Alpha males are not leaders of the pack as you would have yourself believe. Many people have preconceptions of what an alpha male should make up. he should always be confident and unwaivered (suave), he's very intelligent and strong along with being attractive and wealthy enough to not give a damn and do what he wants at the same time. he's a man who takes what he wants, even without asking. But it's a preconception no different than women who are told they should be barbie dolls.    the problem is, there is very little room for these 'alpha male' types in modern civilization. in the real world, these so called alpha males are criminals and rapists and thieves and generally rotten people to be around in the long term. they're the type of people who cut you off on the high way. the type who rob the middle class and poor. the type who think they're better than everyone else, and even smarter than everyone else while possibly having a very low IQ.     Ultimately, 'alpha males' (by popular definition and prevalence) are unstable and in the long term are the type who become mediocre to loser providers, not just in money but also in the amount of maintenance they put into relationships or lack thereof. instead of having a symbiotic relationship they make the woman subservient to his will (or else). to put it simply, so-called alpha males are douche bags, and not even for good reason. they're just selfish people.     when people speak of alpha males, these are the type of people they are really talking about, even if unknowingly. you see the alpha male, while being ignorant, is soo confident that everyone around them believes they are justified for some reason in doing what they are doing.     the truth is, most alpha males are just beta males trying to compensate for things they lack.     the picture itself can represent other factors. first off, the so called alpha male in the background is much larger than his woman. the couple in the foreground are about equal height and build. simply put, it'd be difficult and probably uncomfortable for him to lean on her.    you have to take into account moods. just because you're sleepy doesn't make you a beta-male. just because you're being intimate with your woman by laying on her shoulder when you're exhausted doesn't make you a panzy.    if I had to guess just by looking, i'd say the couple in the foreground has a better chance at a long lasting and happy relationship while the couple in the background looks more like they'll get as far as popping out a kid or two before divorce, most likely caused by infidelity by either partner along with being miserable with each other in general. she'll resent him for being controlling or making 'alpha male' choices (ie wrong ones) and he'll resent her for not listening to his every word as if it was spoken by god himself.     while you see many successful looking 'alpha-males', you don't see what goes on in their personal life or behind closed doors. it's all a facade. in short, being an 'alpha male' doesn't make you a good respectable man, and the majority of people claimed to be alpha males are not good people in general. there are many real alpha males who people might mistakenly classify as beta males. plus you have to take into account, wannabe alpha males will think other real alpha males around them are just beta males. you see, in a room full of alpha males, every other man in that room is a beta male in their eyes even if subconsciously. the real alpha male is the one who isn't concerned with these things or striving to be an alpha male or recognized as one.    you have to realize that no one is always an alpha male (and not every situation calls for it), many men change roles of alpha male and beta male often depending on the situation. if an alpha male spouts his mouth off and gets beat down by a beta male, what does that make the 'alpha male'? does the alpha male get demoted and the beta male get promoted, or was the beta male a true alpha male all along? there is wisdom in choosing your battles.