As embarrassing as this is: back in 2008 or whenever, I read Neill Strauss’ (really great) non-fiction book called The Game, and I got sucked into the hype just like so many before me. “You mean there’s a formula to hooking up with girls??” was my immediate response, and I soon became an avid follower of the PUA trail, devouring every text on the matter shortly following. Interestingly enough, however, I actually ended up getting laid a lot less. The reason why, I concluded, was that these techniques are designed for people who have no personality nor social skills whatsoever, which is why I still feel like pick-up books have a valuable place in certain cases. But I’ve never really had a problem with women, and upon realising this, I promptly turned away from the silly seduction community forever, and never looked back. 10 years later, however, this Models book fell onto my radar as some brand new landmark approach, and I halfheartedly added it to my Amazon wishlist. Fast forward to Xmas 2016, and my Dad bought it for me (I’m assuming as a joke). Fast forward once again to exactly one year later, and I found myself single and a little discouraged by romance, deciding to pick it up out of some self-loathing curiosity.
Thankfully, I quickly discovered this was not a PUA book in the slightest—or if anything, an anti-PUA book. No games. No tricks. No lines. It was fundamentally about shifting yourself towards an inner perspective of not giving a fuck, which is ideal, because I was never very good at giving a fuck in the first place. The key to this, according to Mr Manson, was to be completely honest at all times, in terms of communication, but also in terms of living the exact life you want, without any fear. Furthermore, it was about blasting every conversation with the most sincerest version of yourself, and in doing so, the listeners would be forced to form a speedy opinion of you, either opting to dismiss your shit, or show further interest. It also encouraged one to define optimal aspects of a partner, specifying exactly what you are looking for, not approaching the people who don't apply, questioning why you are attracted to those people who do, and finally, learning how swallow rejection instantaneously with respect. These were great to read, because they showed me what I had been doing right above anything I had been doing wrong, and I could feel a few screws in my brain tightening up from this validation.
That said, it did come with one HUGE revelation which I’d never considered, potentially the #1 reason as to why all my former relationships have failed, in fact. You see, I met most of my exes in a party scenario, which is not ideal, as my perfect woman would be a workaholic borderline reclusive artist, and she’s not going to be at places like that now, is she? My demographics have been completely off all this time, and I now understand that I need to attend events where people like me will be socialising in order to find THAT girl. So simple. Why I never thought of it, fuck knows.
So far so good! But then… it completely ruined everything by contradicting itself halfway through. After driving the point into my skull that I had to be genuine to myself, the book began to explain how to approach, how to communicate better, how to dress, how to stand, how to exercise, when to phone, how to date etc etc etc, all of which didn’t necessary gel with my own brand of honest Jared. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it was good advice, I took a lot of it on board, and I suppose any guide about attraction would be incomplete without these tips. However, it just felt wrong to me, like I was spiralling back into some run-of-the-mill PUA rubbish, and this totally put me off, because I have no interest in making any effort for anything whatsoever ever again. And then when he began to heavily suggest masturbation/porn restrictions... well, that’s none of your business, mate.
Regardless, Mark Manson came across like the right dude for the job. His open honesty about his (often shameful) personal stories and his colourful I-don’t-give-a-fuck-attitude came through loud and clear on these pages, a convincing testament to the life he is preaching. Furthermore, in a self-help coaching genre which is notorious for its macho chauvinism, it’s clear how conscious he is of misogyny, placing much effort into promoting the respect and fair treatment of women, which is what this whole unsettling industry is generally lacking. Which is why I say (and I repeat) this is not a PUA book. It’s simply sold as such for financial purposes, and is instead much closer to a self development guide intended to evolve your mindset into one of blind earnestness, using the social dynamics between men and women as examples of how to do so. This notion is further solidified when considering his follow-up book, called The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. That specific title has enjoyed even greater success for the author, as it obviously dives much deeper into the core concept of his teachings without hiding beneath some seduction tag, and I truly look forward to reading that too.
What it finally comes down to, is this: pick-up books teach the same moves and the same lines to everyone, creating these generic carbon copies of men desperately running around with their cocks out, trying to remember their training on how to inflict manipulation on a girl who has already heard it all before. Models, on the other hand, could be read by everyone, and the results would vastly differ from person to person, as we are all different people, and should be nurturing that individualistic seed rather than rewiring our traits based on someone else’s results. My only real problem with this concept is one of a personal nature, for if I am to be completely honest with every girl I meet from now on, I’ll probably end up with some suicidal devil worshipping girlfriend, and that is not exactly what I need right now. I actually would never trust anyone who fell for me, to be fair.