The tell is in the first few words. I'm still learning, but it seems that a sigma would 1) never proclaim such a thing, except very reluctantly within conversations germane to such things, and 2) Not really give a fuck what someone else thinks, therefore would never ask. LOL.
All the "me, me, I, I" references are a dead giveaway for gamma.
If you are awake enough to be aware of the SSH and you take pains to mention that you’re basing your perception of your rank based of what “everyone else thinks”, you just might be a gamma.
I can relate to this as i was recently called in by my alpha ceo who said " look everyone says you're a massive sigma. I'd fire you if you weren't so bloody successful" and its true i know im very dark and mysterious and attractive. So i punched him out and everyone in the office clapped. Then i got the pretty office receptionist pregnant
I can offer an anecdote of what it's like to have a Sigma working for/with you despite company friction and it involved no self-introspection about authenticity and transparency. The Sigma I know never struggled with that ever to the point of category error to even suggest it. Some highlights:
•Bureaucracy was a suggestion, not a command, to him. This means very little hierarchy friction in the immediate sense because what I saw was, "If you can't/won't actively enforce a rule against him, it doesn't exist". Most people simply ignore or act stunned and aghast in response. It doesn't matter if you need to fill out 10 forms to pull a vacuum from the closet if you can simply unlock it and grab it with no one firing you. He basically 'exploited' every such avenue. The confusion for all Sigmas, from my pov, is that they see the 'vacuum grabbing' as free and the rules as non-existent if not a silly game people volunteer for. However doing this enough times burns through the social capital that prevents most people from getting fired, which is completely alien to Sigma thought processes.
•I only told him what I needed done, what the hard 'no' lines are that are instant termination, and most importantly the extent to which I will cover for him. Discussions with him felt more like, "You have 50% degree of freedom on this project, expect slow progress intentionally so plan on that" or "I can give you 100% degree of freedom, go crazy, tell them to talk to me if you meet any resistance".
•People got mad at him for seemingly no reason. They'd complain to me, in essence, that they were pissed off that the Sigma treaded on their 'territory' or niche in the company. It was irrational even to me as a non-Sigma. I'd have to constantly reassure these people their niche was secure and that I'd talk to the sigma about it. I never did because I knew that the sigma's 'transgression' was purely instrumental and momentary.
•If a Sigma ever wrote in anywhere for corporate advice (he wouldn't) it'd be something like, "Why did I get put on a Performance improvement plan, I got results, broke no formal rules and did the mission I was assigned. Was there a formal termination rule I was unaware of?".
•He did more for that company in 3 months than they managed to limp through in 6 years. It was some of the best corporate times of my life seeing a shitty system modernize in real time. Of course he was fired as soon as my authority to retain him hit its limit, I'm somewhat proud of the fact that it had to be the President of the company personally who wanted him gone against my wishes.
I can’t tell if you act as an Alpha, a handler or something else when you described your relationship with a Sigma employee.
The Sigmas motivation is also a bit ambiguous.
I recognize you’re not a mind reader, but I’d be interested in your thoughts and observations on what you think motivated him to complete the tasks you charged him with.
I got put on a PIP at a job once (time was limited anyway, the director and team were all women), for using the rule-breaking 'non-approved research and testing methods and tools', which made the company 23% more efficient, so I reached out to the founder of the research and testing company I was using and they hired me immediately, which I stated in my immediate resignation.
Thanks for this. With your first point, I like to say to people "a rule not enforced is a suggestion." I also know not to say it to everyone because if you don't understand the principle and purpose of the rule then you won't understand what enforcement looks like. You don't run across the street because you'll be fined for J walking, you don't do it because you'll get hit by a car.
Why wouldn't you just get the fuck out? You lost the territory dispute and now you're either getting excised or you're going to start headbutting the wall of your hierarchy all the time.
Turns out, not many Sigmas ask whether they are Sigmas. And even if they did, every Gamma has already declared himself a sexy Sigma and they outnumber the Sigmas 30:1.
now that I think about representations of Sigma male in movies I can't imagine John Wayne character or for example Kobe Bryant asking another man about his opinion about where he stands and how to proceed.
The little lie there may be "everyone thinks I am a sigma". Everyone? While the term sigma has spread to pop culture to millions of people a small minority of people understand its original meaning within ssh. If nearly everyone is wrong in the knowledge of what a sigma is then by default the "everyone" this gamma saying that he is sigma are probably incorrect stating the gamma is a sigma. Mpai. I highly doubt the ssh is water cooler talk on the job so to speak in most environments.
The tell is in the first few words. I'm still learning, but it seems that a sigma would 1) never proclaim such a thing, except very reluctantly within conversations germane to such things, and 2) Not really give a fuck what someone else thinks, therefore would never ask. LOL.
All the "me, me, I, I" references are a dead giveaway for gamma.
Being a sigma is cool to everyone except sigmas.
As the target here, thank you all for the well deserved posterior kicking. It is the best thing you can do for a gamma.
It's not intended as such. But some things don't become clear until we write them down.
The important thing is to remember that the SSH isn't about you, it's about your ability to apply it to others.
Thank you sir. Shutting up because you are correct.
I don't know where else to put this, but thank you, Vox. Your work has has matured me greatly.
If you are awake enough to be aware of the SSH and you take pains to mention that you’re basing your perception of your rank based of what “everyone else thinks”, you just might be a gamma.
It's apparent that one can confidently place bets on "Gamma" anytime someone wants to discuss SSH and their personal place in the taxonomy.
It's akin to an algorithm that determines whether someone is a billionaire or not from their online profile. That algorithm being just the word "No"
Nice double meaning.
I can relate to this as i was recently called in by my alpha ceo who said " look everyone says you're a massive sigma. I'd fire you if you weren't so bloody successful" and its true i know im very dark and mysterious and attractive. So i punched him out and everyone in the office clapped. Then i got the pretty office receptionist pregnant
Classic.
no country for sigmas
I can offer an anecdote of what it's like to have a Sigma working for/with you despite company friction and it involved no self-introspection about authenticity and transparency. The Sigma I know never struggled with that ever to the point of category error to even suggest it. Some highlights:
•Bureaucracy was a suggestion, not a command, to him. This means very little hierarchy friction in the immediate sense because what I saw was, "If you can't/won't actively enforce a rule against him, it doesn't exist". Most people simply ignore or act stunned and aghast in response. It doesn't matter if you need to fill out 10 forms to pull a vacuum from the closet if you can simply unlock it and grab it with no one firing you. He basically 'exploited' every such avenue. The confusion for all Sigmas, from my pov, is that they see the 'vacuum grabbing' as free and the rules as non-existent if not a silly game people volunteer for. However doing this enough times burns through the social capital that prevents most people from getting fired, which is completely alien to Sigma thought processes.
•I only told him what I needed done, what the hard 'no' lines are that are instant termination, and most importantly the extent to which I will cover for him. Discussions with him felt more like, "You have 50% degree of freedom on this project, expect slow progress intentionally so plan on that" or "I can give you 100% degree of freedom, go crazy, tell them to talk to me if you meet any resistance".
•People got mad at him for seemingly no reason. They'd complain to me, in essence, that they were pissed off that the Sigma treaded on their 'territory' or niche in the company. It was irrational even to me as a non-Sigma. I'd have to constantly reassure these people their niche was secure and that I'd talk to the sigma about it. I never did because I knew that the sigma's 'transgression' was purely instrumental and momentary.
•If a Sigma ever wrote in anywhere for corporate advice (he wouldn't) it'd be something like, "Why did I get put on a Performance improvement plan, I got results, broke no formal rules and did the mission I was assigned. Was there a formal termination rule I was unaware of?".
•He did more for that company in 3 months than they managed to limp through in 6 years. It was some of the best corporate times of my life seeing a shitty system modernize in real time. Of course he was fired as soon as my authority to retain him hit its limit, I'm somewhat proud of the fact that it had to be the President of the company personally who wanted him gone against my wishes.
I can’t tell if you act as an Alpha, a handler or something else when you described your relationship with a Sigma employee.
The Sigmas motivation is also a bit ambiguous.
I recognize you’re not a mind reader, but I’d be interested in your thoughts and observations on what you think motivated him to complete the tasks you charged him with.
Cheers!
I got put on a PIP at a job once (time was limited anyway, the director and team were all women), for using the rule-breaking 'non-approved research and testing methods and tools', which made the company 23% more efficient, so I reached out to the founder of the research and testing company I was using and they hired me immediately, which I stated in my immediate resignation.
"Of course he was fired as soon as my authority to retain him hit its limit"
All those dumb social rules don't matter until they do.
That's the game and it is what it is.
Thanks for this. With your first point, I like to say to people "a rule not enforced is a suggestion." I also know not to say it to everyone because if you don't understand the principle and purpose of the rule then you won't understand what enforcement looks like. You don't run across the street because you'll be fined for J walking, you don't do it because you'll get hit by a car.
"the rules as non-existent if not a silly game people volunteer for"
My husband literally calls it "the game", and he refuses to play.
Great description of a Sigma at work.
"been hired by my organization in a more senior position than I am"
So it sounds like he got a new boss and the boss is asking him to do something.
Common sense says that if your boss asks you to do something you should do it so you can keep your job and pay your bills.
What's the relationship between common sense and SSH ranks?
Editor:
He wasn't fine.
Why wouldn't you just get the fuck out? You lost the territory dispute and now you're either getting excised or you're going to start headbutting the wall of your hierarchy all the time.
"A new Alpha has been hired by my organization in a more senior position than I am and has asked if I’m able to curb my tendencies...
"A change in organization is in the works and he is looking at how I fit into it."
I've had conversations with people like this. With people I was getting ready to fire.
This is situation no win bro. The plane is in steep uncontrolled decent. He can't pull out of it. He's got to bail... he's got to bail now!
"Am I Sigma?"
- Gamma
Turns out, not many Sigmas ask whether they are Sigmas. And even if they did, every Gamma has already declared himself a sexy Sigma and they outnumber the Sigmas 30:1.
Frankly I doubt anyone who's having sex on a regular basis has spent more than 5 minutes contemplating their SSH rank.
now that I think about representations of Sigma male in movies I can't imagine John Wayne character or for example Kobe Bryant asking another man about his opinion about where he stands and how to proceed.
The little lie there may be "everyone thinks I am a sigma". Everyone? While the term sigma has spread to pop culture to millions of people a small minority of people understand its original meaning within ssh. If nearly everyone is wrong in the knowledge of what a sigma is then by default the "everyone" this gamma saying that he is sigma are probably incorrect stating the gamma is a sigma. Mpai. I highly doubt the ssh is water cooler talk on the job so to speak in most environments.