She says the movie looks dumb; you suddenly agree. She tests you with a little attitude; you apologize for nothing.
You think you're being easy to get along with. She reads something else entirely: a man with no edges. Nothing to hold on to. No friction, no tension, no reason to wonder what he really thinks.
The "22 Rules" taught me to push back — playfully, calmly, without needing her approval. Strange things happened after that.
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.
Here comes the strong, female lead (Emma Watson) to rescue men from themselves! Thx but no thx, Emma. The "Heforshe" campaign or whatever other feminist crusade she is on has the same underlying message as all the rest: you go girl!dasein said:Sorry to be cynical, but this is transparently just "throwing a bone" in efforts to enlist more men into discriminatory feminist causes. When women start speaking out against discriminatory antimale legal treatment, discriminatory govt research/grant/funds expenditure and feminist victimologies of false "oppression" such as bogus wage gap and glass ceiling complaints, then I'll pay attention. Until then it's just calculated noise towards more political benefit for feminists/women.
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.
dasein said:Sorry to be cynical, but this is transparently just "throwing a bone" in efforts to enlist more men into discriminatory feminist causes. When women start speaking out against discriminatory antimale legal treatment, discriminatory govt research/grant/funds expenditure and feminist victimologies of false "oppression" such as bogus wage gap and glass ceiling complaints, then I'll pay attention. Until then it's just calculated noise towards more political benefit for feminists/women.
I agree with both of you, but at least it's a start. In the past, you couldn't even get a mention. It's gotten so blatant now that you can't help but see it.SoSuave666 said:Here comes the strong, female lead (Emma Watson) to rescue men from themselves! Thx but no thx, Emma. The "Heforshe" campaign or whatever other feminist crusade she is on has the same underlying message as all the rest: you go girl!
I agree. It's true males are negatively and erroneously stereotyped by the media/society of course. But when the term "male gender roles and stereotypes are harmful.." is used, it's still feminist speak. Males and females should have roles and even stereotypes. The question is just what those roles should and shouldn't, which this article misses .dasein said:Sorry to be cynical, but this is transparently just "throwing a bone" in efforts to enlist more men into discriminatory feminist causes. When women start speaking out against discriminatory antimale legal treatment, discriminatory govt research/grant/funds expenditure and feminist victimologies of false "oppression" such as bogus wage gap and glass ceiling complaints, then I'll pay attention. Until then it's just calculated noise towards more political benefit for feminists/women.
Right. You even bring up this subject to most women (and Men), and their first reaction would be "Huh? What are you talking about?" Then you could spend 20 minutes explaining it to them, then it would still be a 50/50 chance that they'd think you were crazy. Her speaking out about something like this, is a lot different than me running my mouth on something like FB, or posters on this site complaining about it, which I've seen quite a bit of.speed dawg said:I agree with both of you, but at least it's a start. In the past, you couldn't even get a mention. It's gotten so blatant now that you can't help but see it.
Not sure if you read her speech, but I did and it seemed to be more of the same old BS: men should be more sensitive, women should be more masculine, pay gap blah blah, pro-abortion etc.Peaks&Valleys said:Right. You even bring up this subject to most women (and Men), and their first reaction would be "Huh? What are you talking about?" Then you could spend 20 minutes explaining it to them, then it would still be a 50/50 chance that they'd think you were crazy. Her speaking out about something like this, is a lot different than me running my mouth on something like FB, or posters on this site complaining about it, which I've seen quite a bit of.
One step at a time. It's not all going to change over night.
No I didn't. Read the article, didn't go past that. But this^ doesn't sound very heartwarming.TyTe`EyEz said:Not sure if you read her speech, but I did and it seemed to be more of the same old BS: men should be more sensitive, women should be more masculine, pay gap blah blah, pro-abortion etc.
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.
Yeah, dude, Roissy got on her pretty good.Peaks&Valleys said:No I didn't. Read the article, didn't go past that. But this^ doesn't sound very heartwarming.![]()