The Unplugged Alpha: Summary & Review

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the unplugged alpha book cover

The Unplugged Alpha (2021) is a red pill-inspired self-help book for men that, its author Richard Coopers says, crushes society’s most comforting lies with a series of “cold, hard truths” about life, relationships, and intersexual dynamics.

Exec Summary

  • Society teaches you to put women first, but that disempowers you and makes you lose in life and at dating, instead, to succeed in life and with you must:
  • Face and learn the harsh realities of life and dating  
  • Put yourself first, maintain frame, and become an alpha male, and then you will turn into what you were always meant to be, and you will also enjoy life and sexual success

FULL SUMMARY

About the Author:
Richard Cooper is an entrepreneur, red pill self-development author, founder of the “Entrepreneurs in Cars” website and YouTube channel and, we probably can say, a “gearhead” passionate about cars.

Lucio: I’m sorry to say that Richard Cooper shares some toxic and weak mindsets to dating and relationship

In that video, at least.
But if that’s Cooper’s opening video to his YouTube channel, well…

We live in a “female primary social order”

The author says that feminism changed the rules of the game.

And it never was about equality, it was about power.
It seems women are winning -or have won-.

This is what I disagree the most about the red pill.
To me, this is such a sad sack, loser, disempowering way to approach the world.
Fuck the “social order”, you make the social order around you.

Also see:

Enlightened Self-Interest: Making of The Ubermensch

Women break rules for alphas and make them for betas

In large part, it’s true because of simple social exchange dynamics -in this case, sexual marketplace dynamics-.

Also read:

The Science of “Alpha Fucks Beta Bucks” (Facts VS Myths)

Avoid Single Mothers

They will put you last and use you as a provider for their already existing child.

Note: at parity of attractiveness non-mothers are better for most men. But you must look at your situation to decide what’s best for you
Cooper stops at the general level. See “ceiling self-help“.
I was dating a divorcee with a kid, she’d come to my place with food, we’d enjoy our time, and it was the perfect relationship for me. Also, Brad Pitt is not your archetype of beta male, but he married Angelina Jolie when she already had adopted children-.

Only pick women who have a burning desire for you

Whenever possible, it’s something we agree with.
And we even made it one of our main approaches to have long-term power in relationships.

5 Ways to Maintain Power & Control in Relationships

My Note: Focus on achieving your goals, no matter what you use
Albeit I fully agree with the author… What if genuine desire isn’t possible for someone? Not everyone is an attractive man, after all.
I think it’s fair then to use whatever means possible, including money, psychology, and everything else we teach here.

Watch out for these red flags

  1. Red flag #1 – Daddy issues, you recognize them for a poor relationship with tier father, or not having a father
  2. Red flag #2 – Feminists, you recognize because they’re the opposite of a feminine woman
  3. Red flag #3 – The unhappy and unlucky, Richard Cooper quoting ‘The 48 Laws of Power’
  4. Red flag #4 – She competes with you, and the only reason why women do that is because they think they’re higher value, and they think you’re a lower value man
  5. Red flag #5 – Keeps men from her past around, especially bad if she pines for a former alpha male in her past (“alpha widow”)
  6. Red flag #6 – Poor with money, because she will spend your money -and demand always more-
  7. Red flag #7 – Violent women, the author says that early signs are “as small as a punch”, while I’d even include “threatening to punch”
  8. Red flag #8 – Extreme jealousy, women want men that other women want, but don’t want to share. So some jealousy -“competition anxiety” is a good thing, but not when it’s too much and when she’s insecure about herself
  9. Red Flag #9 – Partying, if she continues partying while you’re in a relationship, tell her to stop and if she doesn’t, only keep her as a plate, not as a girlfriend
  10. Red Flag #10 – Many tattooes and piercings, especially if in visible areas
  11. Red Flag #11 – High notch counts, as there is a direct correlation between a high sexual partner count, and lower-quality women. And the earlier she had sex, the higher her sexual partners count, the lower her ability to bond monogamously, over a long period of time, and in a healthy manner (albeit I wonder why the author positively frames monogamy here when he later says that humans are not monogamous?)
  12. Red Flag #12 – Single mother, “do not be a cuck. Do not raise another man’s child”
  13. Red Flag #13 – Validation-seeking, the best girls have private accounts and do not showcase their bodies to get likes
  14. Red Flag #14 – A past as a sugar baby, look up the term “seeking” in her email account
  15. Red Flag #15 – Pathological lying, because untrustworthy women aren’t girlfriend material
  16. Red Flag #16 – She has “babies rabies”, because women who are desperate to get married and/or reproduce are not interested in you, but only in what you must do for them
  17. Red Flag #17 – Hissy fits, as they are the signs of social immaturity
  18. Red Flag #18 – Not being in control of the birth, albeit I didn’t really get how this is a red flag of the woman, and not of the man who relinquishes that control
  19. Red Flag #19 – She’s a drama queen, who turn molehills into mountains
  20. Red Flag #20 – She had addictions, either to things, activities, or substances

Hire Slow, Fire Quick

Take your time to assess women, but let them go quickly if you turned out to be a poor judge of character.

As noted by my good friend Dr. Shaun T. Smith in his book ‘The Tactical Guide to Women’, spend as much time as possible vetting and setting healthy boundaries with a woman before committing. It’s from month 18-onwards when a woman’s true personality comes through.

To Get Women, Get Looks, Status, And Game

The author in this chapter talks about meeting women online, albeit I don’t think that “game” or even “status” are as nearly as important in online dating as they are in real life.

Manage your testosterone

Albeit the chapter title is called “manage your endocrine system”, it ends up focusing almost exclusively on testosterone.

And the basic message is that if you’re low in testosterone, or if you’re past 30-35, to replace it (TRT).

Then it goes on to add some basic and popular recommendations on health and nutrition.
I personally wouldn’t take any advice from a book that’s not from a trusted authority though because science advances quickly on nutrition and books are quickly left behind.
And two, there’s way too much bad information in this area, and you probably won’t find a great source from most random red pill authors (no offense, they’re just not nutritionists and a lot more likely to fall for nutritional fads).

Also read:

7 Best Nutrition Books That Changed My Life

Manage the fucks you give

Your time is the most limited resource you have, stop wasting it on nonsense.

Most of all, stop worrying about nonsense.

Instead, focus on what moves you, your mission, or your family forward.

Also read:

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: Summary & Review

Always control birth control

ALWAYS be in control of the birth. Without exception. Far, far, too many men have been already duped by women with “baby rabies”. Do not let yourself become one of them.

We’re not monogamous

Cooper bases much of this chapter on the book Sex at Dawn.

Sex at Dawn is a good evolutionary psychology book for those who understand the limitations.
Rich may not be be one of those people.

That book is not a dispassionate analysis, but it’s Chris Ryan’s personal interpretation of some evolutionary evidence for polygamy.

Of course, just to be clear: humans aren’t 100% monogamous.
That should be obvious to anyone.
But the devil is in the details -or in the shades of grey-.

Jealousy and love are the proof that (semi-)monogamy is an important aspect of human lfe.
I get that it would be too much from a red-pill author to think that far though.

And it’s in this chapter that I felt the author generalizes the most, strays off the most from actual data and research, and seems to exaggerate women’s nature -while forgetting that it’s men who generally are more open to affairs.

Sarys Richard Cooper:

You need to understand that marriage is no buffer from hypergamy. If a woman feels like she hasn’t done the best that she can do, and her Sexual Market Value (or SMV) has increased over her partner’s significantly, then the marriage is at risk. Women can, and often do, leave the perfectly good men that they took those vows with, so they can “Go and explore their options.”

Own a motorcycle

Motorcycles are the modern equivalent of (iron) horses.

And then you can also take some pics for your online dating profiles:

Albeit I’m biased and I’d personally agree with the author, I see little benefits in owning a bike for your self-development unless you enjoy it.
I find driving in general, and driving two-wheelers the most, to be a life’s joy. If you’re the same, go for it.

I didn’t agree much with the author’s blaming car drivers -“cagers”- for motorcyclist accidents though.
It’s a commonly held view among bikers, and while there is some truth to it, I find it more empowering to look at things how they are, and to take responsibility for your own safety.
Plus, of course, there are plenty of idiotic and dangerous bikers around.

Learn physical self-defense

Violence isn’t always the answer. But it is a legitimate response in certain situations. Men have an obligation for the capacity to be violent and, if exercised, should be decisive and lethal.

We agree on the first part.
And as a freedom lower I’m not a huge supporter of any “obligation”, but we agree that learning to throw some punches or taking at least a few classes of self-defense is indeed generally a good idea.

Indeed, one of the very first articles on this website was on overcoming social anxiety and gaining social confidence via martial arts.

Avoid black pills and MGTOW

“Black Pill” MGTOW thinking is very nihilistic and unhealthy for your mental and emotional state. Men and women can certainly complement each other in life. Not all women are men-hating third-wave feminists. But, you do need to know how to “Find the diamonds in the rough.”

Don’t get married

The author is not against marriage, he says, but men should at the very least know the (high) risks.

My Note:
Generally it can make sense for high-value men.
But, again, it’s a silly over-generalization.
See here for more nuanced and sophisticated advice:

Lucio: high-value men give move with marriage, so they must be careful and…

the unplugged alpha book cover

MORE WISDOM

  • Remember the dating power dynamics: women are gatekeepers of sex, but you’re the gatekeeper of the relationship

Also read:

Relationship Power Dynamics 101
  • Maintain a masculine frame, enforce boundaries, don’t let her turn you into a beta man

If you’ve been betatized by a thousand concessions, and you begin to take back your life and frame, then you can be absolutely certain that your wife will fight you tooth and nail to prevent this. Expect the shit tests to escalate to never-before-seen epic-levels as she pokes and prods at this “new you,” to see if you truly are taking your balls back out of her handbag. Or if you’re just faking it.

Also learn more about how betaization works:

Female Domestication: How Women Control Men & Relationships
  • You’re responsible to set the boundaries of the healthy relationship you want

It’s your responsibility to set, and always enforce, the boundaries that are meaningful to you.
A man who’s chasing excellence and making his dent in the universe will have the options and self-respect to drop any woman who’s complicating his life.

QUOTES

  • Men are made; women are born
  • Women have always viewed men as success objects, whereas men have always viewed women as sex objects
  • Hate never comes from above
  • Women don’t care about your struggles, they wait at the finish line and fuck the winners
  • Tattoos all over a beautiful woman is like putting bumper stickers all over a Lamborghini. You don’t do it as it shows a lack of taste

CONS

Good book, with some important cons:

“Harsh truths”? No, weak mindset

Red pill-inspired authors often refer to their mission as dispensing “harsh truths of life”.

The Unplugged Alpha is no exception.
For example, writes the author towards the end:

This book is just a no-bullshit introduction to the harsh realities that men around the world face today.

And little later, he frames it as a sort of one-up social climb on the reader:

I’d suggest reading this book a few times over. Especially if my cold, hard, truth bombs make that Beta inside you feel deeply uncomfortable.

I think it’s a negative and disempowering frame.
When you frame anything as “harsh” you indirectly sub-communicate that it’s negative, and it can harm and/or sadden you.
That’s disempowering.

Why how things are should have the power to harm you?

The way I see it, there are no “harsh” truths.
There are principles, with plenty of exceptions and, most important of all, they’re not harsh at all. It’s much more empowering to think of how things are in a neutral way, neither good, nor bad. Just how things are.

Example:

“Harsh truths”? No, more like the typical red-pill bias

The book, like anything else I’ve seen from red pillers is not about truth.

It’s about some truths that better align with the author’s own view of the world.

The (trite) mantra of “men are taught to be pussies” seems like a strawman to me

This is a common refrain in the red pill and it always felt like a not-so-intellectually honest strawman to me.

For example, Richard Cooper says that men “are taught” to “become less, so she can become more” and to be “nice guys”.
Little later, he says that “the narrative we’ve had crammed down our throats” is “be kind, be humble, and that love is the answer.”

My experience differs, and unless you go on a diet of Brene Brown and feminists, I don’t see it around of me either.
I don’t think there is any concerted effort to teach most men to self-efface to make space for her.
And I don’t see that anyone pushes down men’s throats that “love is the answer” -instead, violence sells and it’s all over the media-.

Some banal advice

Did you really need to be told that dating younger non-mothers may be better?

If yes, then I see why you’re learning from the red pill instead of TPM.

Avoid the supplements… Unless you do your own research

Richard Cooper turned the Unplugged Alpha official website into what you probably didn’t need:

Yet another supplement peddling machine.

In the book, he correctly says you should base your supplements upon your own blood analysis and needs.
That’s great, props to him for saying that.

On the other hand, I would have liked a reminder that most people don’t exactly need supplements.
Or, at least, not nearly as much as they need to look after the basics, which are quite simple: some exercise, good nutrition, taking a walk, not over-stressing, and avoiding value-taking people.

Also, I’d have liked to see less personal experience, or at least with bigger caveats.

For example, the author says he takes some 5.000 IU of vitamin D.

However:

  1. That may be too much and scientists say 600 is fine. More is either useless, or harmful. His supplement has 5.000
  2. You may need zero vitamin D supplements if you live in the equator and/or are often outside

And, generally speaking, stop listening to what self-styled “alphas” say or sell, and look at your own bloodwork.

The focus on women’s limitations gives at times a slight misogynist feel

This is one of the main cons we find in the red pill: the focus is often on women, and their limitations.

Never about humans in general, or mens’ own manipulative and value-taking instincts and tendencies.
And that can color people’s perception the wrong way, giving off an aura that women are “less of”.

For example, says the author:

The woman you marry, will not be the same woman that you divorce. A woman’s true character will be revealed during a divorce. So, don’t be surprised if she makes up loads of crazy stories to get family law, and potentially even the police, to do her dirty work for her.

The author here is describing a competitive, win-lose or, most often, lose-lose divorce.
And in case it’s indeed a lose-lose divorce, he’s right.
However, that goes both ways.
People are just simply very different when they’re in courtship and/or cooperative mode from when they are in competitive and win-lose mode.
Which is why on TPM we also on “covering your ass” strategies, as well as on expanding the scope of win-win and decreasing the scope for win-lose.

Furthermore, different phases also call for different behavior and the changing and misalignment of interests brings changes in both men and women.
How about, oftentimes, the man she marries isn’t the same she dated?

Sometimes it could have used some higher expertise advice

This is frankly normal when you deal with many topics.
And Richard Cooper touches many areas of self-development in The Unplugged Alpha, ranging from health, nutrition, dating, motorcycles, mental health issues, and combat sports.
And he can’t be an expert on everything.

For example, on Krav Maga:

Krav Maga is so lethal, it’s not used in MMA fights because many of the responses to attacks are illegal.

Krava Maga is not used because many techniques revolve around eye-gouging and groin shots that are forbidden in MMA and in most other controlled sports.
But that doesn’t warrant that Krav Maga is “so lethal” and, by consequence, “so much better than any other martial art”.

Correlation is not causation

The author says that marriages last less when people spent the most money on weddings.
And he says that it’s because the guy spends too much money on her.

However, we can not conclude that is the case. It’s just the author’s own interpretation and guess.
It might be a valid guess, maybe. But it’s also a valid guess, say, that people who spend more are more narcissistic, spending more to show off and splurge, and narcissists don’t do very well in relationships.

Some generalizations

We already discussed the red pill movement on this website.

And we said that one of its downsides is in the black and white generalizations.

Sometimes we see the same generalization in The Unplugged Alpha.

As an example:

If you have kids with her, then be ready for her to weaponize them during the divorce. She’ll do absolutely everything in her power to turn them against you and alienate them from you. (…) Being alienated from their kids is one of the biggest reasons why so many men either commit suicide

Like all women will do that?
In all cases?
Because I personally know several cases of women who didn’t weaponize kids. Some of them are even in the TPM community.
I absolutely don’t wanna generalize on the opposite side either since there are plenty of truly despicable women, but we gotta ask the tough questions: maybe the man’s character and action also influence her behavior during the divorce?

On the plus side, The Unplugged Alpha had fewer generalizations than most other red pill content, and it’s one of the reasons why it’s one of the best red pill books I’ve read.

The “Ask Her to Tattoo Your Name” Test

I don’t know why some guys are into women tattooing their names on them.

Actually, I know: it’s often a power and controlling thing.
It’s mate guarding, and mate guarding is lower value.

Even if Cooper proposes it as a ‘test of her’, it’s NOT a successful test of positive character if she does it.
You don’t have proof of love with a tattoo, a woman tattooing your name on her is a red flag.

Like Drake says:

Drake: (commenting a woman who tattoed his name on her forhead) it’s crazy, it’s surreal, I don’t even wanna look at it anymore

PROS

  • Great and exhaustive red pill overview, probably a better overview than any single volume of The Rational Male trilogy
  • One of the best red pill books I’ve read, at least if we consider as red pill the authors who self-defined as such and focus on intersexual dynamics.

REVIEW

I liked The Unplugged Alpha.

And I also found myself closer than I expected to Richard Cooper -including digging motorbikes-.

And I must make mea culpa.
First off, because I approached it with low-ish expectations since I’m not the biggest fan of some red pill authors -instead, it was a good book-.
And second, because after I listened to the audiobook I moved the file in my phone… And lost all of my usual bookmarks. So this summary of The Unplugged Alpha may not be as good as we could have done (but modesty aside, still one of the best online from what I’ve seen).

Overall, this is a typical red pill book with all the red pill terminology and various influences from the rational male book(s).
But we find that it covers more ground and provides a better overview than any of the rational male books -the first of which is too basic, and the successive ones are less comprehensive-.

Overall, albeit we usually put caveats around the red pill, we can recommend The Unplugged Alpha to men who are not as aware of the foundational dynamics of social exchanges, dating, and the sexual marketplace.

Also read:

Check the best books collection or get the book on Amazon

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