I just came across TRP this weekend. I am in my early twenties and at University on a scholarship. I'm a talented musician (I can play over 10 instruments) with a promising career, am very good looking, of decent height (5'11), and skinny, but it suits my look well. Looks wise, I look like a hard rock musician with good facial features.

I recently got out of a long-term relationship. The relationship lasted almost 2 years, and it was the woman who pursued me. It was somewhat long-distance and looking back, I unknowingly used many - by no means all - of the techniques I have read about this weekend. After we got together, she later told me she found me highly attractive, mysterious, and intimidating. This continued throughout our relationship. Needless to say, I wouldn't put up with a lot of the bullshit that women seem to pull. I was raised by a single mother, but I've always had strong goals and confidence when it comes to most things. I suggested we take a step back, thinking foolishly she would change her ways. This is where things began to take a turn for the worst.

I didn't stick to my guns. Thus began the endless cycle of her abuse and bullshit. She no longer had any reason to pretend to be a decent person, and although we had gotten back together, she started cheating. To make matters worse, I suffered a health issue and as a result, I was not able to keep my facade up as I once could - or to control my emotions. The girl had serious fuckin issues and I knew it, so I dodged a bullet (lest I be fuckin trapped via pregnancy. Hell fuckin no.), but I'd like to learn more about how to really interact with women in a way where they can't fuck me over. I generally don't acknowledge many who seem interested (whether or not I'm oblivious or whatever, most of them don't interest me enough to make any sort of move) and as a result, those who pursue me I tolerate to a degree. Still, the whole 'game' thing is a mystery to me. I'm not the type of dude who's really interested in casual sex (too many fuckin risks in my opinion) but I'd like to be able to blow off some steam every once in a while.

Reading TRP, although I'm not sure if I agree with everything, when it comes to relationships, I think you guys have zeroed in on the truth. The difficulty I have found, as an artist and a songwriter, is to balance the sensitivity and vulnerability needed for my career and to create, and the facade and, for lack of a better word, detached, controlled mask needed to deal with women who do not have unconditional love (i.e. are not your mother). Not every guy is a super macho dude (just look at the rockers who aren't your typical macho man who have gotten it on more than most of us) and I suppose that is where TRP loses me. Are you asking us to change who we are and become emotionless or merely to tread carefully when it comes to who we reveal our true selves to, even our partners? Basically, are sensitive, creative dudes supposed to change who they are in order to deal with modern women? Is that a requirement, because if so, I'm afraid I'll just be remaining my strange mix of whatever pill-colors I see people assigned. I'm not interested in changing who I have been since birth and affecting my creative output negativity (and thus, my career, and therefore my value) just to adopt some tenets to get pussy. Pussy isn't what I'm interested in. I'm interested in reaching my goals and success. If I can nail some girls along the way and maybe meet a chick who isn't a fucking whack job and will let me do what I want, then that's cool.