What does sigma mean on TikTok? Viral Patrick Bateman trend explored 

Sigma grindset is a new trend in TikTok, where men are idolizing Patrick Bateman’s toxic misogynistic characteristics. This category of males is synonymous with crypto bros and is the latest social identity of men that have taken over the memespace on social media.

Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman in American Psycho has been an emblem of the problematic poster boy since the movie came out. Even to this day, a lot of men copy Bateman’s Seiko watch, his suit collection, or his rigorous workout.

But recently, Bateman’s most condemnable traits - his hustle mindset and unfathomable hatred for women - are being idealized by these men too.

But the point these men are missing is that Patrick Bateman is not a true representation of a sigma male. He is a rather satirical depiction that tries to tell others what happens when men try to be one. His standards of lifestyle are as psychopathic and problematic as he is.

By definition, a sigma male is someone who prefers a silent yet rebellious life, rather than proving themselves through external validation in the social hierarchy, focusing on internal strength instead.

They’re often deemed as loners. But it’s not that sigma males are socially inept. They’re simply socially disinterested and prefer indulging in solitary activities where there’s no need to play social politics.

These males acknowledge without any hesitation that, unlike alpha males, they do not desire power over others. However, they need power only to preserve their own autonomy from others and to control themselves. They’re often seen by others as aloof, secretive, paranoid, or selfish. But the definition says they’re often pragmatic.

The spread of sigma males across social media

Theodore Robert Beale, a writer and far-right activist whose pen name is Vox Day, coined the term "sigma" in 2010. The media has described the man as misogynistic and a supremacist.

In 2015, Beale said that in a representative democracy, women shouldn’t be given the right to vote since they’re inclined to vote for the person they would rather sleep with. He also commented on Black men, saying they are:

“500 times more likely to possess a gene variant that is linked to violence and aggression than white American men."

In January 2021, one Twitter user @LilySimpson1312 made a tweet where they posted several pictures of sigma males and wrote:

“What the f**k is going on with men?”

The tweet grew popular in no time and gained over 36k retweets along with quote tweets and 190,000 likes within the day. Many were first introduced to this category of males as a concept through this tweet.

However, the recent trend on TikTok has different takes on the concept. While some are sharing videos on how to become one such male, some other users are sharing videos where they’ve included the “Best sigma males”.

They consider themselves to be too intelligent for the world and the rest of the people only live in ignorance. But lean on the outdated gender expectations that society used to put on men around aspects of fitness and wealth.

These men not only grow to reject women, but they also mold their minds in a way that treats women with absolute contempt.