Socializing Do you regularly notice social rankings among the groups you socialise in?

[slashrfnr]

I think this is the right place to post based on the General Board Rules, but please move if I've got it wrong.

I was reading Grouping and Group Herd Effects in Dating and Seduction article by Chase today (which is a great read by the way), and it got me thinking about social ranking/hierarchies.

When I first started reading about game/social dynamics in the early 2010s, discussions about alpha and beta and social positioning were all the rage, but unfortunately the discussions weren't that nuanced i.e you will only get laid if you are the alpha. I've since read Chase's articles on social dynamics, which are great, much more nuanced, and debunked a lot of the BS that used to float around.

When i was reading the linked article today, I was struck by the line 'Your odds of sexual success are about even as an alpha, beta, or gamma in a decent size group (using the ethological terms here, for the # 1, 2, and 3 roles in the group)' and it got me thinking about social rankings again.

I thought back through all the various social groups I've been part of, or met, in the past 10 years, and I can't honestly say that I've ever noticed an alpha, beta, or gamma in any of them. Even in my current group, there definitely isn't any one person that consistently leads (id say it depends on the context/situation) and I've never noticed significant status jockeying.

I wondered what other peoples experience is? I suspect its easier to see in cold approach, where you lack the context of each group you approach.

 

[Chad Tyrone]

The Fuzzy World of Social Status

Social status is ‘fuzzy’. That is, you often don’t know exactly where you rank compared to someone else. There are good reasons for this. Social status is a very fuzzy thing. On the one hand, you may have clear social status within a specific group. You may clearly be the alpha male of the group...

www.girlschase.com

This will help clear the fog, a bit

Chad Tyrone

 

[slashrfnr]

Perfect! How the hell have I never come across this article before (or more likely, how did i forget it)

 

[greenjade816]

Perfect! How the hell have I never come across this article before (or more likely, how did i forget it)

what are your thoughts after reading?

 

[slashrfnr]

It's an interesting article, but maybe a bit too theoretical. I still can't say I've ever noticed an alpha in any of my friendship groups - I suppose where it comes from is the definition of the value you offer. Everyone in my group offers different forms of value, and each person offers multiple forms of value, so its kind of hard to compare e.g my closest friend is the entertainer of the group, another friend is the organiser, and I'm probably considered the wise one - I'd say how we rank depends on the context