this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2025
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Explain Like I'm Five

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[–] Foofighter@discuss.tchncs.de 35 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Ask him,whether this alpha beta talk is a furry thing.

[–] masquenox@lemmy.world 57 points 4 days ago

Your brother is being recruited by the fascists. That is what is going on.

[–] VinesNFluff@pawb.social 16 points 4 days ago

Kick him in the nuts so hard you remove him from the gene pool permanently.

[–] ShareMySims@sh.itjust.works 195 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

Your brother is on a (specifically designed and heavily funded) pipeline to being a total piece of shit (not just with misogyny, but racism, and probably queerphobia and ableism too), do what you can to get him off it. A quick search brings up what looks to be some good info to start you off:

Manosphere

Misogynistic influencers are trending right now. Defusing their message is a complex task

De-radicalising incels out of the ‘manosphere’ through Reddit

Making a Radical Misogynist: How Online Social Engagement with the Manosphere Influences Traits of Radicalization

Swallowing and spitting out the red pill: young men, vulnerability, and radicalization pathways in the manosphere

Exiting the Manosphere

There are also many youtube videos on the subject, though I haven't watched any recently, so I won't link, but look up something along the lines of "manosphere right wing pipeline" and you should see some results.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 50 points 5 days ago

The Alt-Right Playbook videos are an also must watch, starting here:

https://youtu.be/P55t6eryY3g

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[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 17 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] lurklurk@lemmy.world 18 points 4 days ago

He's defective. Talk to the manufacturer about getting a replacement

[–] wabafee@lemmy.world 19 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Just tell him that alpha and beta thing does not exist in the wild. Even the author said so.

https://phys.org/news/2021-04-wolf-dont-alpha-males-females.html

It does not apply to humans. Are you saying your brother is a wolf? Is he a furry perhaps?

Humans are more complex than that.

[–] Boomkop3@reddthat.com 2 points 2 days ago

Also doesn't apply to wolves, the original researcher just mistook a parent protecting her kids for an aggressive male

[–] Fades@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

Yeah that argument has never dissuaded a single chud from embracing in the “alpha” bullshit. They’re being fed this bs from manosphere manipulators like Andrew Tate or someone adjacent or from peers. Their goal is to become cool and intimidating, it’s not about the bad research that lifted up this bullshit myth so long ago.

[–] Bronzebeard@lemm.ee 37 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Anyone who has to vocalize that they're an alpha, isn't. Your brother is a loser.

If you have to say you're in charge, you're not

[–] HollowNaught@lemmy.world 107 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Ask him if being an alpha male is a furry thing

[–] Chip_Rat@lemmy.world 17 points 5 days ago

Skip a step and just buy him some furry romance novel like "alpha of my heart" or whatever (I will not be googling for options, no shame but I don't need that in my history)

Give it to him and tell him you support him and he's really brave to be himself in front of you and others.

[–] parrhesia@sh.itjust.works 31 points 5 days ago

Also if he likes werewolf romance novels

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[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 18 points 4 days ago

Young men who start to behave this way are lacking direction and aren't self-starters. So to cope with the fact they aren't accomplishing anything or going anywhere in life, they assume an outwardly-accusing posture.

Contrary to the image peddled by the grifters, every guy I've known with the "alpha" mentality has been a dishwasher, car porter, snow shoveler, or unemployed cretin.

[–] Ledivin@lemmy.world 120 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

"Alpha male" basically translates to toxic masculinity, and "beta male" basically translates to anyone who respects other people in any way. It's the callsign of pieces of shit like Andrew Tate, who is a human trafficker and serial sexual abuser currently in prison awaiting trial in... I think it was Croatia?

He doesn't know what it means to be cool, so he's hoping that just declaring that he's cool will be good enough to make him popular.

The problem is that the kids who try this strategy almost universally cannot pick up on social cues, otherwise they would understand that it will always lead to the opposite result. People who seriously say out loud that they're alpha males are pretty much exclusively losers or scumbags.

[–] entropicdrift@lemmy.sdf.org 32 points 5 days ago

I think it was Croatia?

Romania

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[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 31 points 4 days ago (5 children)

People are generally stupid, even more so when they're young. Younger people are getting brainwashed by low-IQ online influencers into believing this Alpha/Beta shit.

It's that simple.

If you want to help him, try to break his addiction to those influencers.

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[–] Forester@pawb.social 6 points 3 days ago

Every time he says it ask him if that's a furry thing.

[–] BleatingZombie@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I say this as a younger brother who was beat up by older siblings. If you are both under 18 and he's a lot smaller than you, slap him. If he thinks he's an "alpha" and you aren't, it might be the only thing that points out that he is just human

After you do this, please please please try to point out his error in thinking. No "alpha" commands any respect and the "alpha" bosses are the ones nobody wants to work for

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

"There is no such thing, if you want I can slap you around and prove you're just a normal person if you like?"

Avoids hitting anyone and hopefully gets the point across. If it doesn't... Wouldn't hitting them not get it across anyways?

[–] MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net 84 points 5 days ago (2 children)
[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 5 days ago

Alpha males are like alpha versions of software

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 76 points 5 days ago (6 children)

Tell him calling himself an alpha is just what a beta would do. Real alphas don't say shit about themselves, they have people who do that for them. Watch him implode.

[–] AAA@feddit.org 17 points 5 days ago

"Any man who must say 'I am king' is no true king at all."

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[–] CMDR_Horn@lemmy.world 76 points 5 days ago

He’s watching toxic YouTubers like Joe Rogan and Andrew Tate.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 73 points 5 days ago (7 children)

If you want advice on how to handle this: ask questions. Ask them calmly and without any judgment. Be genuinely curious.

"What makes him a 'beta male?'"

"What characteristics do you admire most in 'alpha males?'"

"What characteristics do you think you have?"

"Where'd you learn about all this?"

Don't ask them in rapid fire, pepper a question in here and there over time.

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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 24 points 4 days ago

Your brother currently is a little loser who listens to the sad little men like Andrew Tate who talk about aloha and beta and have no fucking idea what they're talking about. He can be alright, he just needs to get out and touch grass, interact with real people, interact normally with girls... He'll be fine.

[–] Cruxifux@feddit.nl 60 points 5 days ago (33 children)

It’s called the manosphere, and it’s a bunch of bad podcasters and YouTubers giving shitty advice on how to be a man to insecure kids. It’s annoying because it’s so stupid on its face and yet it’s working.

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[–] figjam@midwest.social 63 points 5 days ago

He wants girls to think he is cool but has received bad advice

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 44 points 5 days ago

Andrew Tate and his cum dungeon brother are a big reason for this.

[–] roofuskit@lemmy.world 25 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Get him off YouTube and social media

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[–] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

How old is your brother? If he is an early teenager, it is possible that he picked these concepts up from somewhere and will very likely grow out of that thinking all by himself.

[–] Patnou@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Twenty Two. He just started this shit. Me and my mom don't know to be offened worried or what.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 40 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Beat his ass to establish dominance.

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[–] x00z@lemmy.world 25 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Toxic people that would never have had a platform for their bullshit have suddenly gained that ability in just 20 years time because of the internet. People that would normally receive a lot of fists in their face, do not anymore. The digital world is such a new thing that it's completely unnatural for us to live with and it affects our perspectives and social lives. It simply goes way too fast for evolution to catch up to.

Without good care, it creates people that are completely delusional and deranged. Filter bubbles also add up to the problem. One that consumes content will be served more similar content, creating and feeding a very limited perspective. Because everything in the digital world is so new, there have been almost no studies in how it affects us and how it should be remedied.

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[–] MooseTheDog@lemmy.world 14 points 4 days ago

All alpha maleism is categorically insecurity. For each of them it's different. Figure out exactly what he's trying to bury under all this tate shit and address it directly. It could be the onset of male loneliness, that shows up around the teenage years - lasts forever though if he's aware he can make changes. It could be he's insecure in his own sexuality - just get him to open up and take everything he said to the grave with you. There could be a person or activity the betas engage in that he can't, or is afraid of being made fun if. Teach him how to stand up to that shit and grow through it.

I'm not suggesting you punish your bro in a way that would enable this behavior further. It's hard to be an alpha type when you're showered in love and support- it just looks stupid. He's probably going through some of the first real life shit, and handling it poorly. As his sister you're kinda on the hook for helping him through this. If you do, you'd probably have a better brother and friend.

[–] TheBananaKing@lemmy.world 27 points 5 days ago

Alpha quality, like software. Buggy as hell and should not be released. :D

srsly though it's the clusterfuckchild of social darwinism, grindset mentality and randroid zoology, plus a bit of wannabe-dom.

There was this old, debunked concept of the 'alpha wolf' as pack leader - all dominance displays, all the time, stronger and wiser and better than the rest, a sort of rightful-king that owes nothing to anyone, and that all lesser wolves obey and look up to.

Some absolute chuds picked up on the concept and decided that it applied to people, that it was a quality people could and should naturally embrace, unless they were just inherently inferior.

And of course they tied that all up with being male, because apparently men are just 'naturally dominant', unless again, they're broken and inferior ones - so if you are male, it's vital to prove that you're a properly functioning one by being a domineering asshole who deserves to get away with it out of sheer chutzpah, or else you deserve nothing but contempt and getting trodden on.

This ties in with conservative morality, which is entirely based around acknowledging and reinforcing social hierarchy. Right is when power is exerted downwards in the hierarchy, wrong is when power is asserted upwards.

So in this world, 'alphas' are the master race, while 'betas' are submissive half-men who lack the strength (and thus the virtue) to display the proper 'rugged independence'. They're also obsessed with 'cucks', ie cuckolds, men who lack the necessary manliness to fight off 'alphas' who would disrespect and shame them by having sex with their woman.

It's all incredibly toxic, and you need to pick him up and shake the bullshit out of him.

pic related

[–] vrighter@discuss.tchncs.de 15 points 5 days ago (1 children)

next time he says that just slap him hard. And ask him who's the alpha now?

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[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Tell him you aren't interested in hearing about his omegaverse self insert

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