1375: Alphas | Skeptical Sunday

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday. I'm your host, Jordan Harbinger. Today I'm here with Skeptical Sunday co-host, writer, researcher, and fellow alpha male, Nick Pell. On the Jordan Harbinger Show, we decode the stories, secrets and skills of the world's most fascinating people and turn their wisdom into practical advice that you can use to impact your own life and those around you, and our mission is to help you become a better informed, more critical thinker. During the week, we have long form conversations with a variety of amazing folks, from spies to CEOs, athletes, authors, thinkers, and performers. On Sundays though, it's Skeptical Sunday, a rotating guest co-host and I break down a topic you may have never thought about and debunk common misconceptions about that topic, such as internet porn, chemtrails, bann foods, toothpaste, crystal healing, diet pills. bottled water and more. If you're new to the show or you want to tell your friends about the show, and I always appreciate it when you do that, I suggest our episode starter packs. These are collections of some of our favorite episodes on persuasion, negotiation, psychology, disinformation, crime and cults, and more to help new listeners get a taste of everything we do here on the show. Just visit Jordan Harbinger dot com slash start or search for us in your Spotify app to get started.

Alright, today on the show, somewhere online, you may have been yelled at by a guy in a fitted polo shirt telling you how to be an alpha male. It's the ultimate online shorthand, this idea that human society is a rigid hierarchy where you're either the silver back leading the troop or a beta waiting for scraps. It's moved from dark corn of pickup artist forums, which I am unfortunately quite familiar with, straight into mainstream corporate leadership seminars and girl boss TikTok. promising that if you just fix your posture and you project, you assert dominance, the world will finally hand you the keys to the kingdom. The problem is that Alpha has become essentially the astrology of the insecure. It's a seductive, simple story that we use to explain away why we didn't get the promotion or why a second date didn't happen. We're told it's biological, which makes it feel like some kind of unchangeable law of nature. It's flattering if you think you got it, and a convenient excuse if you don't. But the moment you poke at the actual science, the whole thing starts to look Less like a nature documentary and more like a house of cards built on a total misunderstanding of how animals, including humans, actually function. Here today to help us separate the leaders from the loudmouths is writer and researcher Nick Pell. Nick

You're not an alpha, is that right? I don't know, man. You got a lot of tattoos and a beard, so just saying. It's after March, so I I just have sideburns, but As I think we're about to find out, no one is an alpha. But no, despite being a gravely voiced bodybuilder. This is not a term I have ever identified with. That's so Sigma, bro. Yeah. If we have to categorize it, sure. I'm I'm a Sigma. I think before we get into this, it's important to note

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