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.
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 only quoted this section for a reason. You sacrificed your "I am the prize" frame when you said "but that's up to you". This is clearly giving her all the power to decide if she wants to sleep with you.DarkShade said:Well, quick update. We texted each other for the next half hour or so. My notes in parenthesis:
Me: I understand. I am not looking for a serious relationship either. doesn't mean we can't do anything, but that's up to you.
Her: oh so you wanted a **** buddy then (at this point I'm like IT'S A TRAP)
I'll report back tomorrow. :crazy:
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.
Interesting Darkshade. I gravitate towards smart women as well -- this is almost like a form of intellectual foreplay. It's a kind of mutual qualification as well as a demonstration of your value. This leads to a lot of one night stands because it is a rare approach. I can sketch out how an insurgent network operates on a ****tail napkin and I will be enjoying myself and confident because it's where my interests lie. A smart (secure) girl will be a lot more impressed by that than asking "nice hair, is it real?"DarkShade said:During this time Abby and I are having intellectual conversation about politics, the economy, etc. She's brilliant, an art history and journalism major (I'm a history major and education minor) even though we are opposite political parties we find some common ground and enjoy each others company. I'm leaning in (I know, a big no-no) because it's loud and I'm trying to listen to her, and she looks me right in the eyes and open mouth kisses me while we're sitting at a table...
There we chat some more, and she says something that's stuck with me. In the middle of a political conversation, she looks at me and says "You have no idea how wet it makes me that I can talk to you about this stuff.", whether she was being exaggurative, silly or serious I thought it was a cool remark to make.
Yes. But if you set things up well, she should be leading, quickly -- because guys like you don't come around everyday, and she risks losing you if she doesn't show you she's serious.wjh said:Is it just me or was she not the one leading the entire time?
I understand letting her assume the lead at certain points, like when she offers her bedroom as a place to stay the night, but the entire encounter - and every move - should not be initiated by the woman. Maybe I'm just old school, but I feel as if a girl more aggressive than me is probably not trust worthy. That being said, I wouldn't kick her out of bed, I just don't know how "far" I would get with that type of girl.wait_out said:Yes. But if you set things up well, she should be leading, quickly -- because guys like you don't come around everyday, and she risks losing you if she doesn't show you she's serious.
Hence the quote, "They are all the promiscuous type for the right guy." That kind of whirlwind romance is almost codified in Hollywood, and it's socially acceptable for women, if not encouraged.
You paid for dinner. You drove. You said "whatever you want is fine" every single time. All the effort, no expectations.
And she left anyway — probably for a guy who makes her pick up the pizza.
Painful. Also predictable. Her mind quietly concludes that anything requiring zero effort from her is worth exactly zero. You became a free sample, and free samples get taken for granted.
The 22 Rules flip the dynamic. Small shifts that get her investing effort, money, and time in you — until SHE'S the one afraid of losing YOU.
horaholic said:Thats a hell of a bump, man. He never gave any updates, though.
I was interested how this whole chain of events started with a serious conversation. PUA routines are based on light-hearted fluff like palm reading, corny jokes, and emotional sucker punches like C+F & negs. Not intellect.horaholic said:This thread was a month and a half old, and the OP hasnt brought it back. Why are you guys posting on it?