What is a “sigma male”? What exactly is a “grindset”? Why is it all over my social media, and most importantly, how is Ryan Gosling involved?
Many of us will recognize the terms sigma, alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and omega as letters within the Greek alphabet; others may know them as the newest hierarchical ranking system for the modern man. The “socio-sexual hierarchy” is the brainchild of alt-right author Theodore Beale who writes under the pseudonym Vox Day. The idea was first introduced in one of Beales’s blogs in 2010. In it, he outlined what he considered to be the male pecking order. The concept is based on identifying patterns in particular men and then using these patterns; you can categorize them into different “ranks.”
He writes:
“These patterns of behavior lead to outcomes such as social success and success with women”.
Beale even explains that many of the concept ranks originated from “pick-up artists,” dating coaches whose goals lie purely around seduction and sexual success. As a woman reading this, you may feel excluded, but don’t worry; Beale has graciously granted women their version of categorization. Unsurprisingly the ranking is based almost entirely on the individual’s attractiveness and ability to enhance a man’s social standing. If this feels somewhat misogynistic, congratulations, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Beale is a proud misogynist, but I’m glad to report that many of his blogs have either been removed/blocked from the internet or are extremely difficult to locate.
Ironically the idea of the alpha and the omega originated from a study on wolves in captivity that has long been debunked. It was believed that there existed an alpha, the head of the pack, a lieutenant beta, and at the very bottom, the omega. This theory was disregarded for being too simplistic but Beale still attempts to apply it to the intricacy of human society.
We’ve discussed the creator, and we understand the general gist of the socio-sexual hierarchy so let’s get down to brass tacks. What is a sigma male?
What is a sigma male?
The sigma male was created due to Beales followers being unsatisfied, “I don’t associate with any of these ranks” they cried out, “I’m sexually competent and handsome and really successful but I’m also a mysterious loner who plays by my own rules”. Beale knew that he had to keep his following of prepubescent teens and insecure men content and so the rank of sigma was created. In a post, Beale describes sigmas as
“The outsiders who don’t play the social game and manage to win it anyhow”.
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They share the same power and ranking as the alpha but choose to distance themselves from the metaphorical pack. Beale made sure that the sigma rank had some of his signature misogynistic undertones by writing “Sigmas often like women, but also tend to be contemptuous of them”. This seemed to resonate with Beales followers as the sigma male was quickly adopted by the community.
Social media quickly became saturated with memes that were quick to poke fun at the concept. A tweet posted in January 2021 plunged the sigma male into the spotlight when a user asked the apt question, “What the f*** is going on with men”. TikTok in particular became a breeding ground for such videos. You may have noticed daily routines popping up on your feed that seem as if they’ve been lifted straight out of Bret Ellis’s “American Psycho”. Routines that involved cold showers, sprinting to work, eating loose pebbles, and sleeping on cinder blocks. I’m sure you grasp the idea.
The benefit of these videos, beyond being extremely entertaining, proves that people see the absurdity of the entire socio-sexual concept and are more than happy to parody it.
Sadly this isn’t the case with everyone. The sigma mindset or “grindset” has become a common discussion among self-help “macho” YouTubers that claim that they can mold the average omega into a “modern-day alpha”. One plastic surgeon, Dr. John Alexander, even went so far as to immortalize the essence of the sigma in his novel “The Sigma male; What Women Really Want”. I guarantee you I have no idea what women want but I can say with utmost certainty that neither does that guy.
The figurehead
Now the burning question remains, what does Ryan Gosling have to do with any of this malformed male fantasy? Well once they had been granted the title of sigma the community realized they needed a figurehead, someone who encapsulated the sigma ideology. Who better than Gosling.
Gosling has played many roles that perfectly encapsulate the sigma mindset. Mysterious men who refuse to play by the rules and yet still come out on top. The idea of Gosling as the ultimate sigma was only further exacerbated by Gosling’s claim that:
“All my characters are me. I’m not a good enough actor to become a character. I hear about actors who become the role and I think ‘I wonder what that feels like. Because, for me, they’re all me”.
@sigmabasedchad #sigma #real #ryangosling ♬ Nightcall – Kavinsky
There was a particular interest in his portrayal of the nameless protagonist in Nichola Refn’s “Drive”. It’s the perfect role model for the aspiring role model. Someone who gets the girl while also getting to violently curb stomp a man to death in an elevator. One 4chan user was so enamored by the character that he completely adopted his personality, with rather successful results.
However, sigmas have recently been sent into turmoil with the news of Gosling’s most recent role. Last month Warner Bros released the first images of Goslings portraying the character of Ken in the upcoming “Barbie” movie. In the past, the sigmas have turned a blind eye to what they consider Gosling’s “Beta” roles. The Notebook is never to be discussed and the mere mention of La La Land is considered blasphemy, but it seems this is the straw that finally breaks the camel’s back.
The bleach blonde hair and denim cut-offs have led to Gosling being dethroned as leader of the sigmas and shamefully branded a “total beta”.
However, it seems as if the idea of the sigma male and the entire socio-sexual hierarchy has developed into one long-running joke amongst the internet community. Any individuals who support the concept, such as Beale, tend to be extremely misogynistic, seeing women as little more than a measurement of a man’s success. Thankfully, the odds of you actually running into an individual who genuinely claims to be a sigma male is extremely slim. On the off chance, this should occur I would advise swiftly walking the other direction and for the love of God, don’t mention Ryan Gosling.
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