You may know someone and try to work out if they are an omega male. Or maybe you’re wondering, “Am I an Omega male?” It can be hard to know the difference between the male personalities, but with this guide, you’ll always know who the omega is.
Masculinity is a complex thing. The socio-sexual hierarchy makes it a little easier to understand while explaining the evolutionary roles and stereotypes men often fall into. Be warned, though; gender stereotypes, whether male or female, should all be taken with a pinch of salt. All men and women have different tendencies and should be viewed as individuals with individual differences first.
There are many ways to evaluate someone’s personality:
- The Myer-Briggs Type Indicator
- The Big Five Personality Test
- The Extroversion scale
- Jung’s archetypes
- Other Personality Tests
While the big five personality traits include: Extraversion, agreeableness, openness, contentiousness, and neuroticism, the socio-sexual hierarchy theory represents every man by one of the following societal roles.
- Alpha male – domineering testosterone-dominant men who take charge in social situations
- Beta male – the subordinate follower, usually on team alpha male
- Delta male – the conscientious, hard worker, he’s your average Joe
- Gamma male – the explorer, he loves social interactions, a lifelong extravert
- Sigma male – the lone wolves
- Omega male – the geek, emotionally insecure and only interested in one thing
8 Personality Traits of an Omega Male
The stereotypical “nice guy” is what first comes to mind as the personality of the omega male. They’re usually sincere, friendly, and helpful but can also be introverted and awkward.
Mild-mannered and non-aggressive, an omega doesn’t get angry or annoyed easily. Instead, he’s kind, and although he doesn’t care what others think of him, he values long-term relationships and friendships.
Here are the main personality traits to help you recognize an omega male out in the wild.
1. The Specialist
Omega male personalities easily fall into the ‘nerd’ category. It is perhaps their primary personality trait.
Their innate curiosity gets the better of them, and they tend to focus on one thing that interests them. Specialization can be great for them if they pick something society values. Many of the best hobbies fall into this category. Computer programmers, for example, are often omegas who have specialized in coding. Society thanks them with large salaries.
But other omega males may choose something less valuable for their life goal. For example, they may become obsessed with trains or an old TV show.
2. He Doesn’t Strive for Riches
Some are lazy and don’t care about getting rich, not the omega male. They work hard, but they still don’t care about getting rich. They don’t do it for the money. You’ll often find them involved with academics or science in ways that are personally rewarding but not financially rewarding.
3. He has a Particular Path He Wants to Follow
When you hear of someone that doesn’t follow conventional norms, doesn’t care what people think, and is happy to go his own way, it could be an omega male. When an omega male finds what he wants to do with his life, there is little anyone can do to dissuade him.
4. He Doesn’t Want to Get Married, Have a Family, or Live an Everyday Life
Not all omega males end up as single geeks living in their parent’s basement, but that’s the stereotype. It’s not that archetypal omega males don’t want to get married or have children. It’s that they prioritize other things before mating and offspring.
The socially accepted norms don’t pull on the omega male as it does to others. Naturally, this can lead to frustration, but his ambition for his calling can easily replace that lonely feeling.
5. He’s a Deep Thinker
If you know someone that spends hours thinking about things that most don’t even understand, he may be an omega male. It’s one of the more common character traits among omega men.
Think about theoretical physicists like Einstein and philosophers like Emmanual Kant. He probably has a digitalized second brain on the computer he built himself.
It takes someone special to dedicate themselves to those kinds of theoretical pursuits- an omega.
6. He Doesn’t Want to Be a Leader
The omega male is easy to differentiate from an alpha. He doesn’t need to feel important or that he is in charge. As long as he does what he wants, he doesn’t care what other people do.
7. He Doesn’t Need a Group or Team
Omega males tend to be introverted, so although they might have a small number of close friends, they don’t need to be around them all the time. They find too much social interaction draining and need time to recharge after being around people.
They are friendly and social but would prefer to do things alone.
8. An Introverted Extrovert
Omega males are introverts but are good communicators and happy to accommodate others. They land on the extroverted side of introversion and so are called introverted extroverts.
They are often mistaken for introverts because they’re so quiet, well-mannered, and kind. Although not all omega males act this way, they tend to be a mix of naturally extroverted and introverted but further toward the extrovert side of the spectrum. Don’t get him confused with an omnivert though!
Frequently Asked Questions
Alpha Male vs. Omega Male: the Difference
It’s easy to differentiate the omega and alpha males. The alpha is highly competitive and does everything he can to get social recognition. The omega is the opposite. He doesn’t want to lead, he’s not competitive, and he doesn’t care what people think.
When these two personality types come together, the omega will almost always become instantly submissive to the more dominant male. The omega is likely to feel insecure when confronting an assertive “real man” alpha with more masculine traits.
Beta Male vs. Omega Male
Neither the omega male nor the beta male is at the top of the socio-sexual hierarchy, so you can quickly confuse them. There is an easy way to tell them apart, however.
The beta male is a follower. He follows the alpha, whereas the omega wants to go his way, even if it means going alone.
Omega Male vs. Gamma Male
You’re unlikely to get an omega confused with a gamma male. The gamma is extroverted, unlike the omega. The gamma wants an easy life. The omega wants to work hard. The gamma seeks to explore. The omega intends to stay at home.
Omega vs. Delta
Many men fall into the delta male category. They are the most common personality type.
Neither the omega nor the delta male wants to be at the top of the pecking order. Delta males are usually former or potential alphas, fed up with the posturing and aggression. They’ve given up the throne. How do you tell these two apart, then?
Although a delta may have outgrown the need for social dominance, they still carry many alpha male traits. For example, they are extroverted and won’t let people walk all over them. On the other hand, omega males are introverted and usually want to make people happy as long as it doesn’t interfere with the one thing they care about.
Omega Males in Relationships
Omega males find it hard to attract women. Many of the qualities women look for in men, such as confidence, self-esteem, and social status, are lacking in the shy omega male. Seduction of the opposite sex is not part of the instincts or mindset of this male’s temperament.
Maintaining a relationship with an omega male may be problematic. They often won’t give you what you need. And although the omega male values long-lasting relationships, ultimately, they can be seen as selfish, and their top priority is their life’s calling, not you.
Omegas in the workplace
Omega males are hardworking and good communicators, which makes them good in most working situations.
Remember, however, that omega males usually have a life calling they would like to dedicate themselves. If that calling is their career, they become incredibly effective.
They might spend every day wishing they were somewhere else if it isn’t. But he’s willing to quit his job and take a step down if it means he can do something he loves.
