rosner said:My thoughts exactly
oops double post. love internet
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.
rosner said:My thoughts exactly
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.
great post and a must read for anyone in or considering a relationship, the part Ive quoted is particularly pertinent imo as I too have been there done that and its just as Sir Auron described on the tin, this is very very damaging, losing a loved one is bad, try the crawling back and you basically hand your arse on a plate with your dignity and self esteem as Hors DouvresSir Auron said:The Ultimate Break Up Guide…
Intro
Post-Breakup – I want her back, now!
When I first broke up with my girlfriend, almost immediately after I felt sick. Not that cold sick, but pure sick in the pit of my stomach. Letting go of something you loved is extremely stressing and emotionally straining no matter what, but there is one thing you must stick by. I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT GO BACK TO HER. Once it’s over, it is over. The few days after a breakup you will feel extreme loss and have no-where to place your feelings, consequently feeling like you need her back. It’s only natural because you’ve lost a part of you, but you mustn’t crawl back.
Do not say you will change
Do not say it was a mistake
Do not say it was your fault
You know why I know this? Because I did it, the day after breaking up I felt so much loss I crawled back to her and asked to get back together, I begged…it was pathetic. The lowest point in my life and I still regret it heavily to this day. So please if you take no other advice here, just take this for your own sake. Do not let her win, do not crawl back .
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.
A joke is a very serious thing.European-DJ said:Thumbs up for this post!
You asked her if she wanted to grab coffee. Then you asked if the time worked. Then you asked if the place was okay. Then you asked if she'd prefer tea.
Four questions. Four chances for her to say no. Four signals that you're terrified of making a decision.
Plan it. Pick the place. Pick the time. Tell her where to meet you. She'll either show up or she won't.
Either way, you look like a man instead of a scared little boy.