A point of confusion that I’ve seen several times is men confusing the difference between the Alpha Male 2.0 lifestyle that I describe in my book, and being a digital nomad (perpetual traveler, nomad capitalist, or various other terms for the same thing).

These two types of men are very similar, but they’re not the same thing. Indeed, a digital nomad is likely a type of Alpha 2.0, though the reverse is not true.

An Alpha Male 2.0 is a man who is self-employed, nonmonogamous, and has location independent income, preferably from at least two diversified sources. That’s pretty much where the definition ends. He can travel a lot, or never travel. He can be a nomad, never settling anywhere for longer than a few months, or he can be rooted to a home where he lives for 20 years.

Even if he’s the rooted type Alpha 2.0, he has the option to move wherever he wants in the world, any time he wants, quickly and easily, because of his lifestyle. But, whether he chooses to do this or not is completely up to him. As long as his income is diversified and location independent, he’s an Alpha 2.0 (at least financially).

A digital nomad is a man who also has location independent income. He’s constantly on the move, never settling anywhere for longer than about six months (though there are exceptions to this). Much like the Alpha 2.0, the digital nomad tries to live as cheaply and economically as possible, minimizing both living costs and taxes.

So as you can see, the digital nomad can be a type of Alpha 2.0, but not all Alpha 2.0s are digital nomads.

We haven’t even addressed the relationship aspects of these two types of men. The Alpha Male 2.0 can be single, dating, or pair-bonded, but he is never 100% monogamous and never goes without sex for very long, since sex is too critical to masculine happiness, the Alpha 2.0’s highest goal.

Digital nomads, on the other hand, are all over the place with their relationship statuses, just like normal guys. Some date sporadically, while others avoid dating and only have sex with prostitutes. Others have monogamous girlfriends (often long distance). In my anecdotal experience, most digital nomads regularly go without sex for long stretches, often for many months or more. None of this is Alpha 2.0.

So, for example, if a guy is a location independent digital nomad who hasn’t had sex in six months, or who has a monogamous girlfriend or wife, he’s Alpha 2.0 in his business and financial structures, but he’s the typical beta male in his relationship life.

Since Alpha Male 2.0 is the best option for long-term happiness for most men, if you are seeking to be a digital nomad, you should absolutely do so, but make sure to not forget the relationship/sexual aspect of your life. This goes double if you are already a digital nomad and you are either stuck in a monogamous relationship (the long distance kind being the worst kind of relationship there is) or you haven’t had sex in many months, using your digital nomad status as an excuse. It’s not an excuse. If I were traveling abroad for six months, you can be damn sure I’d be getting laid and doing so regularly. I would simply build it into my battle plan and ensure it happened. It’s not that difficult.

On the flip side, if you are an Alpha Male 2.0 or are working to become one, don’t feel pressured that you have to also be a digital nomad. You don’t. I’m as Alpha 2.0 as they come, and though I travel internationally regularly, I’m rooted in a home in northwestern USA that I plan on staying in for the next eight years.

As an Alpha 2.0, I could move whenever I wanted; I could literally move out of the country in the next 30 days if I chose to do so and have no dip in income or lifestyle when I did it. But at my age (I’m almost 45), I like to have a real place to call home, so I’m choosing to stay in the slowly collapsing USA until 2025, at which time I’ll move my home base as far from the West as I can get. (Although 2025 is my official move-out date, based on all the good things happening in my personal and business life, and all the bad things happening in my country, I have a feeling I might leave sooner, perhaps much sooner).

Even permanently moving out of the country like this, Five Flags or not, is not a mandatory component of Alpha 2.0. As long as you’re nonmonogamous, having regular sex, self-employed, and have location independent income from at least two sources, then congrats, you’re Alpha 2.0. Even if you decide to remain living where you are for the rest of your life, you at least have the option of leaving if/when you change your mind, or if things in your homeland get ugly. (I consider Five Flags an advanced level of Alpha Male 2.0, a level I haven’t even achieved yet. Again, it’s completely optional.)

While both are location independent, the Alpha 2.0 is about options and redundancy, and the digital nomad is about travel. Both are very similar and both are fantastic; just realize that there are real differences between these two men.

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