Alpha Male

Who does not cry at the end of movies?
When the dog dies
Or when their father is on stage giving the speech of his life?
Comfortable enough in my own masculinity
I can admit some things

I cry at things that matter
Like poetry, music, and at the end of movies
When the dog dies

Real men are not afraid to have emotions
To share them
Just like any he/him she/her they/them

If this triggers you then perhaps alpha male is not what you think it is

I make things, I write things,
I work with my hands, I work with my mind
I speak to those who need to hear
I speak to those who want to listen
I employ people and try to be fair, equitable, and a promoter of integrity

And I would never be so crass as to define myself as an “alpha male”
I don’t really care what people think
I just care that they think

The software industry labels something as “alpha” when it needs testing and will have major errors
“Beta” testing being where the errors are less pronounced
The stage before software, the instructions for making things work, is ready for the grown-up world

Empathy is not the antithesis of masculinity
It should define it
A solution to masculinity that is toxic

The intellectual
The gentleman
The well read

These are terms that the world needs to be more proud of instead of

The influencer
The billionaire
The alpha male
The dictator

Those who define themselves by the level of oppression they can inflict
And the shallowness of their ideas
The hate that runs in their veins

Alpha male is just another word for A-Hole

_{Image by Profoto0023 from Pixabay}