91 Comments
User's avatar
Drake Tungsten's avatar

I like this post.

Uluru's avatar

The application of the SSH is really about setting yourself up for success by knowing who you are, rather than changing who you are. Another great read.

Jimmy_w's avatar
20hEdited

Dale Carnegie, a founder of the Self-Improvement genre, does not promise domination of his fellow men. He teaches that, to be good at influencing people, you first have to talk to them and find out what they want. He emphasizes relentless positivity. He preaches that winning debates usually fail to persuade. Many of the acquired charisma tips.

Things Gammas fail to internalize, somehow. Maybe that is why Dale Carnegie training is less popular nowadays.

Cascade Farm Boy's avatar

You know how long it took to make you into the person you are? It’s going to take at least as long for you to become a different person. Is personality immutable? I don’t think so, but most of us don’t have that kind of time left in our first proving. Fortunately, Jesus gives us the removal of hindrances and enemies, healing and accelerated growth, and infinite time.

JW's avatar

The vast majority of people struggle with objective thought, in general. It’s difficult for many to think about any subject without inserting themselves into the equation in some way. It’s exponentially worse when the subject is human behavior or status. The SSH is nothing more than a behavioral taxonomy. It’s an assessment tool meant to be used outwardly to make general predictions of expected behavioral patterns in men. It’s not a mirror. If you can quit thinking about yourself for 5 minutes you’ll realize it’s usefulness.

NotYourPalFriend's avatar

I had some health problems that dragged me down in my early to mid teens.

Around 17 I started putting in real effort to get into shape, and overcome my circumstances. By my early 20's I was getting attention, but the confidence that I assumed would come with getting fit ... didn't.

Turns out that developing abs does not make up for years spent in hospitals, instead of socializing with your peers.

It took a few more years to come to grips with that, and overcome my shyness, and awkwardness in other ways.

But one thing that is undeniable looking back is that the more I "ascended", the more I really just became "me". My core personality never changed. On the contrary, it just shone through more strongly than before.

Barbarian's avatar

The SSH may not be a self-improvement device, but if your children believe you are like Apex you have succeeded in life.

Jbearman's avatar

The constant obsession that both men and women have with status is stupid and pointless. In the grand scheme of things, there are only a few things you can control, even about yourself. The older I grow the more I identify with the sigma in their complete disregard/concern for the hierarchy, much to my wife’s frustration, who still cares a lot about my position in it. Everyone is always yearning for what they don’t have, without seeing what they do have. This is a recipe for misery. Of late I am listening to an interesting podcast about the history of Rome. It’s the story of one ambitious man after another trying to become king of the hill. It’s always never enough, and then one personality after another drags hundreds of thousands into war and death to achieve what one person wanted. Self improvement is wonderful, and so is self awareness, but humility is vastly underrated.

SirHamster's avatar

"Can anyone who isn’t both psychopathic and autistic accurately track their own lies?"

Do people not track their own lies? How are you going to keep your story straight?

Dancing Bear's avatar

Demon possession and the exorcism of demons does change a person’s personality and SSH.

Dancing Bear's avatar

Demon possession is more pervasive than most believe

Vox Day's avatar

By definition, demonic possession is not the person. Don't try to get pedantic here.

The Keeper of the Flame's avatar

Those who seek self-knowledge as a means of self-improvement have it backwards. Self-improvement does not come from self-knowledge. Self-knowledge comes from real attempts at self-improvement. And because we are not impartial self-observers, we cannot improve apart from outside input.

If you want to become a better man, you must find a group of men that will hold you to a high standard and will be honest with you when you fail to meet it. To become wise, you must walk with wise men.

Ominous Cowherd's avatar

Accurately predicting other's behavior is helpful. Understanding how your own habits can cause self-sabotage is likely to be more helpful.

Ryan Landry's avatar

Bill gates is extremely high status. But is also arguably one of the biggest gammas in history. Did he get his status by curbing his behavior patterns? No, he got there by making a bunch of complicated computer software. The guy plays Pickle Ball for Christ sake!

Jim's avatar

I know many women that would want to spend his money, but hardly any that wanted to bed him even in his prime. Money is a modifier, not status. Trust me, I’m a wealthy Delta.

a circus boy's avatar

Zuckerberg is another rich gamma. He even got strong, trained BJJ, but a quick look at his wife and it's obvious he's a gamma.

Saurons Left Nut's avatar

The issue is people thinking they have any likely shot at changing their SSH.

However better understanding other people is a useful form of self improvement in it's self.

Also knowing you can train to mimic other SSH ranks in temporary predictable situations is useful (Vox has referenced military officer training doing this, along with PUA's, and JD Vance)

Kevin Meier's avatar

Maybe it could be used to help someone recognize what they could improve to be the best version of themselves. Like a delta could learn to try to recognize if the job he's doing is getting in the way of someone doing a much higher priority job.

Tut's avatar

Well, to be fair, you have titled it “Sigma Game.”