The Psychology Of Masculine Archetypes In Dating

In my article, Psychology Of Good And Bad ‘Game,’ And Its Consequences (the Urban Dater, 2019), I averred six male personality types, according to psychologist Christine Keller (August 2021). I reviewed two of them: the Alpha and Beta personalities, or archetypes—a term utilized by authors like Erika (2018). In her description of some archetypes, she explains that “… modern man is nothing like his ancestors. His natural instincts…culled by society and education. His urges and thoughts…reshaped by movies and social media.” Further, this process has created disenchantment in men today, so the essence of manhood has been redefined. Subsequently, men don’t appear as “animalistic” pack leaders as before.

Definition Of Earlier Archetypes

VandenBos (2015) defines an archetype as a prototypical model that phenomena are derived. According to Swiss psychiatrist and founder of Analytical Psychology, Carl Gustav Jung, he explains that they are various symbols that represent facets of the mind amassed from mankind’s ancestral experiences, contained in the collective unconscious. They then frame how one views the world, becoming pertinent to the building blocks of personality (p. 72-3). Jung himself, on archetypes, explained they have “The…tendency to form…representations of a motif…that can vary…in detail without losing their basic pattern” (1964, p. 58). Such is thus not merely superstitious, inherited, or a mythological image. Further, an archetype is not an inborn idea (1960, p. 136) and is the opposite of an instinct (p. 116).

Four Of Jung’s Archetypes

The anima – characteristically, the universal feminine, or unconscious female facet of a man’s psyche (VandenBos, 2015, p. 56);

The animus – the ultimate masculine or unconscious male aspect of a woman’s psyche (p.58);

The persona – one’s presentation of their mask to the world, contradistinct to what they, at a deeper but less specious level, characterize (p. 781). 

The shadow – the reflection of the darkness in the psyche, through consciously unacceptable good or destructive impulses and traits, stays unconscious and is not given expression (p. 975).

Six Modern Archetypes

Not many men’s personalities can fulfill every characteristic of the six major archetypes adumbrated below, each with different characterological motifs. Nevertheless, Gaille (2020) states, “These personalities can determine how different men will react in social and business settings….” He describes those mentioned above six. Annexed are descriptions from Keller (August 2021) to supplement Gaille’s observations.

Alpha –

Gaille: a leader, charismatic, confident, outgoing.                                                                               Keller: a cynosure, attractive, charming, influential, pleasant, successful, and approaches women with alacrity. (The “bad boy.”) 

Beta –

Gaille: friendly, loyal, reserved, submissive.                                                                                         Keller: diffident, doesn’t seek attention, insecure, modest, not loquacious, not sociable, sensitive, supportive, trustworthy, unsure about appearance and personality, is faithful and stable with women. (The “nice guy.”)   

Delta –  

Gaille: lonely, resentful, resigned, self-sabotaging.                                                                            Keller: aims to be his very best (socially); goal-driven; hard-working; represses feelings; speaks openly; women can scare him, so he doesn’t pursue the most attractive ones but will easily approach them and pedestalize them if need be.

Gamma –  

Gaille: adventurous, aware, eager, empathetic.                                                                                   Keller: acquiescent; doesn’t necessarily exert himself; individualistic; lacks self-respect; likes solitude; loyal; not always successful, but relishes prominence; not concerned what others think, but can be used easily; sensitive; shy; surreptitious; doesn’t make the first move with women, so has potential to be a stalker and become obsessive and clingy.

Omega –  

Gaille: driven, has diverse interests, intelligent, self-assured.                                                           Keller: doesn’t care what people think; dominant; introverted, works on his own, desiring credit for his efforts; fastidious – wants needs to be met with women, and they must reciprocate, but can be selfish, so has a difficult time getting dates; knows boundaries with women and can’t be manipulated.

Sigma –

Gaille: calculating, cunning, likable, self-confident.                                                                            Keller: charismatic; high achieving; if necessary, remains alone; independent; not shy; takes risks; picky with the woman and won’t chase them. (“…an introverted alpha male….” [Keller, December 2021].)

Interconnection Of Past And Present Archetypes

Empirical verification may be questioned by extrapolating from earlier archetypes to describe modern archetypes. Moreover, whether the archetypal origins are more ancestral or instinctually social and shaped by media might become conjectural, too. Nevertheless, I will elucidate the above six archetypes, employing Jung’s approach, because his clinical methodology has been utilized therapeutically for many decades.

As Erika (2018) implied, some men are intrinsically more masculine or feminine than others. For example, the Alpha, Sigma, Delta, and Omega males have the strongest animus or masculine and weakest anima or female components. This motivates their behavior and garners them the most success, with women wanting stronger men. Conversely, the Gamma and Beta males have stronger animas, consequently finding dating more arduous.

Addressing the persona, the ones with the most to mask, to publicly obscure their intentions, are Delta, Gamma, and Beta males, respectively. This can be intimidating to women. Alpha, Sigma, and Omega males are more transparent.

The shadow or dark side seems most prominent in the Gamma male, the Delta, and Beta males. This could be intriguing or damaging regarding a woman’s trust in them. Alpha, Sigma, and Omega males are safer.

Conclusion

Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, Omega, and Sigma male archetypes, or personalities, manifest themselves differently in various social contexts. Each personality’s motifs are changeable, within a constant pattern. Perspicacious men can alter each to enhance their attractivity and augment success with the type of women they wish to date.

References

Chirko, David. (2019, November 19). Psychology Of Good And Bad ‘Game,’ And Its Consequences. the Urban Dater. https://theurbandater.com/dating-relationships/psychology-of-good-and-bad-game-and-its-consequences.php/

Erika. (2018, October 23). The Different Male Archetypes: Beta, Alpha, Omega. Krodman.  https://krodman.com/the-different-male-archetypes-beta-alpha-omega/  

Gaille, Brandon. (2020, September 7). The Six Male Personalities: Alpha vs Beta vs Gamma vs Omega vs Delta vs Sigma. Brandon Gaille Small Business & Marketing Advice. https://brandongaille.com/male-alpha-beta-gamma-omega-delta-sigma/

Jung, Carl G. (Ed). (1964). Man and His Symbols. New York, NY: Dell Publishing.

Jung, Carl G. (1960). On the Nature of the Psyche. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Keller, Christine. (2021, August 30). Alpha Vs Beta Vs Gamma Vs Omega Vs Delta Vs Sigma Personality – Which Type Are You? her way. https://herway.net/life/alpha-vs-beta-vs-gamma-vs-omega-vs-delta-vs-sigma-personality-type/#ftoc-heading-3

Keller, Christine. (2021, December 6). Sigma Male: 20 Personality Traits & How To Handle Him. herway. https://herway.net/11-traits-define-sigma-male/ 

VandenBos, Gary R. (Editor in Chief). (2015). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.