Just when most people think they have the personality types figured out, it turns out that there’s a delta male.
That’s right, there are actually six male personality types: alpha, beta, omega, gamma, sigma, and delta.
This personality typing system came from studies of animal hierarchies, and psychologists applied it to humans.
For those of you who are familiar with any of the other personality types, you might have mistaken yourself for something else.
The delta male personality is quite different from the alpha and even the beta type.
Knowing the delta male traits can help you determine if you are one.
What is a Delta Male?
A delta male is more introverted than a beta. Because it’s hard to get to know the delta, it’s almost impossible for most people to figure him out.
He is very private and avoids confrontation, so other people do not have the chance to become familiar with him.
The delta male personality is often a guy who once was one of the other personality types, but something occurred in his life to make him more reserved.
Whereas the beta is friendly, the delta can be resentful. Unlike the sigma male, the delta does not have to tone down his mystery. It’s just part of who he is.
Delta Male vs. Alpha Male
The alpha male is considered the first personality type and the polar opposite of the beta male. The beta is a go-getter, confident, competitive, and extroverted. Compare these differences between alpha and delta males.
Alpha traits are listed first, followed by beta traits.
Like the other personality types, delta male traits are unique. How do you spot a delta male? The characteristics listed below will offer some clues.
If you think you’re a delta personality, you don’t need to possess all of these traits to fit this type. But if you see yourself in many of them, your guess is probably spot on.
1. Introversion
The delta male has an introverted personality. That means he gets energy from small, intimate interactions. He needs time to recharge whenever he interacts with many people or strangers.
More to the point, the introvert enjoys being alone. It’s just his preference, and he has solo hobbies he’s very good at.
However, that doesn’t mean he can’t kick up his heels and have fun when he wants or feels he needs to. In fact, he can be very funny.
2. Secretiveness
Introversion isn’t a bad trait. But combined with secretiveness, it can be. The delta guy is no ordinary private person but an extreme.
If you’re not used to the delta male, it can come off like he has a wall around him. You may think he needs to come out of his shell. In actuality, he is skeptical of new people and refuses to lay all his cards on the table.
He wants people to work to get to know him. Because he is mistrustful of others, he wants them to prove their sincerity.
3. Low Self-Esteem
Some people are used to having low self-esteem from an early age, and it’s a huge hurdle to grow out of and develop confidence. The delta male does not have this pattern.
A delta man has drastically changed from his previous personality traits. He used to be an alpha male and has become what could be called the “dark side” or the “shadow” of the alpha.
Having reached rock bottom, he can’t seem to get back to his former glory. He just doesn’t have the reservoir of confidence that used to come so easily to him.
4. Loneliness
Yes, introverts tend to be loners. But the delta male is more of a “going his own way” type. He steers away from the group and will sit by himself at a table.
That doesn’t mean he’s not lonely, though. Because he’s so reserved, he naturally has an air of aloofness. He’s detached, and it’s his aura that keeps people at a distance.
5. Prioritization of Love
Society values romantic love, and the delta male puts love above everything else. Even so, he is a rare personality type because few people cherish love as he does.
A single delta male puts a lot of stock into finding a serious partner to settle down with. His friends may often hear of his depression or frustration over feeling lonely or not finding someone to have a fulfilling relationship with.
But when he does find that special someone, he is over the moon. He is likely to get married and have children with this person.
6. Self-sabotaging
Excessive worry and mistrust often plague the delta male to the point that he sabotages himself. His friends, relationships, and career all suffer a downturn as a result.
Whereas many people take advantage of opportunities and seek out the support of people close to them, the delta male tends to do the opposite. He’ll push away and even go so far as to hurt people based on the belief that they’ll hurt him, so it’s best if he hurts them first.
Of course, this only makes things harder for him, and the self-fulfilling prophecy confirms his false belief that he was in the right. As one of the worst delta male traits, self-sabotaging calls for deep self-reflection, honesty, and changes in behavior.
7. Resentful
Sometimes, people go through phases of resentment towards the world. But the delta male has it in spades.
It’s typical for a delta male to have experienced some kind of significant change or life crisis. He holds his negative emotions inside and turns them out towards other people.
Reacting to and being stuck in the past, he can rarely be present. He seeks to blame other people for his problems.
Have you ever met someone who seems they have just given up on the possibility of good things and good people? A sense of resignation is one of the delta male traits and another negative one.
This attitude of giving up comes across as not caring and rubs people the wrong way. The delta male seems apathetic when he is being extremely pessimistic in reality.
He believes he is fated to things never going well for him. Not only that, but he also believes that a negative outcome is inevitable, and he can do nothing to change it.
The delta male personality is the perfect example of how our thoughts shape our reality.
9. Non-competitive
Having an assertive edge and a sense of competition becomes especially useful in the workplace. However, the delta male personality is just not career-focused.
In fact, the delta male is likely to take a career downgrade. Throughout his career, he may go up and down the corporate ladder. It’s as if he can’t find a permanent position. Or if he does, it is lower on the pecking order.
It doesn’t mean that delta males aren’t valuable as workers, though.
Alpha males and other personality types rely on them to be the company’s backbone.
How to Best Manage Your Delta Male Traits
A few of the delta male traits tend to undermine opportunities, especially when the man is trying to attract new friends, romantic interests, and job prospects. So, how can a delta male handle them effectively?
Here are a few tips on how to emphasize the positive and turn destructive traits into constructive ones:
Suspend disbelief: Allowing yourself to take life and people as they come will open up a world of possibilities you never knew existed.
Take responsibility: Sometimes, things that happen to you result from bad decisions. That’s okay. Learn what you can from them, and move on.
Find where you shine: Learn your talents and skills and work on those, then figure out how to use them in your career. You’ll then be able to have a sense of belonging.
Open up a little: There are many things you can talk about casually without having to disclose your whole life story.
Be happy without love: You can yearn for a life partner without having to be miserable about it. Develop your friendships, and you’ll always have emotional support.
The delta male personality is rare and elusive, but the best judges are perhaps those men who fit the traits and recognize their description in themselves.
While it’s not bad to have this personality, a few traits are negative or self-destructive. But knowing about these characteristics, you can learn new ways of coping and managing the emotions that can be destructive.
