thirdtimescharm
Senior Don Juan
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2007
- Messages
- 314
- Reaction score
- 9
She's not worth pursuing, so I'm glad I found out quickly.
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.
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.
You handled that well. I would have done the same. "Thanks. Take care." Brief and not losing frame. Not trying to be beta and begging her for another date like a love sick puppy with no options.A small surprise just arrived in the form of a text:
"I wanted to apologize if I hurt your feelings. I really try hard to go through life being considerate and not hurting people."
In the interest of minimizing any more wasted effort, I just replied "Apology appreciated. Thanks." Under no circumstances will I continue to play out this scenario via text messages.
And since someone might point out she said, "if I hurt your feelings," as if she isn't really apologizing, I'm aware. The problem with text is the lack of clarity nuance, and it isn't the forum for substantive conversation to begin with.
You handled that well. I would have done the same. "Thanks. Take care." Brief and not losing frame. Not trying to be beta and begging her for another date like a love sick puppy with no options.
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.
She is now seeing your value and seeing you as a guy with options. Being a challenge gets their hampster wheel spining.Thanks.
Guess who came back like a lovesick puppy? She did, with another message telling me that she's been sick all week and would like to talk face to face because she really liked me and thought I felt the same way.
Agreed. The best thing he can do is be completly indifferent towards her. Never let her know you liked her and do not acknowledge her "i thought you felt the same way." Let her wheel spin.. pump then spin plates.Yeah and then she ll rag on u again once she has her validation again. Invite her to your place if she actually turns up escalate the hell out of it pump and dump. You can't wife up a ho.
I'm down with this. I replied very short. Sure, fine. You, me. Where, when? And she sent me back 3 possible times. I've got another plate to spin tomorrow afternoon, and busy throughout the weekend with my real friends so she's on the back burner.Agreed. The best thing he can do is be completly indifferent towards her. Never let her know you liked her and do not acknowledge her "i thought you felt the same way." Let her wheel spin.. pump then spin plates.
Backburnner is perfect. She needs to know she is not a priority.I'm down with this. I replied very short. Sure, fine. You, me. Where, when? And she sent me back 3 possible times. I've got another plate to spin tomorrow afternoon, and busy throughout the weekend with my real friends so she's on the back burner.
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.
That's up to you. If it were me, I'd automatically disqualify her, not even mentioning to her why. Anybody that complains I'm not spending enough is automatically OUT.Question is, should I even be giving her another chance?
That sentence contains at least five follow-up questions she WANTS you to ask. Where in Florida? What brought you here? How long have you been in the area? What do you miss? How does it compare to here?
She handed them to you on a silver platter. And you said, "Oh cool. I come here every week. I love this band. Ummm... pretty crowded tonight."
She smiled politely. Nodded. And never texted you back.
I was that guy for years. Talking too much. Listening too little. Panicking about my next sentence while she was literally feeding me the answers.
Then I found 22 rules that fixed the whole thing. Rule number one: shut up and listen. She'll tell you exactly what to say.