“Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can’t figure out what from.” -Mae West

This article attempts to do the unthinkable: categorize men! Their species may be segregated into three types: alpha, beta, omega. (I promise, it isn’t half as complicated as it sounds.) Most men are a permutation combination of all these types- some lying latent, and others more dominant. It’s imperative for us to understand the difference within them before we can embark on our Holy Quest of discovering the Omega.

An Alpha male is what we know as the “typical man” (please don’t kill me). They’re ever-competitive, always looking after their appearance, trying to be the center of attention and the gang “leader”. Every high-school movie has an Alpha male character in it. People are familiarized with the rules of “masculinity” as children, and grow up believing that it’s their only source of validation.

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A Beta male is a toned down version of the alpha. He aspires to climb the social ladder, and emulates the leader on several occasions. He’s what they effectively call a “side kick”. He has no problem functioning under the shadow of the Alpha and is very passive in comparison.

The Omega male is the most underrated, yet the most interesting type. An Omega male is literally the opposite of an Alpha. He shuns competition and stands dead-against everything that makes up an Alpha male. His personality is in direct contradiction to an Alpha’s. Omega men are difficult to find and even more difficult to understand. But they make really good partners.

Suggested read: From The Diary Of An Alpha Male: 13 Essential Tips For Being An Alpha Man

Since omega males are unsocial and private, they’re rarely found outside their habitat (home). Here are 10 traits of omega males to help you recognize one:

They Respect Space

This is the most lucrative of omega male qualities. Since he isn’t somebody who operates in a crowd, an omega male values the concept of space. In most relationships, the two entities blend to become a single person. Their worlds collide and form one single unit. While that has been hailed as a romantic endeavor, it gets tiring after a point. I cannot even stay awake most of the time, how am I supposed to keep an uninterrupted conversation with another person? When I come home, and crash on the floor, I have bid farewell to the world. Are you asking me to not binge-watch YouTube and spend hours on a phone call instead? In most cases, this just makes me a bad girlfriend. But I have built an identity too big to fit into the nooks and crannies of another world. An omega male has a life outside the one you share, and respects yours too.

They’re Very Private

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Have you seen those Facebook updates? “First kiss”, “Engaged” (when they really aren’t), “In a relationship”, etc? No? You, my friend, are so lucky. These are supposedly “life updates”. People commenting on these posts are as excited as America is when she finds oil. I mean, calm down! If I had to post such an update, it would read: “In bed with Nachos. Again”. This is where I applaud the omega male. Tags don’t matter to him, like most superficial things. He will not be all over your newsfeed with a “compilation of your smiles” or an “update on the first time you held hands”. He’s a private man, and is not validated by social media. As utopian as that might sound, this rare breed exists.

Omega Men Are Emphatic

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Oh, omega males can feel! They won’t dismiss your problems as “whiny behavior” or “girly nonsense”. I once dated a guy who specifically mentioned that he doesn’t want to hear about my girly stuff. I mean, if you haven’t noticed, I am a girl. If you wait, I’ll go get a degree in astrophysics. Maybe then we can talk. Omega males are empathetic. They listen, and understand. Sometimes, if the stars are aligned correctly, they might even participate in the conversation. Can you believe that?!

Suggested read: 10 Effective Tips On How To Stroke A Man’s Ego When His Pride Takes A Hit

They Are Real

Here’s a man who isn’t afraid to feel human. With them, the “men don’t cry” stereotype bites the dust. They’re people who respect Biology, and don’t mansplain over Science. It’s refreshing to see a man not choke back their emotions. It won’t take a treasure-hunt of signals to understand that they love you. Omega males aren’t afraid to own it. I find this aspect extremely likable. Especially because I suck at picking up signals. You could decorate my entire house with roses, send me all the lovey-dovey messages, and I still wouldn’t know you were into me. Language was created for a reason. Use it.

Less Of A Patriarch

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To any man reading this article, please don’t go #NotAllMen on me. I’m not saying all Alpha males are patriarchs. Just that, most omega males are not. They listen, they try to understand, they won’t give you a hard time for returning home late (probably because they have too big a world to notice it), etc. As I mentioned earlier, these men are mostly emphatic, and thus, won’t run a steamroller over another person. With an omega male, you can be equal.

They Think More

I’m not asserting that men don’t generally have a thought in their mind (or am I?!). Omega males are, however, a lot more introspective. Probably even more than you! They’re quiet people who keep to themselves. This makes them great observers. They don’t focus on having the funniest joke to tell, or talking over other people in a party. So, they look on, memorizing all the details that you missed while you were waiting for your turn to speak. Omega males will find theories and stories in your ordinary everyday, and you’ll learn to see the world differently.

They’re Less Competitive

This is one of the most attractive of omega male traits. A breed of men who aren’t fighting over their muscle size, or academic qualifications. They have their own goals, and it’s enough for them to achieve that. They don’t necessarily have to pull another person down to achieve a sense of superiority. No unsafe speed-racing at midnight (I’m not stereotyping), or gym politics (I swear to God, I’m not). If not happy, then they’re mostly indifferent to another’s gains. Live and let live, eh?

Extremely Unsocial

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This is the most relatable of omega male traits, for me. These men are unsocial to a ridiculous extent. Given a choice between staying at home on a Friday night, to partying with a truckload of people you don’t know, they’d choose the former a hundred times over. This makes me really ecstatic. Imagine having a relationship where you can stay in your own respective beds, eating an unshared bag of chips, and still be in love. What sorcery is this! If you’re the kind of person who likes to have somebody around all the time, then look at it this way: Less time with others=more time for you!

Absence Of Ego

Oh, God. Here comes the brigade. Male ego is a thing, okay? There, I’ve said it. The amount of effort it takes to not wound a man’s sense of masculinity, is immense (and tiring). Is it too much to ask for a man who is secure about his sexuality? I mean, holding my bag won’t turn you into a girl any more than manspreading makes me a boy. I failed Biology once, and even I know that. An omega male may not want to hold your purse but that will be because it’s a god damn monument you carry in it. Not because he’s afraid that touching a lipstick will make him want to wear one (nothing wrong with that, though).

One-Man-Team

An Omega male is a one man team. This means: a) You do not have to raise an adult-year-old as though they were your child. b) They won’t depend on you to make them a sandwich. c) They are self-sufficient and you won’t have to wash/smell their dirty socks (unless you’re into that kind of thing.) d) They might love you to bits, but they can survive without you. Of all the things you are to them, Oxygen isn’t one. Now that I’ve established that an omega male doesn’t NEED you, it is very endearing knowing that they still WANT you. With everything they have. (Well, maybe not EVERYTHING, but you get my point.)

Omega males are the unicorns archeologists have been looking for; however, a fair disclaimer is in order.

These traits may not apply to all Omega males. Or, if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably take an Alpha for an Omega, and it’ll be the beginning of a completely different story.

Suggested read: 10 Vital Things You MUST Know When Dating An Alpha Female

Stereotypes exist for a reason, yes. But you cannot contain human beings into air tight categories. All Omega men don’t have these omega male traits, and all Alpha men aren’t jerks. Judge wisely, and fall in love like there’s no tomorrow.

“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,

Love like you’ll never be hurt,

Sing like there’s nobody listening,

And live like it’s heaven on earth.”  – William W. Purkey

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