You've replayed it a hundred times. She stood three feet away, scrolling her phone. You had an opening. You composed the perfect line — after she was gone.
For all you know, she's married now. To some guy who said something. Anything.
Openers are cheap. Almost any sentence works when it's delivered within three seconds. The expensive part is the standing there, drafting and deleting, while the window quietly closes.
The "22 Rules" stripped out my hesitation. What to open with, how to keep it alive, and the one habit that costs guys more women than anything else: waiting for perfect.
Your buddy Dave has been single for three years and thinks "hey u up" is a valid strategy. Your other buddy Mike just got dumped and told you to "just be yourself."
You showed them her text. You asked them to decode the emoji. You drafted four responses and sent the screenshot to the group chat for a vote.
She's been waiting forty minutes.
Put the phone down. Stop crowdsourcing your love life. Type something that sounds like you. Hit send. Then go do literally anything else with your evening.
What's your count?Mindgamez said:BPH, yes I did!
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.
Still feel annoying when being disturbed cell phone calls? Don’t want this bad thing to happen again and again in your life and work? Ok, do not be anxious, the cell phone jammer can be your first and best selection. And if you want to know more about this kind of device, you can gain the useful information you want.NorwegianDJ said:Dude, THIS IS AMAZING! Great props to you for actually doing this. Remember that the goal is to approach, that's what matters.
When a girl is older, I might alter my own age, as I can go for being older than I am. I rarely do street approaches, I just do social circle game and approaches at parties. At parties you can easily weed out the girls that are up for action and those that are not. It can be fcking terrifying, but that's whats amazing; you evolve so much. Just keep trying new things, and start simple. Be consistent.
Next Monday you'll feel more confident. After the gym you'll feel more confident. After one more drink you'll feel more confident. After you get a better haircut, a better jacket, a better job.
You've been "getting ready" for two years.
She's standing ten feet away right now. She'll be gone in four minutes. No amount of preparation will manufacture the courage that only comes from moving your feet.
Walk over. Stumble through the first sentence. Let it be clumsy. Let it be imperfect. You will feel more alive in those ten seconds than you have all month.
And then I understood how being "successful" socially at school won't necessarily bring you happiness, that everyone has to go through ups and downs, that not every very confident guy out there is a douche-bag or every hot girl out there with a b1tch barrier."I’m still unsure of what the future holds for me, but I’m beginning to figure myself out.
I never had it hard like most kids. I've always taken part in sports and extra curricular activities, my family loves me, I have many friends (of course, I can only truly count on a few), I get invited to parties and events, I don't try nearly as hard as I could in school yet I still get pretty solid grades. I even have a longtime girlfriend who keeps me happy and grounded and is smoking! (Bonus)
I guess when I look at it in the grand scheme of things, I've got a really great life. But of course, if you take a closer look, you’ll see that I have really big lows to match those really big highs. Unfortunately, some people look into my life and get the impression that everything about me is absolutely wonderful so they sometimes judge me or pity themselves - and that hurts me.
I may have a lot to show off and be proud of (which I am), but I live a very modest lifestyle and I never like to make myself seem "greater" than other people. I recognize how lucky I am and I wish people wouldn't judge me and assume I'm a "douche" or "idiot" based on my appearance. I drive a semi-fancy car that I worked hard for, and sometimes I dress like a bum (hey, it's Abbott and I like to watch YouTube late at night.. even if it means screwing myself over the next morning).
In high school, I saw people get picked on without hesitation. In CEGEP, I don't see bullying as much but I know it still happens and it isn't hard to spot people who are emotionally damaged in the halls. On the Internet, it's the same story; everyone holds back and is afraid of criticism.
It's easy to say to someone, "Hey, be yourself!" but it's hard to do that when you don't even like yourself. As I've grown older, I have started to like myself and because of it I'm slowly finding motivation in my life. I only wish other people could see the potential that lies within them as well. It's in ALL of you. EACH of you truly is SPECIAL. I may have had it easier than most, but I’ve had my falls and many of the people I hold dear to my heart go through extremely rough times so believe me, I get it. Don’t let pain or criticism get in your way of finding yourself. They don’t belong with you and you shouldn’t carry either of them around.
Because I am remaining anonymous, you'll never know who I am but I want you to know that I BELIEVE in you. To everyone who has a void in their heart or feels alone, remember to stay positive. I know what you're thinking. "Stay positive… For what?" We're all so young and there is so much to explore in this world! Although you might think there is nothing more for you to see, people to meet, or feelings to feel, you are WRONG! You simply cannot give up on yourself and you must believe that times will get better! Let your curiosity thrive and allow yourself to be free!
Don't let others judge you. Please. If someone doesn't give you the attention you deserve, find someone who will. I promise you, somebody will. As for the past, let go of it and break down the walls you had put up after bad experiences. Expose yourself. You might still get hurt, much like you do now, only this time you'll be true to yourself and you'll have that to hold you up.
It's time to realize that words carry a lot of weight, so cut the hate! Everything you say has value so be mindful and remember that you might be hurting somebody in order to make yourself "look cool." If you ever see someone who is alone, reach out to them!
Everybody needs everybody.
I know this is a long post so chances are you're reading through it quickly. Remember what I've said though, don't just hit "like" or move on. Of course, people might comment a bunch of trash but that's alright - everyone's got an opinion.
Just be sure to help one another. Let’s make our school a better place to be and make everyone feel accepted. Pass the love forward and remember that the best way to make yourself smile is to make somebody else smile!
I’m going to be annoying and share a song that I’ve been listening to lately that might have meaning for someone:
Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel
(or)
Against the Grain by City and Colour
I know a suitable song is sometimes all you need when you’re down. If that helped at least one person, then I’m happy. If not, then I’m embarrassed.
As a side note,
I'm sorry this went from a secret about how I get sad even though I have a lot to be happy about into something much bigger. I guess I got carried away when I thought about all the pain I see in other people and how they let their fear of criticism dictate their life. That saddens me the most. Please don't let that happen. Be you.
Here’s another secret for fun: I spend most of my hard-earned money at the Munchbox because I’m too lazy to make myself a lunch. What a foolish way to live, no?"
You've said it a hundred times. Maybe a thousand. And every time you say it, you train your brain to freeze the next time she walks into the room.
Leagues are a myth invented by guys who are scared of women.
She's a person. She has bad breath in the morning. She picks songs she can't sing in the shower. She overthinks her own texts.
Walk over. Say something. The league dissolves the second you open your mouth.
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.