I used to be such a pickme until a disaster of a relationship a few years ago that left me traumatized and completely brain broken. Long story short, dude was a “hobosexual” and leeched off my resources until I Brenda the Buildered him into getting a really nice job, laying off the drugs, and in general calling him out on his BS. Then surprise, surprise, he decided he couldn’t stand to be around me anymore. Needless to say, I learned my lesson the hard way and became SUPER SUPER SUPER picky with dating, to the frustration of countless confused scrotes who really thought they were God’s gift on earth and really doing me a favor by giving me their attention and BELOW the bare minimum. However, I felt extremely sad and frustrated at not being able to find someone I clicked with, and would often go to bed sad and angry (I was also still getting used to things like going to bed alone, cooking for myself and not someone else, etc). I remember a guy even telling me, "you just have to let your guard down and give more people (read: HIM) a chance. What's the worst that can happen other than a little heartbreak? You'll get over it." I came at him SO fast with "the worst that can happen is that I am left suicidal, broken, abused, maybe even impregnated unwillingly and with an STI or STIs. THAT'S the worst that can happen, a lot of which I'm sure as a guy you never had to deal with or even think about." Anyway this was the cautious attitude that I had about dating, and people around me was really tryna gaslight me into thinking I'M the crazy one!

Then I found FDS maybe like a year and a half ago. I became obsessed with reading it every day and lurking! Here was a community of women that practiced the same things I did in my own dating experiences?! I was so used to hearing my pickme friends tell me I should just “give them a chance” or whatever that it was truly a revelation to find like-minded women! And now I go to bed every night, DELIGHTED not to have to deal with some scrote that will just waste my time. In the years I’ve been single, I got into a grad program with all expenses paid+a stipend+health insurance, started my own small business, started competing in strength sports, and moved cross country on my own TWICE! When I was dating an LVM, I was so depressed and anxious and had energy for nothing but going to work and taking care of his broke ass. I lost so much weight (in a not good way) from never eating or working out and not taking care of myself in the least bit. Now I'm too busy loving the process of leveling up to even worry about whether or not some dude is validating me since I validate my own damn self every. single. DAY! I'm fine if I'm single for the rest of my life at this point. I know it's gonna be a long road filled with pickmes, people tryna set me up with their fat ugly loser friends, and threatened dudes tryna "put me in my place" and persuade me to settle down (the last 4 years have already been chock full of that), but now I have the tools needed to NEXT them! Or maybe even help at least the pickmes see the light. So thank you FDS for helping me fall in LOVE with my life and myself!