Quote · On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Riz Ahmed: How to Silence Your Inner Critic (And Build REAL Self Worth)
Where this was said
Breaking Free from the Alpha Male Myth
At 49:10 · chapter starts 46:44
Jay asks Riz about the shame of not sharing his health crisis — what kept it private for so long? Riz identifies the cultural archetype of the invulnerable alpha male as the culprit. [1] — Riz Ahmed "Alpha male wolves are the least aggressive: The actual alpha male in a wolf pack is the animal that lets the young beat it up the most — th…" 57:23 He already felt like he didn't fit the mold on multiple levels; he didn't want another strike against him. Now he sees the willingness to share vulnerability as a different and more genuine form of strength — teaching yourself to walk again takes grit. He adds a corrective fact: the alpha male in a wolf pack is actually the animal that lets the young beat it up the most, the most chill and least aggressive member. The cultural idea of alpha dominance is simply wrong. He describes the moment of sharing on camera as his body immediately going 'oh God, did I say all this?' — but also feeling lighter, as if releasing an offering.
Alone at night, pumped full of steroids that kept him awake, unsure if he would survive, Riz Ahmed began pleading with God. His promise: if he survived, he would empty himself and give everything he had. That vow became the creative philosophy behind Mogul Mowgli, Sound of Metal, and Bait.
