38 Traits Of A True Alpha Male

alpha male traits

The term “Alpha Male” has been popular over the internet for quite a while now and we see its use constantly without going into what being an alpha male truly means and what actually are the alpha male traits.

Let’s dive deep into what characteristics and traits do real alpha men possess so that we men can practice and develop them within our lives and be the best version of ourselves.

Who is considered an Alpha Male? – The Alpha Male Personality

An Alpha Male is someone people are naturally drawn towards and have a deep respect for, not because of his money or power, but because of his character qualities and personality. An alpha male is a man’s man, a masculine, confident, and charismatic man. A man of substance and virtue. A man of caliber and high values. 

The term “Alpha” usually refers to the leading wolf in a pack of wolves. 

When the term “alpha male” is used for humans though, it doesn’t necessarily have to do with the position of the person. He doesn’t have to formally be in a leading position to be an alpha, but his overall presence and maturity make him naturally stand out of the crowd and people automatically look up to him.

What makes a man Alpha?

There are a lot of characteristics and qualities that when combined, create an Alpha Male Personality. Not all alpha males are necessarily alike. Some might have a different set of qualities that make them alpha in a certain area of life.

However, to become true and a complete Alpha, one must possess deep character virtues and qualities that spread out in all areas of his life.

Once you go through the following traits and qualities of a true alpha male, make sure to also check out my other in-depth guide on how exactly to begin your journey to develop all the following qualities and become an Alpha, (plus I’ve shared some bits of my own transformational journey as well):
12 Life Advices on How to be an Alpha Male & Stop Being a Beta

Here are 38 traits of a complete, full-on Alpha Male.

1. An Alpha Male Lives A Life Of Higher Purpose

An alpha has something higher to pursue in his life. He does not waste his life wandering around aimlessly.

He is a man of “Higher” purpose, meaning that he is not a self-centered person who is only focused on personal gains.  

In fact, his life has meaning. He knows he is born because he has some purpose to serve and not to join the rat-race or become part of the herd of sheep that are moving in circles aimlessly.

2. An Alpha Male Has Well Defined Priorities And Values

Since an alpha male lives a life of purpose, he is very clear about his priorities and has well-defined values. 

Because of this clarity in values and priorities, he makes clear decisions. 

He cannot be bought with money.

No matter how big or lucrative of an opportunity he is offered, if that interferes with his life’s purpose and his values, he is quick to reject it and does not regret his decisions. 

He knows which things in life he needs to choose over others as he realizes that one cannot say yes to everything.

3. Has Clear Vision For Life 

Knowing your purpose is not enough unless you don’t have a clear vision of how you want to spend your time on this earth. 

Having visions for life has the utmost importance for an alpha male. In fact, he has sub-visions in different areas of life. 

He is never aimless in any aspect of life. 

He has a defined vision for:

What kind of a person he is striving to become, 

What kind of character and personality he must develop, 

What must his family life look like, 

What kind of a relation does he want to develop with his wife and children,

How will he raise his children,

How should his professional life be and what with what values will he work,

What legacy does he want to leave.

4. Alpha Male Doesn’t Care About the Status Quo And Blind Traditions

So many men are so hypnotized by society, culture, and traditions that they never question their authenticity. 

An alpha male lives a conscious life and is Not driven by the pressure imposed on him by family, peers, or society.

He makes conscious choices about what to follow and what not to follow.

His decisions in life are free from the urge to fit the status quo and are driven by his purpose, values, and his vision for life.

5. Doesn’t Bother What People Might Think Of Him

Many things people usually do are subconsciously driven by the fear and pressure of how will people perceive their actions.

An alpha is not bothered by this. He does what he believes. The way he lives his life and makes his decisions is free from the fear of people or society. 

Many people might initially disagree with an alpha male because his ways might seem unconventional and do not match the world view of many people. 

6. Has The Guts To Talk StraightForwardly Without Being Sarcastic Or Beating Around The Bush

Sarcasm and passive aggression are the tricks of weak people who do not have the guts to express themselves in a respectable manner with truth and honesty. 

An alpha does not get into such toxic patterns. He is transparent and knows how to express himself without losing his cool. 

If he disagrees with something or something is bothering him, he’ll let people know in a calm manner.

He has strong communication skills and knows how to communicate himself effectively.

7. Does Not Waste His Time And Energy Behind Things That Don’t Really Matter

Yes, an alpha does express his concerns openly without beating around the bush or sarcasm, but that DOES NOT mean that he makes a fuss out of every little thing that bothers him or is against his own world view.

He doesn’t waste his time expressing petty little complaints.

He does not create a fuss over the small stuff. 

He knows what is really important in life and focuses his attention towards things that actually make a difference.

8. Alpha Men are NOT Impressed Or Influenced By Money, Status, Or Power 

A true alpha male is free from the need of justifying his worth through money, status, or position of power, and other people’s status or money doesn’t intimidate him.

You won’t find an alpha male fanboying or drooling over gadgets, luxury cars, big houses, or being a doormat in front of people with status.

He has his own self-respect and self-worth that is not dependent on these temporary, superficial gimmicks and desires. 

Status gimmicks and flaunting of wealth is something that insecure, beta people do to hide their weaknesses and to try to prove their superiority.

9. Sticks To His Word

An Alpha takes his word seriously. He doesn’t make promises that he cannot fulfill. 

When he does make a promise or a commitment, he sticks to it. Even if for some reason, he is unable to fulfill his commitment (as life can sometimes go against our plans), he clearly tells the truth and apologizes. 

Never does he pose fake excuses or disappear into thin air without ever letting the other person know.

10. Has The Confidence To Do The Right Thing Even If Nobody Else Is Doing It

Since an Alpha Male is a man of values, he does what is right without looking right and left. He simply does not care whether if someone else is doing it or not. 

He is the one to take the initiative in doing the right thing where needed.

Because of this quality, average people sometimes look at him with weird eyes. But who is bothered by what those people think? Nope, not an alpha. 

11. An Alpha Has The Guts To Make CLEAR Decisions

Alpha men are not confused when it comes to making major decisions of life. They are clear about the outcome and know what is the right thing to do.

They also realize that sometimes you don’t know exactly what the outcome might be for a particular decision, yet they take the leap of faith and make efforts to make things right even if they go wrong.

12. Has The Guts To Stand-up For Himself, His Loved Ones, and His Higher Purpose

An Alpha is not a coward. He has the courage to stand up for himself, his family, and what he believes in. 

He is ready to stand by his loved ones when they need him. 

Since he is NOT a doormat, he doesn’t take other people’s BullSh*t. It’s as simple as that. He is not the person to be messed with.

13. Doesn’t Need To Play Manipulation Tricks Like Weak, Puny People

Again, another characteristic of weak and insecure people is that they try to play cheap manipulative tricks to influence other people and get their work done.

Alpha is free from all this crap. He is truthful, transparent and a genuine person. He does not try to take advantage of people.

Because of this Genuity, people trust him and are naturally drawn towards him. He doesn’t need to go after people, people naturally come to him.

14. An Alpha Male Is Respectful To His Woman And Doesn’t Try To Control Her

An alpha treats his woman like a queen. That’s the quality of a king. A king always treats his woman like a queen.

He respects her space and individuality, and does NOT try to impose his mindset on his woman. Neither does he have a controlling, toxic behavior. 

He is a complete man in himself and doesn’t need to cling onto his woman or try to control everything she does. He respects the differences and lives in harmony.

15. Is Open-Minded Enough To Stand By His Woman And Support Her In Her Journey  

A king is supportive of his queen. If she wants to pursue something good, he stands by her and supports her throughout her journey, even if her journey is different than his own. 

He motivates her, cheers for her, make personal sacrifices to make sure he is there for her when she needs him. 

16. His Woman Feels Respected, Relaxed, and Secure Around Him

Since an alpha male is a complete and secure man from within, he never imposes his strength over his woman.

And because he open-mindedly gives her space and respects her emotions and her differences, the woman feels relaxed and secure enough to be herself.

In turn, his woman also respects and adores his position as a masculine, alpha man.

17. Alpha Male Never Thinks Of Himself As Always Right Or More Knowledgeable Than Everyone

A true alpha is intellectually humble. He knows that he can be wrong and is respectful of other people’s perspectives. 

No matter how much experience and knowledge he has accumulated, he remains open to learning from the people around him.

18. Never Looks Down On People

Since status doesn’t mean anything to him as we discussed above, he doesn’t weigh people’s worth based on these superficial things. 

He knows that every person is God’s unique creation. He also realizes that nobody is perfect so he gives people the benefit of doubt.

19. Is Respectful To People Younger Or Weaker Than Him

The true character of a person is revealed by how he deals with the people who are weaker than him. 

An alpha treats younger people with respect and integrity. He understands and respects the phases of life people go through in their youth. 

He does not undermine or underestimate younger people who have big aspirations. Instead, he motivates them and encourages them further. 

An alpha is not the kind of person who says “meh… you are a kid, you haven’t seen anything yet, what do you know about life”.

Because of His humble, understanding, and relatable attitude he becomes a role model for the young and a ray of hope for the weak.

20. An Alpha Male Is Emotionally Stable And Consistent

Alpha males usually aren’t moody, unpredictable fellas. They are mentally and emotionally stable.

They don’t usually go through emotional roller coasters taking the people with them on a ride to misery. Instead, people around them can easily predict their easy-going nature. 

Normally, you won’t find him going through extremes of emotions. Alphas don’t usually get hyper nor do they go extreme down and low. 

Many people lose themselves and their values at the peak of certain emotions. For instance, at extreme excitement or happiness, hyper-aggression, sadness, ambitiousness, revenge, hatred, stress/tension, etc.

Alphas simply do not lose themselves under the influence of moods and emotions. They remember who they are and their values. 

When they are happy, they are grateful.

When they are sad, they are patient. 

When they are under stress, they trust God’s plan. 

When they are ambitious and motivated, or when they achieve something, they don’t get cocky or arrogant, they stay balanced and humble.

21. People Want To Be In His Company And Become Friends With Him

An alpha male is an easy person to talk to. 

He is not some complicated, cunning, sarcastic, insecure, and an obnoxious little…mess (wanted to use some other word but oh well) with whom people try to avoid all sort of interactions.

He is good-natured and approachable. People want to be around him not because of his money or position, but because of his uplifting, and supportive nature. 

People feel inspired, motivated, and rejuvenated in the presence of an alpha. Who would not want to be with such a person?

22. Respects His Elders But Doesn’t “Blindly” Follow Their Traditions, Decisions, Or Beliefs

Respecting our elders is necessary. Blindly following them is NOT.

An alpha male always takes things with a grain of salt and does his share of research and contemplation before going with the decisions of his elders and before accepting the beliefs/traditions offered to him by his family.

He is an independent and conscious thinker and makes utmost use of his cognition and common sense.

23. An Alpha Keeps Himself Physically Fit And Strong

A true alpha knows the importance of being in peak physical state. He’s athletic, agile and takes care of himself.

He’s not lazy nor is he a slave to food. He eats clean and regularly trains his body like a tough warrior, while also taking part in physically challenging activities. 

24. The Alpha Male Is Free From Social Insecurities

Many people who operate on an average mindset usually have some form of social insecurities and inferiority complexes. 

Such people are always trying to catch up with the status quo and social trends. 

An alpha, as we have already established, is FREE from all this crap. 

25. An Alpha Is A Knowledgeable And Learned Man

Alpha males are dynamic people. They are curious to learn and have a wide variety of interests. 

These men know the importance of knowledge and self-education. So they constantly keep educating themselves in a variety of different topics.

An alpha man cannot tolerate being ignorant. He does not tolerate being in the dark. 

Once he realizes how little he knows about something that holds importance, he makes it a point to gain sufficient knowledge and educates himself in that direction.

26. An Alpha Is Not A Victim, He’s A Victor

Instead of falling into the victim mentality and blaming other people or circumstances, a true alpha male focuses on what he can do to resolve problems and make things better.

Instead of pointing other people’s mistakes, he looks for his own and sets himself up to a higher standard of character.

27. Alpha Men Are Deeply Connected And Intune With Themselves

An alpha male knows who he is. He knows his strength and his worth. He’s not delusional nor is he grandiose. 

He also knows exactly what his weaknesses are, acknowledges them, and continuously works on himself to resolve those weaknesses.

28. An Alpha Male Lives An Extraordinary Life

He is not afraid to make mistakes, take risks, and try out new things. 

While most people let societal pressures and fears take over them and confine them to a limited way of life, an alpha is a man of his own will. 

He does not let other people’s fear into his own mind. He’s brave enough to make his own unique decisions about which direction will he steer his life. 

For him, there are no failures. 

Every setback and bad experience is an honorary scar from the battlefield and he takes pride in his scars like the Warrior who is proud of how many battles he has fought and shows his scars as a trophy.

29. An Alpha Man Is A God’s Man

An alpha male is never a slave of the material world or its people, but a servant of God. 

Since he’s a man of values, spirituality is up high on his list of values and priorities.

30. Knows How To Balance His Life

An alpha is not overly consumed by one dimension of life whether it be work or relationship or anything else. 

Though he is purpose-driven and is on a mission, he takes time out for spirituality, family, health, friends, learning, creativity, adventure, hobbies, charitable work, etc.

31. Knows When To Say NO

An alpha is not a “yes man”. He knows his boundaries and priorities. He is clear in his values. And so he knows exactly when and where to say NO respectfully.

He is not afraid of refusing. He refuses with clarity and does not leave people hanging in expectation. 

He is not afraid of what someone might think of him if he says NO. 

32. An Alpha Is Not Double-Faced And Does Not Gossip

Gossip is for weak people who have a lot of time on their hands to waste and do not have important enough things to do in life. 

Same as with double-faced people, who either don’t have the courage to show who they actually are or they are just ashamed of what they are on the inside and that is why they ACT to become someone else.

An alpha values his mental energy and doesn’t waste it on such petty, useless things as gossip or posing multiple faces.

33. He Is Curious And Is Not Afraid To Explore And Venture Into The Unknown

A true alpha male has an open-minded approach to new possibilities. He is not confined by what he already knows. 

He has a healthy curiosity and loves to explore different dimensions of life. 

He constantly ventures out of his bounds into the new territories of life and doesn’t let the fear of consequences rule over himself.

34. Alpha Men Inspire, Motivate And Lift Other People Up

Since alpha men are emotionally healthy and aren’t insecure of other people progress, they tend to lift others up. 

You’ll find an alpha showing support and appreciation for other people’s growth and progress. 

He knows that everybody has their own place and their own timings. He also believes that everyone has some gift to offer to the world. So he goes out of his way to bring the best out of people.

It makes him happy to see people grow forward because he sees the bigger picture of humanity as a whole. If any person progresses and succeeds in something good, he/she is contributing his/her share in the progress of entire humanity.

35. Never Misuses His Strength

Even though an alpha male might have a powerful presence and dominant energy, he never misuses his power and strength to take advantage of other people.

He is neither bossy nor a bully. He is Not power-hungry and does not try to be macho.

36. An Alpha Is Honest To Himself

Being honest to others is easier than being honest to our own self. 

Not many people are ready to acknowledge and accept their shortcomings, weaknesses, and mistakes. That is the reason most people never change throughout their entire life. 

This great quote describes it powerfully:

“Most people die at the age of 25 but are buried at 75.”

Just because many people are either lazy or don’t gather the courage to be honest to themselves, they stay stuck with whoever they already are, never transforming, never evolving into the higher version of themselves. 

This often leads to the life of delusion and ignorance.

Being honest with ourselves requires courage. Putting-in consistent effort to becoming the best version of ourselves requires commitment.

An alpha is brave enough to be honest with himself while also having the character discipline to commit to never-ending improvement and personal growth.

The real courage and strength of an alpha lie on the inside which can be reflected by his ability to accept his weaknesses and shortcomings, and then making the commitment to rectify them and resolve his life. 

37. Has The Alpha Male Mentality

The psychology of an Alpha male is what separates him from everyone else. All of these alpha male characteristics come from having an Alpha Mindset.

An Alpha is mindful of what is going on in his head. He takes notice of his thoughts and observes his thinking processes to make sure he is mentality on the right track and not going towards ignorance and unconsciousness.

38. The LifeStyle Of An Alpha Male

The more you dig into the life of an alpha male, the more you get mesmerized by his lifestyle which stands out from most people.

He has a minimalist and well-balanced way of living.

His daily routine includes:

  • Taking care of his health
  • Take time out for self-reflection and spirituality
  • Investing his time and money growing his intellect
  • Gaining knowledge and seeking wisdom
  • Spending uninterrupted quality time with family
  • Working towards the accomplishment of his goals and visions.

12 Alpha Male Quotes To Inspire You

The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger.

– Muhammad (pbuh)


“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”

Lance Armstong

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”

Muhammad Ali

“It’s a real man who can go out with a woman who’s taller than he is. That’s an alpha male right there.”

Miranda Hart

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

Mark Twain

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

Muhammad Ali

“One man with courage makes a majority.”

Andrew Jackson

“It’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”

Emiliano Zapata

Shallow men believe in luck and circumstances.
Strong men believe in cause and effect.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively

Bob Marley

“At a certain point, even if the one alpha male is dominant, there’s a younger lion that is stronger, and everyone knows it.”

Josh Lucas

“If I were dropped out of a plane into the ocean and told the nearest land was a thousand miles away, I’d still swim. And I’d despise the one who gave up.”

Abraham Maslow

Check out my other In-depth guide on How to Transform from Being a Beta to an Alpha below:

12 Life Advices on How to be an Alpha Male & Stop Being a Beta

Comment down below what additional traits you think an Alpha Male possesses.

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One Comment

  1. Couple of things that make you an Alpha or an A.
    1. Confident in making decisions.
    2. Making the most of your circumstances, we are all products of them
    3. Be the best you can and stop blaming somebody else
    4. Be kind and generous, to a point
    5. Look in the mirror and really see what is looking back. If you don’t like it, do something about it
    6. Achieve things and set goals that will improve you
    7. Be independent of others. Rely on yourself
    8. Never fantasize, be fiercely competitive, but only with yourself

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