You’re about to learn the 11 telltale traits of delta male, and how it compares to other male personalities.
We’ll explore whether it’s possible to be truly happy as a delta male, and how others tend to perceive them.
If you’re unhappy as a delta male, we’ll also look at some steps you can take to change to a more desirable personality.
In my role as a life coach, I am often helping clients to alter their personality and move their life in a more fulfilling direction.
That’s why I’m excited to share this guide with you.
Let’s dive right into it.
Delta Male Traits
Here is a list of 11 traits most commonly associated with a delta male.
1. They Like To Relax
A delta male likes to spend their leisure time doing not very much at all.
You’re far more likely to find a delta male watching TV, playing video games or watching sports than you would see them playing sports or indulging in something creative. They’ll spend time socialising with friends, but it’ll be over a few beers at the local bar, rather than a hiking trip.
The idea of working on something during time off from their actual job might as well be a foreign concept.
Their holidays are more likely to be spent on beaches and all-inclusive resorts than trekking through the jungle or exploring little-known cities.
Alpha males might describe deltas as lazy. Other delta males might describe them as ‘chill’.
2. No Interest In Self-Improvement
Delta males are often physically sloppy, especially in countries with high obesity levels. They have no interest in going to the gym or joining a sports team.
They probably understand the benefits of staying fit, but they often make excuses to not do it. Either that or they’ll suggest they’re happy with their body.
It’s perhaps a bit unfair to call delta males mentally sloppy, but they certainly have no interest in learning a new skill or developing a side-hustle outside of work.
There are delta males who are genuinely happy where they are in life, and see no sense in improving themselves.
However, there are many more who feel incapable of creating a better life for themselves.
3. They Follow Rather Than Lead
A lack of leadership skills is definitely a defining trait of a delta male.
Most will say they prefer to follow, rather than admit they’re shy or simply don’t have the character to be leading others.
Either way, a delta male will usually be found taking orders from alphas and sigmas, both in social and professional scenarios.
They may often be bossed around by beta males in the workplaces, because betas believe more in working hard to climb the career ladder.
Delta males are also among the most susceptible to thinking what the media tells them to think, rather than engaging in critical thought.
4. They Consume, Rather Than Create
A delta male isn’t known for being the most creative-minded individual.
Most of their hobbies involve consuming the creativity of others, whether that’s watching movies, listening to music or playing video games.
They’re more likely to follow trends, rather than engage in unique hobbies. This is shown in the way they dress, the jobs they have and the things they do on a day-to-day basis. They’re the complete opposite to a sigma male in this way.
Related: The Five Male Archetypes Test: Which One Are You?
5. They’re Insecure Around Women
It might already be clear that delta males don’t tend to possess too many traits that are highly attractive to women.
This means they don’t get much attention from the fairer sex. If they do try to engage with an attractive woman, it’s unlikely to go incredibly well.
That’s assuming they’re even brave enough to flirt with them, instead of approaching under the guise of friendship.
A string of negative interactions with women can lead to them lacking self-confidence in the dating game.
A delta male may well be lonely and shy around people in general, as they usually have few attractive traits to tie their sense of self-esteem to.
6. They’re Bossed Around In Their Relationships
When a delta male gets into a relationship, he’s still prone to avoid leading.
Sometimes, their docile nature attracts ‘alpha females’ who prefer to be the leader in their relationships.
But, often, a delta male’s wife or girlfriend aren’t necessarily happy with this shift in power. They would prefer to submit to their man, but end up feeling forced to take control because someone has to.
A perfect example of this dynamic appears in ‘The Simpsons’, where Marge often takes on the reluctant role as head of household, due to Homer’s laziness and incompetence.
Interestingly enough, there are plenty of family-based sitcoms, where the protagonist is a delta male. How about Married With Children? Malcolm In The Middle? Family Guy?
Notice that the men in these shows are rarely well-respected by their wives.
Indeed, it’s true that a woman will rarely respect a man that lets her take the leadership role in a relationship.
Without this respect, it’s hard for a woman to want to truly satisfy him nor fulfil his fantasies as a man.
7. Indulges In Drinking And Drugs
Yes, there are plenty of males who engage in drinking. In a lot of cultures around the world, it’s arguably part of being a guy. Yes, there’s not much wrong with it in moderation.
However, it would appear that deltas are more likely to over-indulge in drinking and drugs.
Could this be because they’re more desperate for escapism from their everyday lives? Perhaps.
The added emphasis they put on relaxing with friends also plays a role, as does the fact they’re less likely to be engaging in extra-curricular ‘work’. Their lack of interest in physical health plays a role, too.
Deltas are more likely to adopt a hedonistic view of life, and this can also make them more likely to engage in drinking, smoking, drugs and junk food.
8. Unacademic
A delta male is less likely to pursue further education, because they don’t believe in improving themselves and getting a great job as much as other archetypes.
9. Always Tired
There are a few explanations why delta males are always tired.
They place less value on diet and exercise, meaning they tire quicker.
They’re also more likely to engage in physically demanding manual labor jobs, as these require fewer academic qualifications.
Their lack of interest in academia also means they’re not used to focusing on difficult tasks for a long period of time.
10. Victim Mentality
When an alpha or sigma comes across a hurdle in life, they’re inclined to find a solution themselves.
A delta male doesn’t have that willpower, not that sense of self-responsibility for their own problems.
As such, they’re more likely to find someone to blame and complain about their problems, instead of finding a way to fix them.
A delta male is also great at explaining why others are stopping them being successful and living their dream life. They always have an excuse.
11. Resentful and Bad-Tempered
Deltas might like to relax, but that doesn’t mean they’re inherently relaxed people.
In fact, this archetype is among the most prone to losing their temper (alongside a gamma male) when something goes wrong.
This is partly due to the fact that they’re often already dissatisfied with their life in general.
It also happens because they feel frustrated at their perceived lack of ability to handle the situation. (See the last point about victim mentality).
But, it’s also because they don’t engage in the self-development often needed to be able to control the way they talk to people.
What Are The Six Male Personality Types – And Where Do Delta Males Fit In?
The socio-sexual hierarchy, created by Vox Day, lists delta males as one of the six male personality types.
Below is a summary of the others, including a brief titbit about how each personality compares to a delta male.
What Is An Alpha Male?
Alpha males are mostly known for their leadership qualities. They’re very assertive and dominant. In social situations, alphas are loud, self-confident and fun to be around. An alpha male is rarely seen alone. He loves to surround himself with people, because he enjoys leading others.
Women adore the alpha personality because alphas exude masculine qualities. Women have always been attracted to strong, ambitious, charismatic leaders. That’s what alphas are all about.
Sadly, a delta male is most well-known for lacking these alpha male traits.
What Is A Sigma Male?
A sigma male mostly has the same qualities as alpha males, except for they have no interest in leading others. They prefer to be alone most of the time.
A sigma male doesn’t care about his social status, nor what others think of him. You’ll therefore often find them in entrepreneurial jobs.
What Is A Beta Male?
Similarly to deltas, beta males prefer to follow instead of lead.
They also tend to struggle with the opposite sex, because they don’t have the strong alpha male qualities that a woman is looking for.
However, a lot of women will settle for relationships with betas. This is because they bring a lot (more than deltas) to the table in a relationship.
Beta males are well-educated and usually put a lot of focus on climbing the career ladder. A beta male makes for loyal husbands and dedicated fathers too. They may have worked on their personality somewhat, and often have enough money to treat their wives to a nice lifestyle.
Essentially a beta male is a more ambitious version of a delta male.
What Is A Gamma Male?
A gamma male is similar to betas and deltas, in that they prefer to follow, not lead.
However, a key difference is that a gamma male isn’t happy about it. They resent alphas and sigmas, and actually think they’re better than them.
Indeed, a gamma tends to be highly intelligent, but lacks the personal skills that tend to get men to the top of the social ladder. Indeed, they rarely have many friends.
A lack of ambition can also hold a gamma male back in their professional life. They’re prone to resenting the women who reject them too.
What Is An Omega Male?
Omega males are the social and sexual rejects of this world. Often, they’re activately avoided by others. An omega male may suffer from a form of mental illness or trauma that prevents them from creating friendships.
An omega male rarely has any sense of self-esteem, especially around women. They’re acutely aware of their poor social status, but they don’t always resent it.
In fact, they might choose (or at least try) to accept their uninspiring life, perhaps embracing their nerdy passions in the presence of their omega friends.
In many ways, an omega male is simply a more extreme version of a delta male.
Delta Male Personality: Where Does It Fit In?
Vox Day’s socio-sexual hierarchy puts the alpha male at the top of the totem pole, closely followed by a sigma male. These are the most attractive and popular personalities by some distance. A beta male follows, then a delta male, gamma male and an omega male.
Betas and deltas are very similar, but betas are placed higher because they are more likely to work on improving their personality and lifestyle.
Gammas are placed below deltas, mostly due to their negative and often toxic outlook on life and relationships.
Omegas and deltas are also somewhat similar, although an omega male has the negative qualities of a delta in more extreme doses.
Vox Day’s Socio-Sexual Hierarchy
- Alpha male
- Sigma male
- Beta male
- Delta male
- Gamma male
- Omega male
Is It Bad To Be A Delta Male?
It’s widely agreed that most men in this world are delta males. A delta male is therefore an ‘average guy’ by definition.
And there is nothing inherently bad about being average.
Average men are needed by society to take average jobs. Governments around the world need an overflow of average men to follow their orders.
No matter where you sit on the socio-sexual hierarchy, it doesn’t mean you’re not ‘a real man’. It’s not that deep.
However, the delta male archetype does not strive to even try and become better – and that’s one of the key flaws that affects their happiness.
There are some advantages to that. It’s less stressful. Nobody is likely to be offended by your existence. It can also be heart-warming to be happy with your lot in life. That’s arguably more important than being seen as an ‘alpha male’.
With that said, there are disadvantages which inevitably come with being an unambitious average man.
For starters, it’s going to hold you back professionally. The ability to be a strong leader and confident decision-maker will definitely help you get to the top, in almost whatever professional field you choose.
If you’re lacking in these skills, it’ll cost you professional opportunities, ultimately leaving you with less money than you may have had otherwise.
On top of that, less women are going to want to date you. Women are attracted to alpha qualities such as ambition, power, confidence, bravery and being a leader. In today’s society particularly, few women are being told to settle for an average guy. They’re all hunting the man of their dreams.
A lack of success with women can result in men feeling lonely, less confident and more frustrated with life in general.
Then, you may have to deal with a lack of respect from others.
It’s not as if nobody will want to be your friend, but more people tend to want to be around men with strong characteristics like those held by alphas and sigmas.
If you’re aware of these sacrifices and happy to make them, perhaps you’ll be happy to remain as a delta male for the rest of your days.
If you’re looking for more success in your social and professional life, keep reading to learn how deltas can transform into more likeable and desirable men.
How Does A Delta Male Change To A More Desirable Personality?
First off, realize you weren’t born as a delta male. Accept that you have the power to change. Any man can change his personality type if he’s unhappy with whatever life he has.
To become an alpha or sigma male, it just takes some time for you to practice embodying their personality traits.
For example, practice being assertive enough to flirt with a beautiful woman when you see one. Have the courage to speak up and take a leadership role in group situations. Discover the ambition to try and be successful in your chosen field of work. Find the bravery to stand up for yourself if someone screws you over. Don’t be afraid to be your full unfiltered self.
Perhaps it will feel a bit scary to take these actions. The solution is to feel the fear and do it anyway.
To motivate yourself, please realize that alphas and sigmas tend to command more respect from others, because they have characteristics that take mental strength to develop. They’re also more attractive to women for that same reason.
The more you practice embodying these undeniably positive personality traits, the easier it will be in future to show them naturally. The better you get at this, the more successful and self-confident you’ll become.
Any More Questions About Delta Males?
I hope you were able to gain some perspective from my deep dive into the delta male archetype.
If you have a question related to this topic, whether you’re a man or a woman, feel free to write it in the comments section below.
I truly enjoy speaking with readers of my blog around the world, and it would be great to talk to others.
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