The Omega Male/Female
Everyone always talks about the Alpha Male/Female as if that's what we all aspire to. The Alpha Male is the leader of the hierarchy - the strongest, smartest, most desirable, etc. The Beta Male gets the scraps.
But the Omega Male might be the most interesting.
Whenever you move down a hierarchy (for instance, if you lose money, or get fired from a job, or lose a sports event, etc) you feel pain. Maybe it's stress or anxiety. But cortisol is let loose in the system because your brain doesn't like it when you move down the hierarchy.
40,000 years ago, the alphas would sleep in the center of the tribe, so any wolves attacking the tribe would reach the alphas last. The Omegas slept on the outskirts of the tribe and could be killed first.
So your brain might think if you get kicked out of the cub scouts, or lose your job, or strikeout in little league, or whatever, that you literally might get killed that night.
But maybe there are benefits to being an Omega of the tribe.
1. You don't care about any tribe
You can go in and out of tribes and not get addicted to the dopamine hits of moving up and down the tribe.
2. You don't care what people say about you
3. You can pursue interests that have nothing to do with social status
4. You can get good at skills that have no monetary or social benefit
5. You can probably be a good investor
Since you won't be stuck in the madness of the crowds
6. You can probably be a good scientist
Always reminds me of the story of Igor Semmelweiss who figured out that the other doctors in his hospital were killing the mothers of newborns by not washing their hands after working at the morgue and then going directly to deliver babies. He was ostracized by his peers but he discovered germ theory.
7. When people like you, they will like you for who you are
Since you are probably not doing anything fake to be interesting or seem better or different than you are. This could be a good filter to weed out people who you will eventually fall out with anyway.
8. You can probably be a good writer
The problem with most writing is that authors have a hard time saying new things. They just wrap a new ribbon around something old. But an Omega Man has an easier time saying new things since he/she doesn't care.
9. Better mindset for sports
If you attach too much importance on the outcome of a sports event you are in, you might not do as well. The Omega Man/Woman just doesn't care so, if they are interested, will apply their best effort and not waste time worrying about the outcome (unless thinking about the outcome becomes strategically important).
10. Omega people are funnier
Since they don't care.
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