"So, What Do You Do for Fun?"

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.

Read more...

Women dating intentionally

viking22

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Perhaps it is because I'm now dating in the 37-40 years old age range (Im 42 so hard to go much younger) or perhaps it is the influence of social media and the womanosphere or perhaps because single women this age have probably already spent 5-10 years on dating apps and are jaded or trying to flip the usual script.

But women seem to be a lot more difficult. Back in the day you'd go on a date and if there was some chemistry and a connection things would escalate you'd sleep together after a few dates and things would either develop into something more serious or fizzle out.

Now women seem hyperfocused on compatibility/vetting and are far less receptive to flirting and escalation and it doesn't feel natural or fun and I feel I am having to jump through hoops all the time. I am also seeing a lot of attitude and defensiveness and entitlement and dismissiveness which is offputting.

I understand women do not want to mess around and want a serious relationship and I am not opposed to that with the right woman.

But I am finding the transition quite difficult because I am more used to dating girls with a "let's see how it goes and go with the flow attitude" which meant chemistry and connection could carry things in the beginning and only later on did you reach a crossroads.

Any advice?
 

"You'll Never Feel READY to Walk Over"

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.

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Prepostereax

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Sounds like it's "working as intended"
Now women seem hyperfocused on compatibility/vetting and are far less receptive to flirting and escalation and it doesn't feel natural or fun and I feel I am having to jump through hoops all the time. I am also seeing a lot of attitude and defensiveness and entitlement and dismissiveness which is offputting.
ie such women screen themselves out.

The vast majority of women you date are going to be unsuitable for anything serious, regardless of what they think, especially if you're meeting them off the apps
 

Clockwerk50

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For better or worse, given your age and the age range you’re dating, you’re entering a dating market where many women are looking for what is commonly referred to as a beta-bucks male: a resourceful provider who can offer stability and security.

If you’re having difficulty adjusting, or you’re beginning to conclude that women in this age bracket are particularly problematic, there are several factors worth considering:

1. The grass-is-greener syndrome. After spending years in the dating market, some women develop the belief that there’s always someone better out there. They become increasingly picky and have difficulty settling on one person because they keep wondering whether they could find someone more attractive, wealthier, more successful, or more compatible. In other words, instead of giving someone a chance and seeing where things go, they keep looking for a better option.

2. Past relationship experiences. Women in this age bracket may have experienced multiple heartbreaks and failed relationships. As a result, they’re more cautious about committing and want to be reasonably certain that a man is worth investing in before moving forward. They also understand the emotional cost of another failed relationship. It can take anywhere from 6 to 12 months to properly heal from a breakup, meaning another failed relationship could keep them out of the dating market for a considerable amount of time. This is particularly important to them due to their age and the limited time they feel they have to find the partner they want.

3. The perceived urgency of time. Time is of the essence. Many women in this bracket may see this as their last opportunity to find the partner they want, particularly if they hope to have children or establish a family. Similarly, they recognize that the pool of available men, and the overall quality of men available to them, may decrease as they get older. Consequently, they’re trying to secure what matters most to them, whether that’s financial stability, romance, protection, companionship, or children, since they may feel this is their last real opportunity to find what they’re looking for.

With all this in mind, my advice would be to dangle the commitment carrot without actually committing prematurely. Emphasize your provider qualities, demonstrate that you can offer stability and security, and let women see the potential of a relationship with you.

However, don’t start providing those benefits before you’ve established that there’s mutual interest and that she’s someone worth investing in.
 

BadBoy89

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Perhaps it is because I'm now dating in the 37-40 years old age range (Im 42 so hard to go much younger)
Not really. I was 42 I went out with a 28 year old, and she was hot!

or perhaps it is the influence of social media and the womanosphere or perhaps because single women this age have probably already spent 5-10 years on dating apps and are jaded or trying to flip the usual script.
Not sure if that's true.

Now women seem hyperfocused on compatibility/vetting and are far less receptive to flirting and escalation and it doesn't feel natural or fun and I feel I am having to jump through hoops all the time. I am also seeing a lot of attitude and defensiveness and entitlement and dismissiveness which is offputting.
They see a 42 year old man not married; "something is wrong with him", "he doesn't have it". They know he doesn't have abundance and their goal is to see what his game is without wanting to connect.

But I am finding the transition quite difficult because I am more used to dating girls with a "let's see how it goes and go with the flow attitude" which meant chemistry and connection could carry things in the beginning and only later on did you reach a crossroads.
Megan Markle was a divorced 36 year old woman when she married a 6'3 PRINCE whose net worth was $50,000,000.

That means a 37 year old divorced woman will be looking for a 6'1 Prince worth $42,500,000.
 

"I just moved here from Florida."

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.

Read more...

BackInTheGame78

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For better or worse, given your age and the age range you’re dating, you’re entering a dating market where many women are looking for what is commonly referred to as a beta-bucks male: a resourceful provider who can offer stability and security.

If you’re having difficulty adjusting, or you’re beginning to conclude that women in this age bracket are particularly problematic, there are several factors worth considering:

1. The grass-is-greener syndrome. After spending years in the dating market, some women develop the belief that there’s always someone better out there. They become increasingly picky and have difficulty settling on one person because they keep wondering whether they could find someone more attractive, wealthier, more successful, or more compatible. In other words, instead of giving someone a chance and seeing where things go, they keep looking for a better option.

2. Past relationship experiences. Women in this age bracket may have experienced multiple heartbreaks and failed relationships. As a result, they’re more cautious about committing and want to be reasonably certain that a man is worth investing in before moving forward. They also understand the emotional cost of another failed relationship. It can take anywhere from 6 to 12 months to properly heal from a breakup, meaning another failed relationship could keep them out of the dating market for a considerable amount of time. This is particularly important to them due to their age and the limited time they feel they have to find the partner they want.

3. The perceived urgency of time. Time is of the essence. Many women in this bracket may see this as their last opportunity to find the partner they want, particularly if they hope to have children or establish a family. Similarly, they recognize that the pool of available men, and the overall quality of men available to them, may decrease as they get older. Consequently, they’re trying to secure what matters most to them, whether that’s financial stability, romance, protection, companionship, or children, since they may feel this is their last real opportunity to find what they’re looking for.

With all this in mind, my advice would be to dangle the commitment carrot without actually committing prematurely. Emphasize your provider qualities, demonstrate that you can offer stability and security, and let women see the potential of a relationship with you.

However, don’t start providing those benefits before you’ve established that there’s mutual interest and that she’s someone worth investing in.
Or someone that fvcks them better than they ever have before and then they become addicted to them.
 

BaronOfHair

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@viking22 "Im 42 so hard to go much younger"

Millions of men(not just celebrities either)do so all the time. In regards to the rest of your observations:

Yeah, the days in which a mid-level manager at a distribution center in Tampa could snag a beauty queen are now more archaic than eras in which an 8th grade dropout could achieve a solidly middle class life, via slaving away on the assembly line. We thus have options:

-Acquire the traits required to get further ahead than we currently are

-Lament things being the way they are, spend our every waking moment pining away for "simpler times" which are now a rapidly fading memory
 
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BillyPilgrim

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@viking22 "Im 42 so hard to go much younger"

Millions of men(not just celebrities either)do so all the time. In regards to the rest of your observations:

Yeah, the days in which a mid-level manager at a distribution center in Tampa could snag a beauty queen are now more archaic than eras in which an 8th grade dropout could achieve a solidly middle class life, via slaving away on the assembly line. We thus have options:

-Acquire the traits required to get further ahead than we currently are

-Lament things being the way they are, spend our every waking moment pining away for "simpler times" which are now a rapidly fading memory
Or, since we are using the plural ("we" and "our") instead of the singular and thus indicating a group endeavor...the third option of acting collectively for the common good of the group.

Anti-flagellistic, I know :oops:

It's like telling an East German in 1988, you have two options:

1) be a better little communist, or

2) lament for the better days before WWII

Meanwhile in reality the whiny sops lamenting the life conditions in 1988 saw the Berlin Wall fall the next year in 1989. However if they had limited themselves to the two options above, they'd still be as miserable as they were before. Shame on them for acting collectively to enact positive change.

Right?

Everyone raise their hands if they have seen female dating forums advocating dieting, working out, sharing advice on how to give better head, how to better dote on your man, how to avoid falling into the "dead bedroom" trap, etc.

Oh come on, we've all seen them, right?

LOLOLOLZ
 
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The Duke

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Or, since we are using the plural ("we" and "our") instead of the singular and thus indicating a group endeavor...the third option of acting collectively for the common good of the group.

Anti-flagellistic, I know :oops:

It's like telling an East German in 1988, you have two options:

1) be a better little communist, or

2) lament for the better days before WWII

Meanwhile in reality the whiny sops lamenting the life conditions in 1988 saw the Berlin Wall fall the next year in 1989. However if they had limited themselves to the two options above, they'd still be as miserable as they were before. Shame on them for acting collectively to enact positive change.

Right?

Everyone raise their hands if they have seen female dating forums advocating dieting, working out, sharing advice on how to give better head, how to better dote on your man, how to avoid falling into the "dead bedroom" trap, etc.

Oh come on, we've all seen them, right?

LOLOLOLZ
Captain Google says this is what women talk about on dating forums:

AI Overview


On female dating forums and dedicated communities, women discuss a wide range of practical, emotional, and strategic topics related to modern dating.
    • Red Flags and Dealbreakers: Dissecting early behavior patterns, texting habits, weird comments, or signs of emotional unavailability and misogyny to decide whether to walk away. [1, 2]
    • Screening and "Sorting": Exchanging advice on how to filter through large volumes of online dating matches, spot low-effort or spam behavior, and identify men who share genuine compatibility. [1]
    • Text Message Analysis: Sharing screenshots or recaps of a match's messages to decode mixed signals, ghosting, slow responses, or passive-aggressive phrasing.
    • Safety and Precautions: Discussing first-date safety protocols, such as public meeting spots, sharing live locations with friends, and spotting manipulation or safety hazards early on.
    • Relationship Standards and Boundaries: Debating what healthy communication, emotional intelligence, financial alignment, and shared life goals look like compared to settling for less. [1]
    • Dating App Fatigue: Venting about the exhaustion of swiping, bad first dates, superficial interactions, and the general state of the modern dating pool.
 

BaronOfHair

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@BillyPilgrim "It's like telling an East German in 1988, you have two options:

1) be a better little communist, or

2) lament for the better days before WWII"

3rd Option: Be among those who flees to(relatively)non-communist lands. Being the sort of "whiny sop" you mention, who never progresses very far beyond identifying the subjects and circumstances he's dissatisfied with, isn't likely to effect much change

Communism is the end result of a few idealists being delusional enough to believe that they're furthering this fictions "common good" you speak of
 
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"She Made Her Decision Before You Finished Your Sentence"

Three seconds. That's how long it took. Your shoes. Your posture. The way you held your drink. Whether you looked at the floor or looked at her.

She already filed you away. Interesting. Boring. Safe. Bold. Before you even opened your mouth.

Everything you say after that is just her confirming what she already decided.

So stop rehearsing lines. Fix the first three seconds. Stand tall. Look up. Smile like you mean it. Walk like you belong wherever you're standing.

The words come later. The impression comes first.

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pipeman84

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Perhaps it is because I'm now dating in the 37-40 years old age range (Im 42 so hard to go much younger)
If you actually want something serious, then you MUST go much younger (20-25). And please none of that crap that you have to be a multi millionaire to do so. Those guys are just as beta as the rest. Look at Jensen Huang from Nvidia, it's just been revealed he had a second mistress and she's 48. The first one also +40, on top of being a Chinese spy. :rolleyes:

If you just want to waste your time and money, just keep doing what you're doing.
 

Gamisch

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Im sorry to tell you but it seems like YOU have declined somewhere. And hey, we ALL decline overtime. So the trick is to leverage other aspects of your manhood. You can't play the same game you did at 25 when you're 40.

A 40y.o woman in the year 2030 isnt the same as a 40 y.o woman in lets say 2005. Why ?OLD. The new crop of 40 year old women been on hundreds of dates( not sexual partners, "just" dates). Look ; this is a man's space so we kinda have cognitive dissonance about what its like for a woman to be on OLD. But let me tell you; a 40 y.o below average looking woman can fire up the app(s) and have hunders sometimes thousands of likes within weeks.

When you look at it from that angle it actually makes sense that women will vet you back and forth. You're in her "top ten" sitting across from her now BUT there are at least 9 dudes waiting in line..

My advice when THIS is how you're feeling anit the game? Feck bytches, get money. Stop chasing them. Stop having those little pipedreams about a house om the hill ect. Let it go. Times have changed. Adept or die.
 
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