Behind the Sigma Grindset – Deconstructing Our Idolized Fictional Psychopaths

By Anushka Anchan

(Photo credits: Popartworks)

Okay, real talk time. We've all seen those Sigma male memes, right? The ones that have you secretly admiring Patrick Bateman's obsessive skincare routine or maybe even nodding along to some of Andrew Tate's crazy ideas. No judgment here – we've all been there. But before we start buying suits and hair gel in bulk, let's take a minute to unpack this whole Sigma thing.


So, what's the big deal with these Sigma males? They're supposed to be these lone wolf types, too cool for the alpha/beta pack. Think Christian Bale in American Psycho (but like, without the axe murder), or Cristiano Ronaldo scoring goals and not giving a damn about the haters. It's all about that 24/7 grind life, you know?


But here's the kicker – we're fanboying over movie characters and Instagram highlight reels here. Real life isn't exactly packed with slow-mo walks and witty one-liners, no matter how much we'd love it to be.


I unpacked this further by asking the folks here at UNSW about how they'd explain SIGMA to their GRANDMA:






It usually kicks off pretty innocently. You're sharing that hilarious Bateman skincare clip or slapping a "rise and grind" quote on your moody selfie. It's all fun and games, right? But for some of us, it doesn't quite stop there.


The sigma spiral goes something like this:

"Haha, this sigma stuff is gold!"

"Wait a sec, they might be onto something..."

"Oh my god, I'm totally a sigma."

Before you know it, that BuzzFeed quiz you took for laughs is suddenly your whole vibe. Suddenly, being emotionally unavailable and looking down on "regular" people starts to sound pretty appealing.


Next thing you know, that quiz you took as a joke becomes your whole personality. Suddenly, being emotionally detached and looking down on "normal" people doesn't seem so bad.


Look, being ambitious is great. Working on yourself? Awesome. But when it turns into thinking you're better than everyone else and ditching all human connection, that's when we've got a problem.


Suddenly, that jokey Sigma male quiz result becomes an identity. The fictional psychopath's traits – emotional detachment, obsessive ambition, disdain for "normies" – start looking like goals rather than red flags.


Here's where it gets tricky. Ambition? Great. Self-improvement? Awesome. But when these morph into toxic individualism and a lack of empathy, we've got a problem.


So, next time you're about to share that sigma grindset meme, ask yourself: Am I celebrating success, or am I glorifying isolation? Am I motivating myself, or am I dehumanizing others?


Remember, the most impressive people in real life – regardless of gender – aren't those who reject human connection. They're the ones who lift others while pursuing their own goals.


So next time you're about to share that sigma grindset meme, maybe ask yourself: Am I just having fun, or am I starting to take this a bit too seriously? Am I motivating myself, or am I just being a jerk?


Let's keep the fictional psychopaths where they belong – on the screen, not in our personality quizzes.