Code Red

[avi]

alpha male or alpha female is the individual in the community whom the others follow and defer to. Where one male and one female fulfill this role, they are referred to as the alpha pair.

Chimpanzees show deference to the alpha of the community by ritualized gestures such as bowing, allowing the alpha to walk first in a procession, or standing aside when the alpha challenges. Canines also show deference to the alpha pair in their pack, by allowing them to be the first to eat and, usually, the only pair to mate; wolves are a good example of this.

The status of the alpha is generally achieved by means of superior physical prowess, however, in certain highly social species such as the bonobo, a contender can use more indirect methods, such as political alliances, to oust the ruling alpha and take his/her place.


This is also a common place in Human Society. Such as Work place, Schools , acquaintances and even in internet forums.

I thought for a long time that it must be hormonal, that maybe there's something secreted by the body that determines dominance.

After going to forums, I realize, it has nothing to do with physiology, but with psychology.

Many Alphas on the internet will gain the trust or be there from the beginning when the site is just starting to grow. I see many give compliments to each other over very minor things like a big boss giving one a pat on the back.

I also notice that ones new to the group who does not follow the game are often given harsh comments, and isolation. The Alphas continue to praise those following their views only and leaves no true room for discussions, or wait for the Betas and the Omegas to attack the " intruders" or convert them.

I guess many people never get out of that "high school" mode and stay the same.

Makes me feel sad for the Humankind.

[Divinorumus]

Makes me feel sad for the Humankind.

Hey, wait a minute (ha) ... I use to pity followers. Now I've learned that followers are necessary and are meant to be used and abused by the leaders. That is why we call them followers - that is their purpose in life. The world needs followers, and lots of them, and the more the better. And, the followers need leaders. They will accept almost any kind of leader, be them nice or even really bad evil ones. Followers love to be kept on a leash and told what to do and how to do it and where to do it and all that. Followers are the brainless pawns of life meant to be used and abused as required by the leaders of the world. That is why we have leaders too, because the followers need them just as much as the leaders need followers. Bless the little dupish souls of all them followers for being such cooperative fools, err I mean followers, because without them the rest of us few would have to do so many things for our own selves. The needs of the superior few leaders always out weight the needs of the many fools, err I mean hoards of followers. Just like how the ecology needs worker bees and the worker bees need a queen, a humon society needs a whole lot of followers and one or two leaders or so too. Sometimes the leaders find it necessary to remind the followers of their place in life ... and other times there just gets to be too many mindless followers and so they have to thin out the herds a bit ... so beware followers on earth ... beware ...

[Dominic]

The alpha mentality needs much more than followers. There is much more maintenance to keep the alpha status and so much to lose if one has its stripped from his or her grasp. Much more so than being a follower. The alpha mentality has to defend from competitors who covet the position nad the benefits it provides and usually the personalities that threaten the alpha status quo have nothing to lose in the process and thus nothing to fear.

Now I haven't really observed this on the internet so I don't really know what I am talking about. The internet phenomenon provides so much "accidental" threats to ones popularity that even a rabbit with a pancake on its head enjoys more attention.

[avi]

This is great stuff!!!!!!


Anyone else???

I have a paper due and I need feedback.

Give it to me!!!

I know you're all smart people here!!!!!!

[majda]

This is also a common place in Human Society. Such as Work place, Schools , acquaintances and even in internet forums.

I thought for a long time that it must be hormonal, that maybe there's something secreted by the body that determines dominance.

After going to forums, I realize, it has nothing to do with physiology, but with psychology.

Many Alphas on the internet will gain the trust or be there from the beginning when the site is just starting to grow. I see many give compliments to each other over very minor things like a big boss giving one a pat on the back.

I also notice that ones new to the group who does not follow the game are often given harsh comments, and isolation. The Alphas continue to praise those following their views only and leaves no true room for discussions, or wait for the Betas and the Omegas to attack the " intruders" or convert them.

I guess many people never get out of that "high school" mode and stay the same.

Makes me feel sad for the Humankind.

Speaking on the human aspect...it's a pecking order. Your 'high school' comment is a great one. Some adults who were popular, rich, or good looking in high school were dominant in the pecking order. All the other kids aspired to be 'in their group'. Adult life doesn't always imitate the games played in school however, and sometimes the 'popular kids' aren't able to adjust to life with the 'herd' as an adult. Other times, it's just a case of 'old habits die hard'. They continue to operate the same way as an adult, as they did in school. They form an internet 'group' much in the same way they formed a 'group' in school. They want to be seen with the one with the biggest horns so to speak. The roots of this behaviour run deep. In nature it is a survival instinct. You hang out and run with the sleekest, toughest, most dominant member of the herd, and you're less likely to have a predator pick you out. And the sleekest, toughest, most dominant member of the herd gets the protection of those they surround themselves with, thus the predator is more likely to look for a straggler lagging behind. The trick as a human is evolving past this 'herd' mentality. Div hit it on the head too.

[Divinorumus]

Besides leaders and followers there are also those (few?) that simply would rather not play along with either of those roles. What are they called? I don't want to have to make up rules for others and tell anyhow else how to be, and neither do I appreciate others making up rules and tell me how to be. So what would those like me be, who don't care to be a leader nor follower? And what, if any, is our purpose here? I'm more or less the kind of chimpanzee that all leaders and followers would be well advised to leave the hell alone - ha, and it is primarily because I simply don't care to play crazy stupid pointless monkey games any longer. ?

[avi]

Divinorumus.....

it's called being an independent thinker.


It happens to those who takes on an unassuming roles as leaders and a teacher without the need of followers or students.

It happens to a highly evolved spirit.

It doesn't make you antisocial or sick of people's crap or anything.

It's a good thing.


When one is in a follower position, they have a tendency to become very provincial in their focus. Narrow mindedness and belief in the structure that is fed to them only. This creates prejudice and jealousy and all the other
mental and emotional setbacks.

You are probably very easy going yet your complexity may often make people question your motives, when you don't even have one!

You also probably challenge people and make them feel uncomfortable because you might try to get them to think out of the box, or to have them explore beyond their comfort zone.


Those who are inspired by you are very lucky, even if you hit them where it hurts to give them a jolt to make them think a little to make them independent too.

[majda]

Hi avi. What are you studying? You are extremely perceptive and very wise for sure! You are so right on about Div. He's a great guy isn't he? Your analogy of what a true leader is, is so very on the mark too! Thanks for your insight!

[Divinorumus]

He's a great guy isn't he?

Don't be so sure of that YET ! (ha). Being a time traveler who has regular payments to make on his spacetimeship thangy, I could have sold yous all to the Borg as food grade recyclable humons .. (hey, you know, waste not want not ... .. if the earth is gonna be hit by a big rock anyhow, might as well make the best of a bad situation, eh? right? ha)

Anyhow, I foresee a new kind of evolved humon coming about .. a kind of mix of the best of both worlds where the positive attributes of both followers and leaders are all rolled into one new and improved self governing self regulating humon. It's a damn good thing a society can not legislate or dictate evolution, just like how the truth will always trump their beliefs.

(if anyone is interested I could start a seperate thread and tell you about post harvest , err I mean post 2012 ... and the new kind of humons that will be planted on earth next ... )

[majda]

(if anyone is interested I could start a seperate thread and tell you about post harvest , err I mean post 2012 ... and the new kind of humons that will be planted on earth next ... )

Oh no Div! More tinkering...? Do you think the poor humons will ever escape from the lab? Oops...better start a new thread like you said. This could get deep!

[joequinn]

I think that the alpha male is hereditary, genetic and hard-wired into the human species. Despite what you may be told in warm and cuddly Disney nature specials, nature is not democratic and egalitarian. Nature is solidly aristocratic, and it has absolutely no problem with the annihilation of most of the individuals of the species.

Here's the problem. If you submit to an alpha male, the odds are that you will wish that you were dead. But if you oppose an alpha male, the odds are that you will be dead. You and I have may a problem with that choice, but nature does not. Not in the slightest...

[Divinorumus]

I think that the alpha male is hereditary, genetic and hard-wired into the human species.

For christsakes, don't tell the scientists THAT or they will start tinkering with that next and before you know it we'll all be dancing as simon says, and all because we ate their genetically altered threats! Stop the scientists and silence these people that keep coming up with these horribly offensive ideas - ha, remove their tongues for even suggesting there are little switches within us that we can turn on or off like that - ha .. sorry, I can not envision myself wearing genetic unisex undies - ha .. leave my switches the heck alone .. I will be alpha or omega or whatever the heck I want !!!! ... ... It's fun playing humon, isn't it? So many switches in there to explore, but I bet ya once them scientists figure them all out, we'll be able to reprogram ourselves like robots and everything will then finally be peachy keen, huh? hey, pissst, buddy, can't I tinker with your switches ? if you let me play with yours I'll let you play around with mine.

[majda]

So many switches in there to explore, but I bet ya once them scientists figure them all out, we'll be able to reprogram ourselves like robots and everything will then finally be peachy keen, huh?

No joke there Div. The reports are coming in fast and furious on a daily basis of their awe-inspiring 'tinkering' achievements! Wonder why no one ever thinks of just where all these new discoveries originate though?

[majda]

I think that the alpha male is hereditary, genetic and hard-wired into the human species. Despite what you may be told in warm and cuddly Disney nature specials, nature is not democratic and egalitarian. Nature is solidly aristocratic, and it has absolutely no problem with the annihilation of most of the individuals of the species.

Here's the problem. If you submit to an alpha male, the odds are that you will wish that you were dead. But if you oppose an alpha male, the odds are that you will be dead. You and I have may a problem with that choice, but nature does not. Not in the slightest...

Absolutely no doubt of that Joe! Nature is definately not 'the lamb laying down with the lion'! In the end though, the alpha male always gets his own butt kicked big time! Payback's a bi*ch in the end.

[Divinorumus]

In much the same way we inject assistance into our bodies to help our cells survive various attacks, those genetic discoveries are handed down from the farmers that would like to insure a better crop of humons each season. I bet humanity could learn a lot about tinkering from them and in no time at all them scientists could be making a new kind of perfect humon with all the right switches turned on and all the wrong ones turned off. And, what a simple solution to deal with excess alpha males too - just turn those switches off at birth. Peace among the fields of grazing herds of humons at last. The LGM are improving humon farming with each successive season, huh? During a previous genetically modified planting they managed to get a crop without much fur on them (all that hair use to plug up the harvesters drain spouts something awful). Now they are working on how to maximize planetary yields. Some think a planet the size of earth could grow hundreds of billions of humons if only you could get them to grow contently in little cages wired into the matrix for all their programming and hard-wired needs.