Betas

Gun's Quote-of-the-Week:

“Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is called happiness.”

-Chinese Fortune Cookie

In the news this week was a Princeton study that came out about baboons. Published by the journal Science, this study left us with the common-sense knowledge that everyone already knew, but needed to be reminded.

In baboon culture, there exist alpha males. The alpha is the male who leads the pack, getting access to better food, the better place to rest his head and, of course, the first pick of the fertile females. One would think that all of these things would lead to a longer, more fulfilling life for the alpha, but Princeton tells us otherwise.

Princeton researchers collected poop from the baboons during their 9-year study. They weren’t looking for corn or seeds or anything like that; they were looking for testosterone and glucocorticoid, hormones produced by males when they are gearing up for intense physical activity, especially during a threatening situation. Larger amounts of these hormones, especially glucocorticoid, indicate stress levels.

From this smelly work, they were able to determine that the guys who ranked dead-last in baboon social order had the highest stress levels. They found that as you increased in rank your stress level decreased. More popular, better looking, stronger baboons enjoyed less stress than their scrawny, awkward, virgin peers.

This inverse correlation was true throughout all social classes, until it hit one… the alpha male.

For the alpha male, the stress level was on the same level as the lowest-class baboons. The researchers concluded that all of the work necessary to stay at the top of the heap had a detrimental impact on the alpha. The alpha was constantly fighting to keep their place, to ward off other challenging males, and to court females. Beta males actually showed the lowest stress levels. While they didn’t get first pick at dinner or in bed, they generally enjoyed acceptable, comfortable status in their social order while not necessarily having to worry as much about being challenged by other males.

Included in the study were the obvious findings that high levels of stress resulted in wearing out immune and reproductive systems faster, as well as other adverse health effects. In other words, alphas needed baboon Viagra just to keep up.

I have a plethora of Gun’s Quotes that talk about rising to the top, going the extra mile, never giving up, never quitting, staying in the fight, and being a champion. All of us are taught to be the best we can be and to achieve greatness. We tell ourselves that 2^nd-place is the first loser, that middle-management is only a stepping stone and that white-collar work is where it’s at. Silver will never be more valuable than gold, and the guys who show up to work just to do their job and go home always will be equated with the 2^nd-string guys who will never have their names called out before the start of the game.

Nobody wants to be a beta.

I think I’m changing my mind about that, though. After taking a job because of an opportunity to rise to the top, I’m discovering that the journey may not be worth it. The long hours, the high stress, the lack of sleep… I need only look at my bosses who work 7-days a week and evenings just to keep up. This is not the life I want.

I want to write a Gun’s Quote every week, not be so busy that I have to skip one like last week. I want to cook again instead of leaning on Brian and Erik, I want to fix my bathroom, clean my junk out and, the most important of all, serve my church. Knowing what it takes to be a leader in a career-field, I’ve all but concluded that perhaps I don’t want to lead after all.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!