A recent column in the Guardian explored the rise of self-described “Sigma males.” The columnist opens with this description:
You are a lone wolf. You are an independent thinker who makes his own rules. You are confident and competent. Women are drawn to you, but you don’t really care about them. Your day begins at 4:30 a.m. with a cold shower, followed by a punishing workout and an even more punishing skincare routine. You shun conventional career paths and run your own business, probably in crypto or real estate or vigilante crime fighting. You are that rarest of males—you are a sigma.
Social media platforms are full of content targeting young men who aspire to this kind of life. YouTube features videos with instructions, steps, and guides.
The so-called “Sigma” life is just another model of masculinity in a culture where young men, many without positive male role models in their own lives, search for the meaning of life. Some of the content in these spaces is helpful, such as tips on exercise, diet, and finance. But often these pursuits become rabbit trails that lead to a twisting of masculinity into something that often celebrates misogyny, racism, and what Carl Trueman labels, “crudity, verbal thuggery … and the frictionless kindergartens of social media bubbles.”
In the absence of wholesome models of masculinity, some Christian young men are retreating to these perpetually online embattlements, where they are imbibing a syncretistic mixture of Christianity and barbarism. Christian men with influence should warn those in danger of falling prey to Bronze Age Warlord style machismo while also recognizing the social and cultural void these self-styled online shock jocks are filling.
Click Here to Read More (Originally Published at World Magazine)
Daniel Darling is director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His forthcoming book is Agents of Grace. He is also a bestselling author of several other books, including The Original Jesus, The Dignity Revolution, The Characters of Christmas, The Characters of Easter, and A Way With Words and the host of a popular weekly podcast, The Way Home. Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry from Dayspring Bible College, has studied at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and is a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Angela have four children.
