There's a lot of fuss made about the concept of "alpha" and "beta" personality traits and how they intertwine with SMV and appeal to women. Apparently, "beta" personality traits are highly unappealing and an instant turn-off in social interactions not just with the female gender, but in general. Our ancestors understood this. That's why most males up to the 70s/80s were raised in a certain manner which would ensure that they would grow up to be as "alpha" as possible.

Take a look at your grandfather. He's very likely respected not just within the family, but by his social circle and society in general. Your grandmother, his wife, is still with him after decades of marriage and the thought of cheating or leaving him probably never crossed her mind. He's self-assured, confident, speaks his mind and his input is always appreciated.

Obviously, there are exceptions to the example that I've set above. But I think that most can agree, this is the way that an elderly male behaves and is treated within society. Clone an entire population of them, and you have what you had in the early/mid 20th century - a largely monogamous society, low divorce rates and families with men as their backbones.

Now, the obvious question is, what changed? Why are divorce rates so high today? Why is cheating a real possibility within the vast majority of LTRs? All of this boils down to parenting and societal values. Traditional gender roles are pretty much a subject of scrutiny and laughter nowadays, but they served a real purpose when applied and their abolition shows drastic cultural changes.

From an early age, boys were projected to certain masculine behavioral traits, values and hobbies. They were pushed into sports, drove bycicles and played with toy trucks. They were taught to never cry. They were taught to fight back when pushed. When they screwed up, they would be disciplined. All of this ultimately served one purpose - they grew up to be strong, confident and self-assured males. Most men were "alpha", with omissions being few and in-between. The result was monogamy.

Flashforward a couple of decades later. Liberal indoctrination creeped into family life. Suddenly, it was okay for men to cry and show affection whenever they feel like it. When bullied and ostracized, they should ignore it or inform incapable authorities. Disciplination is greatly regulated and limited, because all those poor little children would be greatly damaged by spanking from time to time. Women went from being respected, to being pedestalized. Combine this with the effects of technological revolution and mass media, and suddenly we've bred a society of wimps. Weak men riddled with insecurities. Depression and social anxiety going rampart.

Thankfully, change is always possible. Self-improvement is never a bad thing. But always remember, your grandfather didn't need any self-improvement. He never had to worry about "maintaining frame" or "working on his personality". It was all natural to him.