Ok, time for a mind-set shift. You're not the first guy who has flipped out getting negative reactions to PU, so please don't feel like there's something inherently wrong with You. If there was, there wouldn't be 247 threads on "do I tell people about PU."

So, let me ask you a few questions:
If a girl went to the mall and sat at one of those makeup counters and was taught how to apply makeup properly and skillfully, then did it and got complements for it, would you think less of her?
If someone took a dance lesson because they had a wedding coming up and didn't want to look like an idiot, would you think less of him?
If you saw someone at the gym getting a private lesson with a trainer, would you call him a loser?
All these are people who are doing EXACTLY the same thing as pickup--learning a skill that betters him/herself. No more, no less. The difference is that few people know about PU, so there's stigma attached to it. Hell, there's a big stigma attached to taking antidepressants--people don't go around talking about that, for the same reason! In both cases though, the person is not taking "good enough" for an answer, and is not settling for a mediocre life. He is taking every opportunity he has for bettering himself and making his life not good, but great. striving for the best self.
That's what you're doing

You didn't adopt someone else's personality any more than the girl with the makeup took someone else's face, or the dancer took the instructor's body.
Your friends' bad reaction having such an effect on you, though, tells me not that you should give up PU, but that you could use a lot of the "inner game" skills taught here to build up your reserve of self-confidence and sureness. The goal should be to not care what your friends think, to be proud of how hard you've worked and how you are a better person.

-L
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The above is a woman's POV; may or may not represent the rest of my gender
