widely recognised positions. However, there is a third... the Omega.

The Omega is outside of the social hierarchy; that is the defining factor. However, there are two types of Omega males/females; one type of Omega CHOOSES to be outside of society. The other is forced out because they're a creep, or something. Let's ignore that second type, because it's irrelevant to my point (#circularbelief).

The Omega factor gives us CHOICE. By deciding not to align ourselves with anybody and detaching ourselves from the social hierarchy that defines the existence of most modern individuals, we are given freedom to adapt. The Omega is a chameleon. He/she can adopt any sort of behaviour, depending on his or her situation in order to achieve the desired result.

Example:

You're in a club. A huge, masculine, drunk beefcake comes over to you and begins to threaten you. Your typical, aggro alpha male type would be forced, by his societal position, to fight him (although ironically, despite what people may think, aggressiveness is NOT an Alpha trait; ASSERTIVENESS is an alpha trait). An Omega male is an at an advantage in this scenario for two reasons:

1. Due to him being outside of the social hierarchy, it's pretty unlikely he's gonna get challenged like this anyway; Omega males often dress in a way that doesn't fit into 'lad' or 'man' culture and therefore would often not be considered a potential opponent in man vs. man powerplay.

2. He can CHOOSE to adopt a more humble approach to the scenario, apologise to the man and walk away, without having to punch anyone or be punched. No one is judging him for not fighting, as he's outside of the hierarchy anyway and doesn't have to prove his position as Alpha to anybody.

An Omega doesn't always have to be submissive, though; that'd make him or her Beta. A strong Omega will be able to take control and adopt an Alpha role where & when it's important to him or her (eg. I've always been a band leader whenever I've been in groups, rather than one of the guys who just shows up to practice). An Omega is fluid. An Omega is a shapeshifter. An Omega's main priority is achieving the things that make him or her happy, without worrying about society's perception of him or her. And that makes the Omega more potent and powerful than the Alpha or Beta.

Hierarchical humbuggery for your colossal craniums.

Katsuo