So, something that's been weighing heavily on me lately is that I'm 28, and I just don't know how to talk to women. Or rather, I don't know how to talk to a women in a way that draws their interest in anything more than "casual chit-chat".

On top of not knowing how to flirt or convey deeper intention, I also have a hard time not getting down about my appearance. I've tried messaging online, and even when things start to go well, as soon as they see a picture of me, I've had women literally stop responding. It's been that way since I was 17 and first tried "online dating", and no matter if I have short or long hair, beard or no beard, I feel like I'm just "unloveable".

Hell, I've even got compliments and had women come up and touch my hair (it's really long now, teased at work for looking like a viking), but that doesn't seem to have any sort of payoff.

I just feel like I'm stuck. I don't enjoy going out by myself, I literally choke-up at the thought of randomly going up to a girl I don't know to talk, and I don't encounter any women in my regular day-to-day life.

I'm trying to muster up some kind of enthusiasm to start dieting and exercising seriously, but my only real motivation has ever been "being attractive enough to sleep around". Which is totally an asshole thing to say, but I just feel like I never got to experience that part of life. Yet, at 28 years-old, I worry that I'm too old for that to even be a possibility (after all, I'm not some ridiculously attractive guy to begin with, and women really don't seem to like gingers).

I've just come to the conclusion that I completely fail at being a man (in what ways that matter to women), and I feel kind of defeated.

So... Fuck it. Give me whatever advice, suggestions, comments, whatever.