Men, it is all about skills. The more skills you have, the more your legend grows. The more skills you have, the more people think that there’s nothing you can’t do. You are invincible. You are unstoppable. You are a hero.
Languages
Now that you’ve graduated to alpha man of the world, it’s time to broaden your horizons. Knowing more than one language is hot. It makes you seem learned and mysterious.
Pick something easy and useful to start, like Spanish or French, both of which are very close to English. The only thing that you have to watch out for with
languages is pretending to know more than you do. You’ll only end up looking silly, and alpha males never look silly, unless it’s on purpose.
Party Tricks
Not all alpha male skills are as difficult as learning new languages. At the other end of the spectrum from bilingualism are party tricks. These are simple, easy to learn, and perfect for impressing girls that don’t belong to the Junior UN.
Any neat little thing that you can do with cards, coins, shooters, or cherry stems will immediately pique a woman’s interest AND make for a great ice-breaker. Just picking up one slim book of card or coin tricks can make you a master of the party trick.
Hot Tip #11: The Flaming Sambuca: Order a shot of Sambuca with Flies. You’ll get
a shot with three coffee beans in it. Light it on fire, toast to health, wealth, and happiness (one for each bean), and take it. This is a simple shooter trick that doesn’t require you to drink anything pink or involving the word “Schnapps.” The trick is to not be a pussy about it. Light it, toast, and drink it right FAST. Do it quick and it will go down smooth. Do it slowly and it will burn you. Practice at home before you try this at the bar.
Be Able to Fix Anything
How do they do it? We don’t know, and that’s why we love ‘em. Alpha males seem to possess an uncanny knowledge of how things work. They know how to use all the power tools, they know how to work all the latest technology. They can install your DVD drive, unclog your sink, and boost a dead car battery.
Basically, alpha males must have all that general knowledge the lack of which embarrasses the average idiot. And the truth is that most things have the same small problems all the time. Just figuring out how to jiggle a wire or tighten a screw can do wonders for your rep as the man with the magic touch.
Doing something as simple as reading a couple of DIY books or taking a
handyman class can get this all happening for you. Once you develop a basic understanding of how wheels, gears, and wiring works, you can fix almost anything. And what’s simple to you is downright godlike to the clued-out masses.
Music Appreciation
Don’t panic.
It’s the 21stcentury. Music appreciation doesn’t mean that you have to know
your classical composers. It means you have to know what’s on the radio, know what’s playing at the club, and have a few ideas about cool new stuff that’s not on the radio or at the club.
Make a point of discovering at least one new band every week. There’s nothing sadder then being one of those old dudes that still listens to the music that was cool when they were 16. Luckily, discovering new music is easy to do online thanks to music-sharing networks like Last.fm and Pandora.
Also, know your genres, and have a diverse music collection. If you have
nothing in your collection but country, or punk, or reggae, then you’re not ready for every possible situation. Branch out and make sure that you have:
Party music
Make-out music
Mellow background music
Music that will get people asking “what is this?” (and so your legend grows...)
At least three albums on your regular rotation that came out in the last year.
Last but not least, if you have any aptitude for it, any at all, learn to play an instrument! Preferably something masculine, like the guitar, or the saxophone. Or
hey, if you can sing – so much the better. Have you ever noticed how many frontmen in bands are alpha males? Practically all of them. Having a talent and/or being in a band is a classic alpha male trait.
Art Appreciation
Thinking about and understanding art isn’t about knowing your history lessons. It’s about being thoughtful, open-minded, and interested in the world around you. Art gives insight into life, and it can help you learn to express yourself
clearly. Being able to do this is WAY more important than being able to name a bunch of famous painters and sculptors.
Besides actually using art to make yourself a better person, you can use art appreciation to increase your alpha male cred. Try some of this:
Be willing to take in cultural experiences like museums and art galleries. Go a step further and do a bit of research. Be able to recommend a great gallery or art house theatre on a date. That’s money in the bank, baby!
Have some cool art on your walls. Guys with nothing on their walls but pictures of sports heroes are creepy. Don’t just go to the mall and pick up some posters. Go to an art store and get prints.
Finally, maybe if you can’t carry a tune, there’s something artsy that you are remotely good at. If so, take it up with some enthusiasm. There’s nothing sexier to women than a guy that can draw, or paint, or sculpt. Even graffiti can be a babe-magnet, if you do it right.
Developing an artistic side is particularly valuable to the alpha male because you have so many powerful, masculine qualities. Showing a more thoughtful layer is what rounds you out and makes you a deep, complex person.
Cooking
All the greatest chefs in the world are men, and knowing what to eat and how to cook is an alpha male essential. If you’re the type that tends to burn water, then learn to cook at least ONE great meal. When it comes to dazzling the ladies, that’s usually all you need.
Hot tip #12: Pasta. That’s right, pasta. Pasta is the best combination of easy and
fancy that you can hope for in the kitchen. Here’s a recipe for can’t-fail bean pasta that’s perfect for friends, family, and getting the ladies to love you:
Boil pasta (rotini) following the directions on the package.
Get a jar of plain tomato sauce. Simmer it on the stove with finely chopped onion, garlic, tomato, carrots, and green peppers.
Strain and add a can of mixed beans.
Add basil, oregano, and curry (three very basic spices you must have in your kitchen!).
Mix in a cup of ricotta cheese.
When the sauce is creamy, toss it with the pasta, and serve it smothered in fresh parmesan.
C
Chhaapptteerr77--FFrriieennddssaannddFFaammiillyy::BBuuiillddiinnggYYoouurr
EEmmppiirree
In the world of the alpha male, there is all kinds of currency: sexual currency, emotional currency, hero currency (the kind you earn when you do something great, and spend when you screw up). But the most valuable form of currency may very well come in the form of the people that love and admire you. This is otherwise known as...
Social Capital
Social capital is, in the words of the Wikipedia, “the advantage created by a person's location in a structure of relationships.” Obviously, as an alpha male, your goal is to be at the top of any relationship structure you’re a part of. You’re a sort of MVP. Everyone looks up to you and needs you in order to make their lives a success. This is one of the alpha male’s most valuable resources, as the more that people need you and like you, the more they are willing to do for you.
One of the keys to building social capital is your ability to network. Again it comes back to the challenge of building up your personal legend. There’s nothing that solidifies your position as alpha more strongly than walking in to a club or restaurant or party and having a bunch of people eager to say hello to you. Here are some general tips on how best to network yourself:
Remember names; always have a smile and a hello for everybody.
Get to know people in the service industry (cooks, waitresses, club owners, cab drivers, etc.). These are the people that can hook you up with free meals, great
Don’t restrict yourself to one group of people. Try to meet new friends on a
regular basis, and always keep in touch with old friends. This is quite a bit of work, but when it comes to building social capital, it’s well worth the effort.
Your Core Group
No matter how popular you become, it’s super important to always keep your core group of friends close. These are the people that you need to ‘elect’ you as an alpha male; to help spread your legend and occasionally, to do your dirty work for you. There are a ton of alphas out there, but all you need to do is rule your crew in order to be an alpha anywhere you go.
The last thing you want to do is rule over a crew of wimpy betas. This is a question of dominance, so the stronger the guys in your group are, the more status you gain by having them worship you.
This means that it’s strategically advantageous to be a good friend. Help your buddies out and make them feel good about themselves. Throw some chicks their way on occasion, and don’t be afraid to talk them up. Remember, the cooler they are, the cooler you are.
Family
Alpha males may be tough and mysterious, dominant and aggressive, but in the end, they’re also generally stand-up guys that look after their own shit, which means taking care of family. After all, in nature, being an alpha is all about preserving the bloodline, which requires taking a certain amount of pride in your heritage.
So visit your grandparents, run errands for your mom and go to games with your dad, let the little siblings tag along with you every once in a while, and try to sit down for a nice meal on special occasions.
Hot tip #13: If you have a little brother or sister, use them to your advantage.
Taking them out for a day at the beach or the park is a great way to meet chicks doing the same thing with their little sibs. On the other hand, if you’re working on a babe that is proving particularly tough to crack, try hauling the little sib along on part (only part!) of your next date. Women love men who love kids.
Family won’t always be fun. In fact, a lot of the time they might be really boring or really embarrassing, but being good to them always makes you look like a champion, and it never hurts to add more names to the list of people that think you’re a hero.
The Pleasure-Effort Payoff Trade-off
But isn’t being an alpha all about pleasure? you might ask. And you’re
absolutely right. It is. But in order to max out your pleasure quotient, sometimes you have to do some work. It’s a simple equation: the more effort you put in = the bigger the payoff.
On the one hand, if you take care of your family, guys who don’t do it enough will respect you, and chicks will guaranteed admire you. On the other hand, if you’re not willing or able to get along with your family, it will be seen as a sign of
weakness by women and by beta males who can smugly tell themselves that you’re not so great after all.
Every alpha male is an investment banker, but instead of working with stocks and bonds, you work with social capital. Cultivate it, take risks, triple your profits overnight, and when you’re rich in friends and admirers, you’ll be as
C
Chhaapptteerr88--CCaarrss::TThheeDDrriivveettooDDoommiinnaattee
Now that you’re done thinking about the people around you, you can get back to looking out for number one. As an alpha male, you need to have a car. Any car will be better than no car at all. As long as it’s not breaking down at
embarrassing moments, and you drive with style and confidence, even an old beater can work for you.
Fixing Cars
Having an old car is not the worst thing that can happen to an alpha. If your car is ten years old, just insist that it’s a “classic car.” As an alpha male, making these kind of determinations is your prerogative. In fact, there are two classic car
mistakes that are WAY worse than driving an old trans-am. These are:
Having a really nice car that in no way fits your lifestyle. If you’re a rugged, outdoorsy-type alpha, don’t get a sports car. If you’re the slick, urban type, don’t get a hummer. If you get a vehicle that makes an inaccurate statement about who you are, you’ll just look like you’re trying to make up for having a small dick.
Not being able to fix a car, or having a car that you don’t know how to fix. If you break the bank on some fancy European model that reads like Morse code under the hood, you’re going to look like a fool when it breaks down on a date and you don’t have a clue what to do about it.
Hot tip#14: Using the beater to your advantage. This tactic is best used on a
second or third date. Before the two of you head out, sabotage the car in some small way. Just loosen the battery or something like that – something easy to fix. Then, when the car dies on the way to dinner, you just hop out and fix the
problem in two seconds. This takes the babe on an emotional journey from concern and disappointment to relief and admiration. In other words – putty in your hands.
Buying a Car
When you walk into a car dealership, the first thing you have to be aware of is that every car salesman has to believe that he is the alpha male in order to survive. That means that any time you buy a car, it’s a battle for dominance between you and the salesman.
The trick to beating this guy is not to use the aggressive, domineering side of your alpha personality. Instead, you’ll have to rely on the intelligent, calm aspects of your personality.
Begin by going in there knowing exactly what you need. Do all your research online and figure out 1: what you want, and 2: what it’s going to cost. Next, go into the dealership knowing that the salesman is going to be using the intelligent, calm side of his personality, as well. He’s not going to be aggressive, he’s not going to try to push you around. Instead, he (or she!) is going to try to appeal to your alpha ego in order to get you to spend the most money possible.
That’s the trick. The salesperson is going to kiss your ass. They’re going to tell you how great you are, and insist that you deserve the best. They don’t mind if you
don’t think of them as an alpha, because in the end, the commission they earn off you will decide the battle.
So just be calm, and rely on the information you gathered before coming in. Don’t succumb to flattery or the promise of features that will make the ladies drool. Remember that the salesperson’s job is to act really happy and make you feel great. If you can make them uncomfortable and unenthusiastic about your purchase, then you’re on the right track.
New Cars vs. Used Cars
As a rule, new cars are a ridiculous expense. The only people who buy new cars are the horrendously wealthy. As an alpha male with a good knowledge of cars, you will do just as well buying a car that’s a few years old, but that’s nicer than any of the new cars you could afford.
If you’re driven to own the road, but your finances fall short of matching your ambition, you might even consider picking up an old Jag or a Mustang for a few grand and putting some man hours into restoring it. The benefits of this are three- fold: you get to learn all about cars, have a cool hobby, and eventually drive something that you put together with your own two hands. It doesn’t get much more alpha than that.
If, like most alphas, you’ve gotta have that new BMW, or that new Ford Explorer, you might want to try leasing it for a while. A good lease will generally get you a vehicle with all special features included for little extra cost, and it gives you some time to consider whether driving this car is really worth the expense.
Losing Your License
The alpha male lifestyle can involve a lot of partying, but lose your license, and you are taking a step down the road to the sad, sad world of the washed-up alpha.
The only way that you’ll guaranteed lose your license is by getting caught drunk driving. This is easy to avoid as long as you plan ahead.
As an alpha, it should be no problem for you to delegate the job of driving home to one of your beta buddies. Even better is to rely on a female friend who is less likely to blow off her role as designated driver and get drunk.
Hot tip #15: Get a designated driver pool going with your friends. As the alpha,
your “turn” to stay sober doesn’t have to come up very often, but when it does, consider hiring a limo. The cost of renting a limo for an hour is only about $50.00, probably close to the price you would pay to get everyone home in a cab. This is an incredibly slick, classy thing to do. If you only have to do it about once a month, your entire budget for getting home safe after partying comes down to $50.00 bucks a month. And so your legend grows...