Anyway, I feel that little distraction has been dealt with adequately. Let us return to the subject at hand.
I think this trope, that of the
Warrior Poet, expresses the Beta aesthetic very nicely:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarriorPoet
To quote,
"Traditionally though, poetry and war are complementary pursuits. Poems sing of the glory found in battle. Honor and virtue are on display when men are facing deadly peril. Experiencing death and the horrors of war makes a man contemplate the big questions of life. Often the war is being fought for some greater purpose or cause, such as liberty. Great generals devote their spare time to philosophy, wondering what it all means. Poetry (except free verse) is built on the optimal deployment of limited resources — words that fit together with other words, and with
words that aren't there — not unlike the strategic decisions a soldier makes on the battlefield."
The pursuit of
heroism, and an aesthetic that combines both
strength and
passion, tends to appeal to Betas. I am sure this conjures up images of romanticism, and it should, because the drama, majesty and intensity of this time greatly resonates with me and I believe it also does with others of a similar type. But I digress...
It is important to bear in mind here that everyone will have a different vision of what a hero looks like, what he does and it means to be one. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that this image is one we Betas certainly have in our minds, and will try to realize.