Post by Azaelia on Mar 17, 2015 15:09:29 GMT -8
"Commonly throughout roleplays, the superior positions are passed down by blood from current alphas (etc) to their offspring. However, this is not really a realistic behavior. Wolf packs do not really run like monarchies like kings and queens. A pack is more of a family unit, like a mother and a father and their immediate family, or perhaps with some uncles/aunts and nieces and nephews. Most usually, a pack consists of one dominant breeding pair-- a male and female-- and their pups. "Rogues" are typically not accepted into packs, but rather, the pack is made up of blood relatives. Obviously, in roleplays, there are exceptions to this, and it does happen in the wild, but not very frequently, as outsiders are often viewed as threats.
Now, since wolves do not inherit superior positions in a pack, how do they attain them? By their behavior toward other wolves and how they deal with them. Imagine your own family. Who takes the lead in your family? Who bosses who around and who doesn't mind being the butt of the jokes? It's essentially the same way with wolves. You don't call anyone in your household 'beta' or 'alpha'. It's just known to you and others in your family who will allow what. You could also look at it this way:
You're in a classroom and there is this big guy who has a specific seat in the class. He doesn't really bother people but if you take something of his or you try and push him around, he threatens you. Let's say you sit in his seat one day. He glares at you and gives you warning. If you leave, he ignores you afterwards. If you stay and maybe retort a comment, there may be a small fight. How would you react to this? Class hierarchy is virtually the same thing with wolves, too. You have the people at the top of the class who are the bosses, and you also have those people at the bottom of the class who stick to themselves or do what the big guys say because they don't want to be bothered with a fight or they know they couldn't win one. It is also not stated who actually is the boss, it's just learned by the rest of the classmates.
I can always pick up certain human behaviors and relate them to wolf behaviors. Actually, knowing wolf behavior helps me evaluate people and get through certain situations. I can pick up on certain feelings by watching the way someone does something or if they give eye contact. Wolves, obviously, are not the only ones who use body language.
So, if we really wanted this to be a realistic wolf roleplay, we'd cut out the labeled hierarchy and words altogether and try and figure out what we're trying to say only through body language and the knowledge of what we have of the personalities of others. Dominance does not come from a title or out of respect of other wolves, it's earned by the individual and kept up by them. Just like a family with certain members being bossy and others not caring if they're being pushed around."
Now, since wolves do not inherit superior positions in a pack, how do they attain them? By their behavior toward other wolves and how they deal with them. Imagine your own family. Who takes the lead in your family? Who bosses who around and who doesn't mind being the butt of the jokes? It's essentially the same way with wolves. You don't call anyone in your household 'beta' or 'alpha'. It's just known to you and others in your family who will allow what. You could also look at it this way:
You're in a classroom and there is this big guy who has a specific seat in the class. He doesn't really bother people but if you take something of his or you try and push him around, he threatens you. Let's say you sit in his seat one day. He glares at you and gives you warning. If you leave, he ignores you afterwards. If you stay and maybe retort a comment, there may be a small fight. How would you react to this? Class hierarchy is virtually the same thing with wolves, too. You have the people at the top of the class who are the bosses, and you also have those people at the bottom of the class who stick to themselves or do what the big guys say because they don't want to be bothered with a fight or they know they couldn't win one. It is also not stated who actually is the boss, it's just learned by the rest of the classmates.
I can always pick up certain human behaviors and relate them to wolf behaviors. Actually, knowing wolf behavior helps me evaluate people and get through certain situations. I can pick up on certain feelings by watching the way someone does something or if they give eye contact. Wolves, obviously, are not the only ones who use body language.
So, if we really wanted this to be a realistic wolf roleplay, we'd cut out the labeled hierarchy and words altogether and try and figure out what we're trying to say only through body language and the knowledge of what we have of the personalities of others. Dominance does not come from a title or out of respect of other wolves, it's earned by the individual and kept up by them. Just like a family with certain members being bossy and others not caring if they're being pushed around."
-Raven
