Chihuahuas, Guard Dogs, and Wolves: The Dog Metaphor

So the other day I was doing some thinking about something I called the "Chihuahua syndrome." Basically it's when someone puts up a loud front because either they are insecure or because they're scared. It's part of the reason why so many young black women have "attitude" problems. Perhaps another word for it could be "feigning strength" or something like that. The comparison obviously comes from the fact that Chihuahuas are small dogs that bark all the time because they're scared of everything around them.

So I was thinking about the Chihuahua syndrome and then I realized that all dogs bark. Now that's an obvious observation, and dogs all bark for a number of reasons, so the Chihuahua syndrome idea is kinda short sighted. It doesn't really account for the people that "bark" and really do have a "bite" or "killer instinct" to them. So I decided to try to expand that idea a little bit by putting forth my "Dog Metaphor" So I'm going to explain it now, because it's very similar to Plato's Republic idea of "Guards, Workers, and the Philosopher King (which I will make an entire video on in the distant future). So to summarize very quickly each dog represents a type of person in our society and each Archetype of dog can also be broken down slightly further within the groups.  

So let's start with the Chihuahua. These are the people that in a nut shell are very insecure and shout and scream all the time to show they are "strong" or "independent" but in reality they're actually pretty scared on the inside. It's like the guys who try to be tough all the time and get angry when their sexuality is questioned. It's also the "ghetto" black girls that get angry and offended at every small thing or is yelling all the time. The purpose of this yelling and puffing your chest is to scare your opposition so you don't have to fight. In nature most animals don't fight back unless placed into a corner. The instinct is or minds tell us to "open our hoods" like a Cobra does to look bigger, or to "bark" like a Chihuahua over and over again unless challenged. Feminists and Social Justice Warriors are great examples of this.

So the second is the Guard Dog and I can break them down into two separate categories: the Police Dog and the Junkyard Dog. Both are in this category because they represent the idea of keeping something or someone safe. They represent people that "bark" i.e. fight back and have a big front about themselves, however they can still throw down or argue with the best of them. What characterizes these people is their undying protection of an idea or an ideal. The guard dog truly warns the person away, however is not afraid to engage their adversary if they have to, however they do have ONE gigantic weakness that is their defining trait. However before we get there, there are a few things that make Police dogs different than Junkyard dogs. The difference is the Police Dog represents loyalty and training to the establishment or the law or even a moral code, while a Junkyard dog represents loyalty to their feelings. The Junkyard in this metaphor represents emotions and feelings, NOT because they are worthless, but because to find worth in junk is very subjective. So it doesn't mean feelings are worthless, they're just subjective. However the Police dog has undying loyalty to either the state or to dogmatic religions and moral codes.

Now what is their weakness you ask? WELL THEY ARE ON A LEASH! The guard dog protects not himself, but he sacrifices himself for others and ideas. He doesn't think for himself, even though he has skills and intelligence he's used for the purposes of other people. The leash represents that others have complete control over them, and the Police dog is easier to command than the Junkyard dog, but the junkyard dog when released in almost uncontrollable. White Knights are a great examples of the Guard Dog.

Now finally we move on to the Wolves. Now the Wolves can be broken down into 3 groups, and you might know them: Alpha, Betas, and Omegas. The Wolf character type represents freedom, loyality to family and friends, and a possession of a Killer instinct (and I'll talk about that in the next post). The Alpha is definitely the most insecure of the Wolves. He is responsible for controlling his pack of friends or families, keeping them safe, and fixing problems in the pack. Because of this he is constantly on guard because he has a lot of responsibility. So even though the Alpha Wolf is insecure, you ask, what's the difference to the Chihuahua. Well the difference is responsibility and competence. To become the Alpha you have to work for it and you keep it by doing your job. The Alpha Wolf keeps his job due to responsibility and love for his family and friends. It's not easy being the Alpha, but he certainly does warrant respect.

The Beta lies on a bit of a spectrum to the Alpha. He has the same traits as the Alpha, however he will allow others to lead when he knows he doesn't have the skills. In this metaphor there isn't anything wrong with being a Beta, it only represents humility and a desire to work for the greater good of others around you.

Finally the Omega is one on his own. He hunts on his own, he fights for his own. He is either searching for a family or likes to be by himself as a loner. His only responsibility is to himself and fights for no cause but his own. The Omega cannot exist in a pack unless he's willingly to become a beta to follow the lead of those more competent than him. Or, the Omega can become his own Alpha of his own family and lead them the way he wants to.

The defining trait of the Wolf is loyalty to family and friends, not a cause and not a front. Wolves are those who understand with great power comes great responsibility. They work together instead of as individuals and will always fight for one another, of course with the exception of the Omega.

So, that's my metaphor. Of course this does not represent everyone in our society, not at all, but I think it's a good foundation to be expanded on. I liked it a lot and wanted to share my thoughts with everyone. So if you read this post all the way through, thank you so much and have a great day.