She says the movie looks dumb; you suddenly agree. She tests you with a little attitude; you apologize for nothing.
You think you're being easy to get along with. She reads something else entirely: a man with no edges. Nothing to hold on to. No friction, no tension, no reason to wonder what he really thinks.
The "22 Rules" taught me to push back — playfully, calmly, without needing her approval. Strange things happened after that.
She calls you when her car breaks down. When she needs help moving. When some guy she's actually dating treats her badly.
You're the listener. The reliable one. The guy who would treat her so much better, if she'd just open her eyes.
She won't. You trained her to see you as the low-effort option — the friend who requires zero risk and zero investment. Every favor dug the hole deeper.
The "22 Rules" break the pattern. You'll stop auditioning for a role she already cast and become the man she chases instead. It starts with Rule 1.
Yes. Not always, but in general yes. Some kind of social circle keeps the socializing skill tuned.Plinco said:you mean to tell me that you have to have a social circle?
Nothing is guaranteed, unless you truly believe in yourself and live long enough. I am almost in the same boat you are. I too will be turning 26 in less than two months, and I am not where I want to be. Fortunately, I (and you) have the power within to control destiny.AlmostThere! said:I'm going to start living my life like the chraracter in "Yes, Man'. I'm gonna make an effort to do something everyday outside of work. Whether it be going to a museum, local bar, dance class, bowling league, etc. I'm gonna fill my life with interesting activities. My mindset is not going to be getting a girlfriend, but just doing stuff so I can have stories to tell and memories to remember. Most people find it easy to be my friend. I'm hoping if I keep active and away from the computer, it's almost guaranteed I make friends and meet girls.
What do you guys think?
Also, I'm not a bad looking guy. Girls have said that I'm attractive but nothing more than that. My weight is on the slim side (think Brad Pitt in Fight Club). And I'm about 5'10''. So...I'm not really short or really skinny. I'm pretty funny and when I'm in the zone, I can be VERY witty and quick thinking. I have a good job and my own place. So....I think that my lack of a LIFE is why I'm girlfriend-less and *****-less.
Hopefully you guys will be interested when I post back in a few months or so when my situation has improved.
Attraction runs on a clock.
She flirted for weeks. Touched your arm. Found reasons to be alone with you. And you were careful. Respectful. Waiting for the right moment.
The moment had a shelf life. It expired around month two, and by the time you asked her out, she'd quietly filed you under "little brother."
One of the hardest lessons inside the 22 Rules: women rarely wait. Interest either grows or it decays, and nothing decays it faster than a man who never moves.
Make the move while she's still inventing reasons to be near you.
Yes. It's a good idea. It might take you a while to get the ball rolling so have patience.AlmostThere! said:I'm going to start living my life like the chraracter in "Yes, Man'. I'm gonna make an effort to do something everyday outside of work. Whether it be going to a museum, local bar, dance class, bowling league, etc. I'm gonna fill my life with interesting activities. My mindset is not going to be getting a girlfriend, but just doing stuff so I can have stories to tell and memories to remember. Most people find it easy to be my friend. I'm hoping if I keep active and away from the computer, it's almost guaranteed I make friends and meet girls.
What do you guys think?
What's "a while"?Alle_Gory said:Yes. It's a good idea. It might take you a while to get the ball rolling so have patience.
It'll take you approximately 1 year and 8 months.AlmostThere! said:What's "a while"?
I don't mean to sound impatient but I am impatient.
EDIT:
Will it take two years before I can have a girl in my life as a girlfriend or a girl I get regular sex from? I'm not a total social nitwit. All I need is to get out the house. I'm hoping by May, I can have one or two girls in my life.
She asks it casually, mid-sip. And you feel the floor open up, because the honest answer is work, gym, and a couple shows you're half-watching.
Women rarely say this out loud, but a man with a life is attractive before he says a word. The guy who spent Saturday deep-sea fishing and came back with photos and a story — he walks in already interesting.
The "22 Rules" pushed me to build a life worth talking about. Turns out the fastest way to be interesting to women is to be interested in your own life first.
I do?Iceberg said:You scare the crap out of me.
Until you're comfortable with all of this. It will be a significant change being more social. If you get used to it quick, great, if you don't be patient and stick with it. You will be comfortable on some level with being around people since it is part of you.AlmostThere! said:What's "a while"?
I don't mean to sound impatient but I am impatient.
Maybe. Maybe less, maybe more. It's your call. Just remember, chill out if things don't go the way you want them to. There's always more opportunities. Be prepared to make mistakes and live with them. It's part of the learning process. If you haven't made a mistake, you haven't really tried.Will it take two years before I can have a girl in my life as a girlfriend or a girl I get regular sex from? I'm not a total social nitwit. All I need is to get out the house. I'm hoping by May, I can have one or two girls in my life.
You made your case like a lawyer. Stable job. Good guy. Ready for something real. All true. All irrelevant.
She weighed your points, nodded along, felt nothing — then fell hard for some tattooed bartender with a motorcycle and a gambling problem.
Logic is where attraction goes to die. The "22 Rules" work a level deeper, on the subconscious switches that decide within minutes whether you register as a MAN or as part of the furniture.
Stop presenting evidence. Start flipping switches.
I see you're still focussed on women, despite most telling you to work on expanding your social network first. Think about every guy who has had or is in a healthy, successful relationship. I bet the vast majority of them have good social skills and solid friendships. That's how it works. And that's how you should start out.AlmostThere! said:I'm so worried about girls because I'm IN MY MID-TWENTIES AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP. I look like I'm still in college now, but will I still look that same when I'm thirty? I have a fear of only being able to attract women who did all kinds of ****ing when they were younger and then want to settle with me.
You know how Michael Jackson never had a childhood so he lived his adult life as a child? Well, I never got the confidence and experience being with girls in my teens and I want to make up for for lost time and what I missed.
Also I'm in a rush because of society and what I see everyday. Girls with guys. It's hard not to be reminded of my *****y life and my cold lonely bed.
Will you tell a man that's thirsty to stop whining and be patient. He will have a false sense of patience but he's still going to show signs of his thirstiness. Guess what, no female with me tonight, tomorrow night, or Sunday night. Probably all of next week too. Hmmm, and it's said not to masturbate so here I am lonely and have no means of sexual release. Paying for sex makes me feel like sh*t. Energy has to go somewhere.
So that's why I'm in a rush.
And I hate wasting money, to answer your question.
Dinner ran three hours. She laughed at everything. You walked her to her car thinking this one's locked in.
Then: nothing. Two texts. No reply. What happened?
You did what most men do on a great date. You filled every silence, answered every question, and left her with nothing to wonder about. No mystery. Nothing to sit with when she got home.
Rule 3 of the "22 Rules" changes the ending: tell her a little, hold back the rest, and let her imagination do the chasing. The ghosting stops too.