The sigma female has always been around, but this title has been creeping up in pop culture recently.
What Is a Sigma Female?
Sigma female is a term used to describe women who are strong, charming and confident like alpha females, but who also are self-reliant, highly independent, and enjoy spending time alone. Another expression often used to describe this type of woman is lone wolf. You may have a sigma female in your life. You may be the sigma female in your life. Here’s what you need to know about this rare and impressive archetype.
25 Traits of a Sigma Female
1. She’s the Rare Lone Wolf Woman
Just like the sigma male is the lone wolf man, the sigma female is the lone wolf woman. This is one of the rarest archetypes out there for women. The sigma female goes her own way. While she can be effortlessly social, she often prefers her own company and can even be seen as an introvert or even an ambivert. She’s not lonely and brooding. She genuinely enjoys solitude and is never bored. Life offers plenty of interests, and she doesn’t use other people to amuse herself. This rare lone wolf woman doesn’t mind eating alone, dining alone, living alone, or actually being alone. She is perfectly content just as she is.
2. She’s the Original Independent Woman
The sigma female is the original independent woman. She’s practically the blueprint for it. She does things herself, doesn’t need anyone to support her, and doesn’t ever follow the crowd. The sigma female is an independent thinker, and she’s not living off anyone else’s timeline for her life. She doesn’t feel societal pressure to conform because she trusts her own flawless internal judgment.
3. She Keeps Her Standards High and Never Compromises Them
The sigma female never settles in relationships. She keeps her standards high and never compromises them. She knows exactly what she brings to the table, and she has no interest in wasting her time. In fact, this applies to her relationships, friendships, work, and life in general. She knows what she wants and goes for it, and if something doesn’t meet her standards, she lets it go. The sigma female isn’t going to follow up with the man who never texts back, and she’s not going to stay at the job that makes her feel unappreciated. She has standards, and she sticks to them. It can make her seem uncompromising, but she’s learned that compromising on deal breakers has a price tag she’s just not willing to pay. This is her life, and she’s making the most of it.
4. She’s Loyal
If a sigma female is in your life, you’ll notice that she’s incredibly loyal. She doesn’t just let anyone close to her. She tends to have tons of casual friends and acquaintances but only a handful of genuinely close inner circle relationships. She’s loyal and fierce when it comes to her closest relationships. She’s the ultimate ride-or-die, the call in the middle of the night to bury a body friend. The sigma woman is anything but a fair-weather friend.
5. She Eschews Societal Standards
The sigma female doesn’t experience peer pressure. She has her own internal compass, and she genuinely doesn’t care about societal standards. She’s not interested in conforming or living her life by anyone else’s rules. While sometimes people see her as rebellious, that’s simply not the case. She’s not rebelling against anything. She’s ignoring the rules entirely and making her own. She accepts that other people have the right to live how they want, and she’s asserting her right to do the same. What society thinks about it is, frankly, none of her business, and she likes it that way.
6. She is Self-Reliant
You’ll notice that sigma females are incredibly self-reliant. This is not the woman sitting around looking for a mate to rescue her. She has neither the time nor the patience for that. Instead, she’s working toward her goals and taking care of herself, and that’s just how she likes it. While she has a hard time asking for help, it’s because she does it so rarely. Most of the time, she does just fine on her own.
7. She’s Assertive
The sigma female is assertive. In society and in corporate cultures, this can give her a reputation for being a bitch — but that’s misogyny for you. She’s not being unkind or unprofessional. She’s telling it like it is. If she were a man, this wouldn’t be questioned. It would, in fact, be admired, but because she’s a woman, she may have a bad reputation just because she stands up for herself, says what she’s thinking, and doesn’t play mind games — preferring instead to speak up and directly handle her business.
8. She’s Authentic
The sigma female is authentic. This lone wolf woman isn’t trying to emulate anyone else. Why would she? She thinks she’s pretty awesome as she is — not because she’s conceited but because she’s content with herself. She doesn’t see the need to pretend to be anyone else, and she’s just not a game player. The sigma woman keeps it simple by always being true to who she is and not trying to be anything she’s not.
9. She Values Honesty
Because the lone wolf woman is unfailingly authentic, she despises lies and liars. She simply has no tolerance for dishonesty. Her love of honesty means she’ll respect you for speaking up even if what you have to say hurts her feelings. She prefers honesty to even the kindest little white lie. Betrayal doesn’t sit well with the sigma female — not that it sits well with anyone. Because she values honesty so much, she will see a lack of integrity in others as a deal breaker. She may not unfriend you, but she will certainly remove people who betray her from her inner circle. She has a close relationship with the truth and vibes well with others who feel the same.
10. She Hates Gossip
The sigma female is all about integrity, and that’s why she can’t stand gossip. She’s not interested in unfounded rumors, conjecture, or even gossip that’s absolutely confirmed to be true. She lives by the motto “Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?” and knows gossip is none of these. She just doesn’t like this low-vibing energy of talking about other people behind their backs. She’s definitely more likely to say it to your face than talk about it with others. It’s a trait that may be off-putting to some but is an under-appreciated sign of integrity.
11. She’s Not Judgmental
The lone wolf female doesn’t judge you. Not on first impressions. Not because of something she heard about you. She’s more of a wait-and-see kind of person. She’s got an open mind, and she sees that humanity is complex and rarely black and white. If her first impression of you isn’t good, she’ll likely allow you a do-over before making any judgments because she gets that we all have bad days. She’s just not into making snap judgments but prefers to assess for herself if someone belongs in her inner circle or merely somewhere on the outskirts.
12. She’s Always Learning
Have I mentioned that the sigma female is incredibly intelligent? She’s not just book smart either. She’s street smart, too. It’s because she’s always absorbing the world around her. She’s hungry for knowledge and is always expanding her worldview. This isn’t the kind of woman who will commit to an opinion when there’s plenty of evidence that she’s wrong. This is the woman who conducts her own independent, scholarly research before she comes to a conclusion about a topic.
13. She Values Inner Beauty Over Outer Beauty
The sigma female tends to be beautiful. It’s just a fact. There’s something about her that just shines. She may not even be the typical, perfectly symmetrical beauty standard, but you’ll probably think she’s lovely anyway. Why? Because she values inner beauty so much more than outer beauty. She’s just not superficial. Whether she wears makeup or doesn’t, she projects confidence, kindness, self-assurance, and something that’s just indescribably beautiful. The sigma female is the woman you just want to be around. She feels good and makes others feel good about themselves.
14. She’s Successful
It’s unsurprising that the sigma female is successful. After all, she’s strong, independent, and self-reliant. She knows what she wants and goes after it. She’s one of those people who see obstacles merely as opportunities, and while she’s got plenty of goals, she’s enjoying the journey, too. In fact, her success may not always measure up to society’s views of it, and yet, she’s successful nonetheless. She understands you can be rich with a poor attitude and broke with an enriched one. She’s not necessarily climbing the corporate ladder or smiling at you from magazine covers, but she’s content with her life all the same. And she knows that true success is measured by happiness, not wealth — yet, she often manages to create both along the way simply by being herself.
15. She’s Confident in Her Own Skin
All women are challenged to love themselves in this society, and she’s no exception. The sigma female is not entirely impervious to the beauty standards. She knows what they are. She’s just decided they don’t define her worth as a human being. She’s done the impossible for many women and simply embraced herself — flaws and all. And she looks good because she feels good, and she loves her body whether anyone else approves of it or not. In fact, she’s probably got a few handy clap backs up her sleeves for anyone who feels the need to weigh in on how she looks when she hasn’t asked for their opinion. Recommended read: Sigma Personality: What It Is, Meaning & Main Signs
16. She Avoids Drama
The sigma female is never one for drama. She can give as good as she gets in an argument, but she just doesn’t see the point. She’d much rather find solutions than spend time arguing about different points of view. This makes her an excellent mediator and team member. She’ll get right to the heart of the matter and skip the drama. In fact, you’ll notice that she doesn’t keep a lot of high drama people in her life. She finds it exhausting and just doesn’t vibe with that level of constant chaos.
17. She’s an Innovator
You may have already noticed that the sigma female is creative. She’s naturally inventive and sees solutions for everyday problems. She’s not thinking outside the box — there is no box as far as she’s concerned. This is why so many people go to her for advice. The sigma female won’t steer you wrong. She can clearly see the answers, and if she doesn’t have one, she’ll dive in and problem solve until she comes up with something.
18. She Can Be Considered Intimidating
Many people find the sigma female intimidating. She’s smart, beautiful, successful, and says what’s on her mind. For some people, that’s just hard to take. Some people resent who she is, but a lot of the backlash against her is just sexism, plain and simple. In fact, she’s likely to point out that she’s not intimidating just because you’re intimidated. To her, that sounds like a you problem and none of her business.
19. She’s Got a Great Sense of Humor
While it’s not one of the first qualities you might think of in a sigma female, this lone wolf woman has a great sense of humor. She’s smart, and sometimes she has the most unexpected, perfectly timed zingers. She keeps you laughing, and she can even laugh at herself. If she teases, it’s only ever in good fun. She’s not the type to make a joke about something that will hurt your feelings, no matter how blunt she might be.
20. She’s a Bit of a Mystery
The sigma female isn’t an easy one for some people to figure out. She is good with people but doesn’t prefer them. She’s successful but doesn’t chase leadership positions. And she’s beautiful but doesn’t care about beauty standards. She’s living her best life, but she doesn’t care if society approves of it. For many, this is awe-inspiring but also a little hard to understand. How does she do it? She’d probably tell you that she’s just unwilling to be anything but herself. You’ll either get it or you won’t.
21. She’s Emotionally Intelligent
Have you noticed that the sigma female can immediately read the room? It’s not just a woman’s intuition. The lone wolf female seems to be attuned to other people’s emotions. She may, in fact, identify as an empath. And she picks up on what other people are saying — even if they aren’t saying anything at all. She reads energy and body language, and she adjusts accordingly.
22. She Loves Adventure
The lone wolf woman really does go her own way. She sees life as a marvelous adventure, and she doesn’t mind traveling alone if it means she gets to see the world. Of course, she treats every day as an adventure and doesn’t need an overseas trip to find novelty in the world around her. She loves exploring new perspectives, meeting new people, and having new experiences. She’s a risk-taker and has a long list of adventures she’d love to try.
23. She’s an Unintentional Influencer
The sigma female doesn’t care about making friends and influencing people, but she tends to be an unintentional influencer anyway. Her style is trendsetting without her even trying, and other people tend to find her life inspiring. She’s just being herself, and it makes other people want to be more themselves, too.
24. She Adapts Easily
You’ll notice that the sigma female isn’t the first to fuss about changes. She’s probably calculating how to spin them to her advantage. She adapts easily, and she sees the possibilities within the challenges. That doesn’t mean she loves every change. It just means she’s strong enough to figure out how to make the unexpected work for her. From changes at work to a broken heart, she turns it into the ultimate glow-up.
25. She Chooses Powerful Partners for Equitable Relationships
The sigma female may be a career woman, a stay-at-home mom, a footloose and fancy-free traveler, or anything else, but there’s one thing you should understand about her: She’s only down for powerful partners in equitable relationships. The sigma female may not want commitment at all, but if she does, she’s going to look for someone who is already at her level and not someone who simply wants to be. She’s not interested in partners who don’t have their lives together. She needs an equal partner who is willing to have an equitable relationship with her. She doesn’t want a partner who doesn’t know how to source clean clothes or meals without her help. And she wants someone who is a fully evolved adult who can have fascinating conversations, make her laugh, and can enrich her already rich life.
A Word of Caution About the Sigma Female
The sigma female is a force to be reckoned with — a woman with all the powerful traits of an alpha but none of the social constraints. In the hierarchy of social archetypes, many see her as on par with the alpha female while many would argue that the sigma female is altogether superior. This is where the danger of archetypes exists. When we categorize one human as superior to another, we come dangerously close to dehumanizing each other. It’s true that leaders — both alpha and sigma females — tend to have magnetic personalities that attract us to them while beta females tend to be wallflowers happy to stay in behind-the-scenes roles. That doesn’t make one lifestyle more intrinsically valuable than the other. In fact, many archetypes for women assign more power and influence to the women who have more typically masculine traits while assigning weakness and passivity to the women who prefer quiet nurturing to outspoken leadership. There’s an underlying misogyny here that cannot be ignored. In fact, it’s possible that gender fluidity has sprung up from a desire to eliminate traditional social norms in favor of allowing all genders the freedom of full human expression. When we categorize and sort our fellow humans into archetypes, we can overlook their individuality, humanity, and value in favor of an easy label. These labels often box people into their assigned categories and add unnecessary societal pressure to our lives. While archetypes can help us understand the world around them, it’s important to remember that everyone has value. The sigma female is arguably the most powerful of female personality types, and yet, her stance on equitable relationships would hold that everyone has intrinsic worth and value. If we remember that, we can talk archetypes and remember that we’re all more than our labels. In fact, the sigma female sees your labels and discards them like the powerhouse she is — and goes back to living her best life. We could all benefit from taking a page from her book and doing the same. Photo by Alimarel on Unsplash
