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A few years ago, I was much more active on this forum. It was a much different environment then, but then PUA has always been cyclical. Anyway, one poster shared a link to Tal Ben Shahar's Positive Psychology lectures. I was still in college then and watched the entire year. One of the interesting things I took away from that class was what the professor called something like "Tip of the steam statistics."
Basically what he said is if you do a twin study and find that 90% of the twins report the same level of happiness, it shouldn't be then determined that happiness is predetermined. Instead, the interesting question is: why isn't that 10% like the other 90%?
Relationships follow that same pattern. What I've noticed is that some people consistently are in good, healthy relationships. Others are in consistently bad, unhealthy relationships. We could just accept that fact that some people are lucky -- but I prefer figuring out what each group does that makes them different.
It's been my experience that the views often shared on the Relationship subforum is the kind that would be given by the 90% of twins. I try to take the contrarian stance and present what I view as the 10% way of viewing things. Over the years we've had a few posters in this 10% camp (870, Locke, etc) but they never stick around. The problem is that if 90% of the posters in this forum all agree, it makes the 10% look like they are nuts because they are always disagreeing.
I personally am very fond of relationships -- I don't mingle with the opposite sex unless I've determined she will be a good GF. But some problems that hurt relationships are easier to fix when you are single -- so it's a Catch 22, as the problem isn't obvious until you are at the point least able to fix it. This is why reflection upon failed relationships and a block of single time to improve on those reflections is so important.
The forum (excluding this subsection) has changed drastically in culture over the years and continues to do so, based on what the PUA Trend is. Right now, it's all about seduction and fighting the PUA establishment. But interestingly, this subsection always seems to remain the same. I hope one day it'll change as well and take a healthier direction, but I don't know if it will. My hope is that at least some people here learn about the 10% point of view and adopt it.
Ah, yes. Philosophy in practice. This is classic analytical trichotomy.
That 90% should be the thesis while Hobbit's 10% p.o.v. is the antithesis. OPs who ask for advices in solving their problems get to process the two povs which then enable them to synthesize a more superior solution.
The PUA who wants to be good at relationships can then see many perspectives that happen in real life. When he sees a pattern emerge in his personal experience, then he already knows what to do without going through the pains and hardships of relationships that turn bad.
The PUA will have better odds in making his relationships work.
Cool application of theory into practice.
Smart guy.

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