Beta guys

Today's subject is taken from Joel Stein's http://ideas.time.com/contributor/joel-stein/ article in TIME (which I can't find online - hey! that rhymes) about his romantic experiences as a "beta" guy.

Stein defines the beta guy as someone who's likely to be subject, as he was, to bullying by the alpha guys at school, but not so much in adulthood where muscles and macho don't have the same sway (outside of the military and big business, of course). A guy who doesn't take himself, or his masculinity, too seriously, laughs at himself, respects women as equals in a way that alphas really really don't, and is a beta (better) man for it. I like beta guys like Joel (etc), needless to say.

And I like the happy coincidence that 'beta' (Greek B) is so close to the English "better" to provide a perfect pun, even if it is supposed to be pronounced in Greek with a hard 'e'. Beta guys and alpha gals together will  fix the world, given half the chance.

This Aussie blog http://www.reservoirdad.com/ that just won a top blog award in Australia is working in this direction, in a tough market. Well done to you reservoir dad, for fighting the beta fight.