<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://therationalmale.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Rollo Tomassi]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://therationalmale.com/author/counterflow1/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[The Warrior Gene – Is Alpha&nbsp;Genetic?]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='640' height='390' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/35cOqZI067E?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen='true'></iframe></span></p>
<p>Try this link if you can&#8217;t get YouTube in your country:<br />
<a href="http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/adventure/adventure-sports/ngc-born-to-rage-1/" rel="nofollow">http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/adventure/adventure-sports/ngc-born-to-rage-1/</a></p>
<p>I held off on posting this video because it&#8217;s about 45 minutes long and I figured most readers would probably want to watch it at their leisure (rather than on their &#8216;valuable&#8217; work time), but it&#8217;s well worth the investment.</p>
<p>Any time I write about defining Alpha or detail my interpretations of Alpha as a dynamic it&#8217;s always cause for heated debate. People are always conflicted on the issues of what biological, attitude or character traits makes a Man <a href="https://rationalmale.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/alpha/">Alpha</a>, and as I&#8217;ve detailed before there&#8217;s always a want to force Alpha into a definition that would best describe ourselves.</p>
<p>Beyond this there&#8217;s the question of what makes a Man, <a href="https://rationalmale.wordpress.com/2012/06/29/the-origin-of-alpha/"><em>naturally </em>(genetically?)<em> </em>an Alpha</a>, and what factors make him a <a href="https://rationalmale.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/defining-alpha/">learned Alpha</a> or a <a href="https://rationalmale.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/the-contextual-alpha/">contextual Alpha</a> as situations warrant. I&#8217;ve covered all of these interpretations in the past year, but it wasn&#8217;t until I watched this episode of National Geographic Explorer that I became aware of the concrete genetic evidence of (or at least a genetic indicator) Alpha. I&#8217;ll try not to be too much of a spoiler here, because watching this video through a manosphere, Alpha-Beta filter should be enough to give most of my readers a new insight to how Alpha can be defined.</p>
<p><strong>Biological Determinism</strong></p>
<p>For a lot of guys subscribing to the idea that Alpha is built upon manly virtue and noble intent, your first impression of a biological Alpha-determinant will likely be one of disbelief, or incredulity. Watch the video to the end. You&#8217;ll probably come up with rationalizations about how a biological predisposition for violence does not an Alpha make, and how humans aren&#8217;t slaves to their biology or instinct. You&#8217;ll be pleasantly surprised by the end of the show.</p>
<p>That said, while watching this here are some things to think about:</p>
<ul>
<li>Is Alpha both nature and nurture?</li>
<li>How does this propensity for violence and /or a biologically motivated dynamism agree with our present defining of Alpha?</li>
<li>Does an ability, or lack thereof, to channel this natural (genetic) impulse toward constructive or destructive ends change the definition of Alpha?</li>
<li>How does the idea of a biologically defined Alpha evolutionarily agree with what we understand about <a title="Mrs. Hyde" href="https://rationalmale.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/mrs-hyde/">Hypergamy</a>? (<a title="War Brides" href="https://rationalmale.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/war-brides/">War Brides</a>, the attraction of <a title="Violence" href="https://rationalmale.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/violence/">violence</a>, rape fantasy, etc.)</li>
<li>Can Alpha be learned and internalized or faked in the long term convincingly?</li>
<li>Is genuine Alpha status earned or determined, or perhaps both? (don&#8217;t answer until you watch the end of the video)</li>
</ul>
<p>This study has given me a lot more to think about in terms of how we define Alpha, but it correlates well with my prior Alpha concepts. Alpha is a mindset, not a demographic.</p>
<p>I will do a followup on this post once readers have had the chance to view and opine.</p>
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