Open Thread

Open Thread #54

The Open Thread is a place for open discussion among my readers. Post anything you feel like sharing! From now on, the Open Thread will no longer be monthly. Instead, there will be a new Open Thread whenever it is adequate. The stage is yours. Go ahead!

The latest Open Thread is made ‘sticky’ to improve access.

Please consider throwing a few coins into the tip jar, and buy my books! They are great. Your support is greatly appreciated.

104 thoughts on “Open Thread #54

  1. I rewatched Scorsese’s “The Departed” (2006) recently. If you’re looking for a movie with an interesting story, give it a try. What I found quite remarkable, and what probably couldn’t be done in the current year, is that it dares to depict a woman as untrustworthy. I don’t want to spoil it too much, though: one of her actions is right in your face, another is only hinted at and you may miss it if you do not pay attention. I’ll write a blog post on it soon.

    1. Yes, exactly. Her cheating is out in the open. Then, many scenes later, she’s suddenly pregnant and the supposed father is Damon’s character. Also note that Damon’s character is depicted as relatively meek, certainly in contrast to the much more masculine criminals, and even to many of his colleagues. There is, furthermore, an earlier scene on his inability to perform in the bedroom. I think this scene would have no real place in the movie if it wasn’t connected to the story arc of his girlfriend cheating on him (and getting pregnant by the thug right away.)

    2. Whoops wrong video, sorry. But it’s pretty ironic hehe. Sorry, I suck at the internet. First time trying to link to a video on YouTube. Anyway it’s there on Youtube and it’s Tales from the Crypt and the episodes name is Split Second.

    3. The Italian thing makes sense because Scorsese himself is Italian. The Irish theme is interesting because Scorsese blurs the lines between Italians and Irish. The Catholicism, gang world, and intermarriage.. In California we have many New York transplants and many are half Italian and half Irish.

    4. I always figured its his fetish with the mafia. Italian and Irish crime syndicates are already part of american lore. I guess he is more old fashioned.

      Russian, chinese and latino groups are a more recent development, relatively speaking.

    5. I think Scorsese yearns for the past, which is why he does such a great job recreating it. Before the nation was swamped with illegal Third Worlders. Although to keep his reputation in Hollywood alive he will never admit this.

    1. It’s an interesting allegory that we only perceive shadows of reality. Consider these two aspects:

      1) Our senses are limited. Many animals perceive the world much differently. Dogs hear a lot better, for instance. Many birds see a lot better. Then there are phenomena such as synesthesia. I have had such experiences due to meditation, which blew my mind. Thus, I have first-experience of how different your perception could be.

      2) The image of the world you consume, think of the mainstream narrative but even alternative sources, is always shaped by biases. Thus, you will never get absolute truth of anything.

    2. I don’t view myself as some kind of a messianic figure with a following. However, one could certainly say that I have followers who gather to listen to me. Then again, it’s up to each and everyone to make their own conclusions. I’d say I show people the way. They have to exit the cave on their own, though.

    3. Yes, the biggest hole in the allegory is how the hell they got unshackled and how the powers that be let it happen. Someone has to have one foot out of the cave to begin with. They have to be natural philosophers, that just need a bit of leadership. Very rare people we are, which is why most people 2,500 years later still reside in the cave. Seems like Plato didn’t care about being popular. But here we are talking about him.

    4. No one got unshackled. We’re just aware that we’re in the cave and the shadows are just shadows.

    1. Are you the only person in Lisboa who’s wearing a toque hat? I don’t think it’s the hat, I rather suspect it’s your masculine face with its “remorseless killer” expression.
      You remind me of Stallone in this picture:
      https://i.pinimg.com/originals/75/13/cc/7513cc751ee58b500a32fb0fd232c274.jpg

      You might actually find a girlfriend more easily if you become a drug dealer. You don’t look like a sissy incel, you look like a hard man who takes what he wants. Some girls can’t resist that. It’s called hybristophilia, look it up.

    2. Haha I completely agree with Burt. Lisbon, you are not bad looking at all. You look like a badass. And trust me, many women love that. Haven’t you heard that women like “bad boys?” I have a similar look/demeanor. You probably run into more trouble with men than women.

    3. Buddy, you have a super masculine face, you are over six feet tall, and you are rich. You’re in a much better position than you think and l bet you are just missing the indicators of interest from women.

      I agree with everyone here, the thug look probably suits you best given your natural scowl.

      Here’s a scientific experiment you can try: wear a distressed leather jacket, some dark distressed jeans, and boots. Stand outside a bar and slowly smoke cigarettes while looking off at the distance (do not look at anyone). Using your peripheral vision, see if anyone is checking you out. You can repeat at different locations to further investigate.

    4. Yup Old Anon is right. This fashion trend started in the 1950s and it worked great for those greasers. In fact, it wasn’t really a “trend” because it never fucking went away. Aaron mentioned it in either Minimal Game or Club Game (can’t remember which).

    5. Lisbon doesn’t look like a “bad boy” a’la John Travolta in Grease. He looks like a bad MAN a’la Al Pacino in Scarface.

      I think the hypermasculine look that Lisbon can easily achieve is very attractive to some women, but it also scares them. It’s very polarizing, some women will be “in” and other’s will definitley be “out”. So my speculation is that the women who ARE turned on by brutal looking men will be more likely to get with Lisbon in contexts where:

      a. The woman is alone and none of her friends can judge her or discourage her from going with this Rambo looking guy. And Lisbon would have to take a lot of initiative and be pushy and lead the interaction to sex quickly (same day) so the woman doesn’t have time to think it over too much and let reason prevail.
      Unfortunately Lisbon claims he has post-traumatic stress from cold-approaching in the past, so he might not be willing to do this pushy style of approach.

      b. The woman’s inhibitions are lowered by alcohol or drugs. Lisbon has told us he got a make-out in a night-club with a hot blonde. I bet you she wasn’t sober. And it’s a convenient excuse for her when she is confronted by her friends afterwards. “How could you go home with that serial killer-looking guy? We were worried sick!” – “Oh, you know, I was drunk! I’m a good girl, I would never do that sober. Teehee!”

    6. If i look like Stallone, i want to become hollywood star and continue Rocky Balboa and Rambo movies. I need to find Stallone or he can find me. I can fight Apollo Creed on next sequel.

    7. I was gonna say that Lisbon better like sluts because that’s all he’s gonna get haha. Don’t worry Lisbon I’m never going to marry either.

    8. Quite frankly, if the choice is between banging a ton of sluts and remaining an incel, the former is a very attractive option.

    9. Sometimes when I see myself on video, I’m like, “holy shit, I look like an asshole!”

    10. Believe it or not Lisbon, guys like us are the most sensitive dudes around. There is absolutely no contradiction between male sensitivity and toughness. Think a fireman for instance. Check out (like I’ve mentioned before) SE Hinton novels, (or the movies) like The Outsiders and Rumble Fish. Gone With the Wind is another good example. Believe it or not these were written by women.

    11. honestly i have the scowl chicks also scared of me as well i see little girls run away from me on a regular basis and my face looks not approachable like i am fucked.
      Lisbon look at FWHR(facial width to height ratio)
      it is a measure of masculinity and 1.7-1.9 is ideal
      if yours is less your masculinity is falsely assumed.
      that jerremy meeks have have like 1.7-1.8
      it might be a case of alek novy’s “males dont really see masculinty in other men unless in extreme cases and compact midfaces”.

    1. I thought this was quite obvious. Given that this guy is a colossal narcissist, this is not in the least surprising.

    2. For rational people it was obvious, but there are still peoples out there who claim that it’s due to his Lion diet *lol*

    3. Carnivore diet is a scam. Its all about money. It’s easy to brainwash people. Its like Jason Capital courses about becoming elite basketball star, even if you are a midget.

    4. A lot of new things have been dicovered in the last 5 years regarding hairloss and balding. The common “knowledge” about balding is completely outdated. The main thing they found out was that there will never be one cure to hairloss because it’s a a lot of things come together.

      Half of the men who seem to have “male pattern baldness” don’t have it. Some females with thyroid issues for example bald in the “male” pattern, too. So it’s likley that some people grow hair back with diet changes. Inflammation is a big contributor to hairloss.

      Look at his old hairline: https://i.redd.it/pyzh4ygxaa121.jpg

      I don’t know if he had one but I’ve seen a friend slowly growing back his youthfull hairline by taking thyroid pills. If you seem to have “male pattern” baldness you should check everything, in some cases cancer was the root cause!

  2. In a previous thread we touched on the CIA’s involvement in radical feminism. This has been pretty well established. But what do you guys think their motivation was?

    1. Many of the bureaucracies in the United States have been bought out by the Liberal Democrats. So anything to promote their agenda and increase their power is a big motivator. Feminism is just a means to an end in this case, I believe. The big wigs could give two shits about human rights so long as their cup keeps filling up.

    2. That and I think by the 1960s the elites thought the American middle class had grown too large and powerful. Getting women in the workforce drove wages down for men and fucked up the family unit.

      I love how they call it women’s “liberation.” There is nothing liberating about working for a corporation. The feminists argument is “well I’m not dependent on a MAN.” Stupid bitch, you still ARE dependent on a man. In fact, you are dependent on THE man. A man that would move your job out of the country at the drop of a hat. At least your husband loves you. Being a housewife enables you to work for YOUR family and property. The men in the past were biting the bullet for going to work. I almost wish America went back to the era of small family farms.

    3. Feminism has been used for destroying the family unit. The nuclear family is the natural enemy of all-encompassing government.

    4. And normal women are unhappier than ever.

      Check out a paper: The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness

      Its been a while since I read it, but I seem to recall the authors were tiptoeing around this very issue you point out. To any traditionally minded folk (as well as readers of this blog), the causes seem trivially obvious.

    5. Its been years since I last read it, so I dont remember the details enough to comment much. But there is probably material for a post or two in that paper.

  3. Lmgdao! I would say that most guys just get on Tinder and swiper right without even paying attention, but the fact that some guys took the time to message after matching is beyond me.

    1. Yes, the Germans are indeed a US vassal state. US influence on Europe is off the charts. Did you think abolishing the monarchy even in neutral states, female liberation or the current globo homo push just so happened to also unfold in Europe without any US meddling at all?

    2. @Sleazy
      >>Did you think abolishing the monarchy even in neutral states, female liberation or the current globo homo push just so happened to also unfold in Europe without any US meddling at all?<<

      No, not really. But now it's in the open… USA and German vassals don't even try to hide it anymore.

    1. *SPOILER* I heard today that the main character in Its a Wonderful Life (Jimmy Stewart) was suffering from PTSD from WWII. When his life was falling apart in the movie some of it wasn’t really “acting.”

      Like when he was busting up furniture in his house. Interestingly his wife (played by Donna Reed) let him do it. Today’s women would have berated him or slapped him.

  4. How do you guys keep moving forward when you get turned down? My problem largely is that rejection = I suck. I’ve noticed that men who are successful with women DGAF about rejection and keep moving forward. I just don’t know how you guys do it.

    In baseball hitting 3/10 is actually considered great. In hitting on girls 1/10 is great. How do you guys cope so well with rejection? This is the core of my problems.

    1. Alek Novy had a pretty good breakdown on increasing your success rate via watching her body language. I think he called it “the ladders” or something back in an open thread from last year or so.

    2. Short answer: no expectations.

      “rejection = I suck” formula must be broken! Anytime I find an “X = I suck” formula in my mind I work to get rid of it by self talk. For example: every time I ask a chick out and she rejects me I get these feeling and thoughts of “I suck” and I answer back that no, it absolutely doesn’t mean that I suck. That there could be a million other reasons why she rejected me. And even if she rejected me because she didn’t find me attractive, it doesn’t mean “I suck.” I remain kind to myself no matter what.

      Then it’s a matter of repeating this process. For me it typically takes months to bring it down to a minimal level. Like every time the formula is triggered I engage in this kind/rational self talk. And each time it does a little bit to undo the formula.

    3. Thanks guys, greatly appreciated. Even when girls give out strong signals I’m apprehensive. I’m pretty fucked up ? I’m going to do an experiment. I’m going to take your advice and ask out the girl at the nail salon that I’m debating getting a pedicure at. I’ll let you know how it goes, not so much hit or miss, but more her signals and how I react to the results.

      Another thing is that I’m picky as fuck. So these opportunities don’t even arise often. I believe Aaron said in one of his books to not compromise on what you want in a girl. All the more reason to take action.

    4. @GoodLookingAndSleazy

      Dude,

      I know you’re “fucked up,” but you’re not fucked up! :)) Hope that makes sense.

      What I really wanted to share is that I too was very picky and still I’m quite picky. As a a result every time I saw a girl that was up to my standard it was like triple the pressure! MUST APPROACH! Like omg I’m not gonna meet a girl this good looking any time soon! MUST APPROACH! Oh and don’t fuck it up!!!

      Needless to say this was not very helpful for my mental and physical health. I put so much pressure on myself and caused myself so much anxiety! It really sucks to live like that. So what I’ve learned to do and what I continue learning is to be gentler with myself. Take the pressure off…

      Just do your part to say hello or whatever and whatever will be will be. I’ll be okay whether she like me or not. Whether she wants to have sex with me or not. It’s all good.

      The other thing is that I’m a pretty good looking guy and judging from your name you are too :)) So that accounts for being picky. But another reason I was so picky is perfectionism.

      Being hyper-critical of myself I was also hyper critical of others: co-workers, teammates on my soccer team, and girls with respect to their personality and physical attractiveness.

      As I’m working through my perfectionism and learning to be gentler and kinder with myself, I’m also able to be less critical of others and not to nitpick excessively. This includes being a bit less picky with chicks (both physical attractiveness and personality). So this has expanded the “circle of candidates” a bit, making it easier to meet someone.

      Now it’s not like I’m now going for ugly chicks, but a solid 8 or even a pleasant 7… why not.

      Hope this helps.

    5. I’ve been meditating an hour a day lately, and rejection doesn’t really phase me anymore. Used to be petrified of it. What exactly is getting rejected? Could be your height, could be your physique, could be your look, it could be so many different things. What’s the point in worrying about it so long as you’re improving your looks, health, money, status and social skills, etc?

      The idea “she rejected me. Therefore, I must be less valuable than whoever she didn’t reject” is absurd. It could have been his tan that she was into for all you know. The idea that your worth comes down to something that superficial can’t be taken seriously.

      If some mental junk keeps popping up when you get rejected, maybe try meditating on it. Observe the thoughts and sensations associated with the junk for 20 mins.

      Also, reframe it as a test of your will. I think about this a lot “if I can make myself sit in a chair for an hour, I can go talk to that girl.” Resolving to continue despite rejection could become a source of great pride for you as well as keep you motivated to keep up your meditation practice.

    6. Thanks bro, it does help. I have heavy anxiety. It started when I was like 18. Anger drives me to get up in the morning, to perform at my job and even get along with people on a surface level. I inherreted it from my dad who used to take it out on guys who fucked with him. I don’t fight (since I was a kid).

      I do have to admit that I am quite good looking. Just one example: I ran into this cougar that I was acquainted with and she said to her attractive much younger friend “Isn’t he so good looking?” Her next comment to me was, “Are you blushing?” Her friend’s reposponse was, “that’s what I thought when I first saw him.” I was floored, stepped away, put my hand to my head, and thanked them. I told them that they were very attractive too (looking at the younger one). She enthusiastically thanked me. Of course I didn’t do shit about it, because I am a classic example of anti-game.

    7. Guys thanks for all of the advice. I got to thinking over what all you guys said and I came to an epiphany. I’ve been approaching the wrong women.

      Before you guys say “duh,” hear me out. If a girl gave me strong signals I would get lazy and wait for the next one. I guess I figured she would take me home, throw me on the bed and jump my bones ? If an equally attractive girl gave me no signals, then I would think, “I have to initiate! It’s now or never!”

      I had it was backwards.

    8. Hey man! In my country we have a saying about this, but it doesnt translate so well to english: you already have a “NO”.

      It means basically that getting rejected is the standard baseline, even for attractive guys. Once that sinks in, you realize that you are in good company with a large large majority of males out there.

      As has been pointed out here and in the forum, repeatedly, one should learn to recognize positive signals from women in order to try to act only on girls who are interested in you. You wont always succeed, but you will be saving yourself a lot of time and anguish along the way.

      So when you see a women who might be interested in you, keep in mind rejection is your starting baseline. As you do it over and over, you will desensitize yourself. And be cool about it

      When I get rejected, my response is usually along the lines of “well, thanks anyway, it was worth a shot”, or I (clearly jokingly) tell her she just broke my heart, but that i will survive.

      Being cool while getting rejected even turned out in my favor a few times, as I unwittingly turned around my chances, and the girl got into me afterwards.

      Being cool in the face of rejection signals to her that
      – you got balls
      – you have played this game before
      – you got other options
      – you are not bitter
      – you are mentally stable
      – you are aware of your self worth

      …or any combination of the above.

      Also keep in mind that sometimes a rejection is not a always a hard “no”, sometimes its a “not yet” or “not today”. She may not be in the mood, or she has to figure out other issues first, or she is testing your level of interest.

    9. Thanks man. Part of my problem is that I was raised by a single mom, and I have 2 older sisters. I had little male influence in my life. The ones I did have were show offs and only talked about their success with women. NEVER about getting turned down and how normal it is. I was naive enough to believe they never got turned down. If I got rejected they would just criticize what I did “wrong.” If any of these idiots would have told me what you guys have my problems may have gone away a long time ago.

      It didn’t help that my sisters were considered attractive by men and had it extremely easy in the dating world. I falsely thought it would be just as easy for me. It also didn’t help that they are feminists and narcissistic. And I didn’t realise my full potential because I thought that my looks didn’t matter that much, and that my personality was bad (thanks sisters). I even fell for the fools mate bullshit and thought that if a girl liked me for my looks it didn’t “count,” because I didn’t have “game.” A lot of less than attractive men eat this stuff up.

      I’ve had a lot of negative influence in my life but have improved myself on many levels over the past 5 years or so. Today I refuse to be a victim. I won’t be seeing my sisters today, as I haven’t for over 3 years.

    10. Cutting off contact with members of your family is a big step. Sadly, it is sometimes necessary because they may be a very negative influence on your life. Apart from emotional and physical harm there is also financial exploitation, be it trying to leech off you or genuinely attempting to defraud you. Plenty of people get their entire life ruined due to the actions of their parents, siblings, or relatives.

  5. Apparently, a retarded percentage of women have chosen to go pro, or rather, as they like to refer to it, become sugar babies.

    https://youtu.be/S2DdrbyvF6U

    Imagine being one the increasingly likely guys to eventually settle down with either an active or ex-pro, and never even realizing it.

    1. How else are they supposed to pay for their four year party (i.e. social science degree) from Brand Name University?

      I’ve done research (not personal experience) on these sugar daddy websites and even still these girls are massively delusional. They expect $1000+ (in currency or merchandise) and a meal at a fancy restaurant just as a “first interview” type of phase. And because there is plausible deniability regarding the prostitution aspect, they are free to take your money and the meal, and decline to fulfill their end of the bargain. The ultimate goal is to extract as much resources from you as possible while offering as little sexual contact as possible. Lastly, almost all these girls are mediocre at best, and they will be stringing along as many sugar daddies as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some who get paid by their daddies only to turn around to spend on Chad.

      You would be better off spending that kind of money on increasing your own LMS. Alternatively take a vacation to a place where prostitution is legal.

  6. Was it in the previous Open Thread that you guys were discussing IQ tests?

    So, what online free test do you recommend, for a ballpark estimation? I need the ego boost… or bust. LOL.

    1. Try test.mensa.no , mensa.dk, mensa.lu . This are designed like real mensa tests, via guys who are working for them. Some of the questions at the end are really, really hard (at least for me) .

  7. Why is it that when you are picky about looks people think you “only care about looks.” Its like the default “reasoning” for most people. As if it’s impossible to care about looks AND personality, intelligence etc. It’s so common for people to have this binary, intellectually lazy position. It annoys the he’ll out of me.

    1. The left wants to tear down the ideal at every corner. If someone’s feelings get hurt, then there’s that’s enough reason to tear it down right there. They hate being reminded of it to the point where they’d put Down’s syndrome kids in beauty pageants, allow drag queens to read to kids at libraries, etc

    2. It’s that type of thinking that has turned me away from both political parties in the US. It can be really quite annoying.

    3. Everybody cares about looks. Only hypocrites say they don’t. I don’t think attractive people complain about having good looks. Instead, the opposite is the case, i.e. unattractive people say it’s shallow to care about looks, hereby revealing that they are “shallow” themselves because they certainly would want to have an attractive partner.

    4. Yep, I was talking to this dude about a month ago about how I have been slowly improving myself (He was overweight). He asked “how are you doing that?” I replied, “well, it started in the gym.” He said, “what, do you want a shallow girl? Do you want a girl for her looks or personality?” I answered, “Both!” Then he claimed, “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” It’s a stupid American saying which means you can’t have it all, implying that good looking girls are all shallow and mean.

    5. Another thing interesting is women who say looks dont matter. Hehe, tell them their hot and see how their reaction ?

      .

  8. Obama says women are better leaders than men:
    https://youtu.be/ktk1lStj4Pw

    Wow, how they can be better leaders if they despise sub 5 men? How if they act like children? How l, if they are emotional?

    This is the Women World, i’m 30 years old and i know better than anyone, they have all the Power. Men are objects and disposable.

    Thats why seduction is bullshit, woman choose man.

    1. If he really believed that, his cabinet would have been mostly female.

      But he is a politician, so being a pandering hypocrite is kind of his natural state…

    2. Holy shit that video was hard to watch. That one woman implied that men have NO empathy. YOU go down on the Tianic you fucking bitch! YOU die for your country. Imagine if it were said the other way around. Most women only have empathy for their own children and that’s it. This is what happens when a bunch of women (or any likeminded individuals) just talk to eachother all day. No male voice. No real leadership.

      As for Barack. If he really believed that perhaps he should have pulled out of the Democratic primary in 08 and let Hillary win.

    1. Ridiculous. She will get out in a few years as opposed to spending a lifetime in prison due to the reduced conviction.

      Of course she has a history of mental illness and suicide attempts. Why is it that we as a society discourage suicide?

    2. Cultures tend to discourage socially disruptive behavior generally, as a rule.

      Notice that killing and suicide are usually perfectly acceptable if they serve a greater purpose (even if that purpose is largely imaginary, like a sacrifice to appease the Rain God or something), but we dont have that in the west.

      Moreover, I dont know much about the psychology of suicide, but there seems to be an element of in-the-moment impulsiveness in at least some of the suicides, so actively discouraging it may actually save some lives overall. Temporary hormonal imbalances seem to be a factor.
      I have a friend who tried to hang herself twice when she was a teenager, she still has some issues but she never became suicidal again.

      Another one slit her wrist in a bout of depression 15 years ago, but as far as I can tell she never did again.

      OTOH, I also had a friend who offed himself at age 21. Cant ask him anymore….

      Sooo… just in case, dont stand too long around me ?

      #darksarcasm

Leave a Reply to GoodLookingAndSleazy Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.