AKRON, Ohio — The recently deceased Frans de Waal was widely regarded as the world’s foremost primatologist, who studied non-human primates and published his findings in scholarly journals and popular books. He had that rare ability to bring science to the general public in all its complexity, and he dispelled myths about these closest relatives to humans. One of de Waal’s findings is especially relevant to the current presidential race: the Alpha male.
When one asks most people to characterize an Alpha, they often describe a bully — one who achieves his position of dominance by violence, intimidating all other animals in the troop. As de Waal points out, there are bullies at the top of animal power structures, but these meanies do not tend to hold their positions for very long, as other animals form coalitions and overthrow them. Moreover, should a former Alpha bully become infirm, they are often harassed so much by the other animals that they are forced to leave the troop, fending for themselves and dying alone unless fortunate enough to be adopted by a different troop.
Christopher Kilmartin is an author, trainer, and activist in preventing violence in schools, the military, and the workplace internationally. He is professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Mary Washington.Courtesy of Christopher Kilmartin
The most successful Alphas are those de Waal termed “populists.” Far from being mean-spirited, they maintain their positions through benevolent leadership, aiding in food acquisition and sharing, breaking up fights, and easing conflicts within the troop. Frans de Waal goes so far as to say that these leaders are “loved” by the other members of the troop, and they sometimes stay at the top of the power structure for years. Too often, as de Waal so astutely points out, the Darwinian “survival of the fittest” is thought to be a matter of eliminating the less fit, but fitness does not have to come in the form of aggression; it can come in the form of leadership and resourcefulness.
It occurs to us that two of the major players in the current presidential campaign provide examples of contrasting styles of Alpha males. Donald Trump fits the stereotype of the bully Alpha, denigrating his detractors, metaphorically beating his chest, and even encouraging violence, as he did most notably with the Jan. 6, 2021, riots. Recall also that, in the last campaign, when an opponent challenged him from an audience, he told his followers to “beat the crap out of him.” And he suggested that “Second Amendment” people might have something to say about Hilary Clinton, a thinly veiled encouragement of gun violence.
Ronald F. Levant is a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Akron and former president of the American Psychological Association. His latest book is “The Problem with Men: Insights on Overcoming a Traumatic Childhood from a World-Renowned Psychologist.”Courtesy of Ronald F. Levant
Tim Walz is a populist Alpha. He promotes harmony within the troop, taking care of family and friends, advocating for minoritized people like those in LGBTQ communities, and being an ally to women and people of color. Kamala Harris is also a benevolent Alpha, and she has shown herself to be more than capable of handling the bully challengers to her authority.
Voters will decide in November which Alpha they want to lead their troop, and for us, the choice could not be clearer. We want someone who will take care of us, not lift up the advantaged to the detriment of those less-advantaged. And when Donald Trump loses (we say “when” instead of “if, as we are old and have earned the right to make bold statements), he will not be able to maintain his position at the top of his troop, and we will be interested to see which coalitions will overthrow him once and for good.
Christopher Kilmartin is an author, trainer, and activist in preventing violence in schools, the military, and the workplace internationally. He is professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Mary Washington. His latest book is “The Fictions that Shape Men’s Lives.” Ronald F. Levant is a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Akron and former president of the American Psychological Association. His latest book is “The Problem with Men: Insights on Overcoming a Traumatic Childhood from a World-Renowned Psychologist.”
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