I see so many posts in this subreddit over-analyzing every little detail of interactions with women and placing a disproportionate emphasis on "inner game" and games to play with women through conversation / text.

Do you want to know the real hard truth, of what you need to master before this kind of thing really starts to make a difference? You might not like it.

The hard truth is this: Until you get physically fit, get good hygiene, and start dressing fashionably, all of that "game" isn't going to help you at all. Most men are laughably behind in this regard, especially if they live outside of a major city where generally you will get eaten alive in the dating scene if you don't at least get some grasp on these fundamentals.

It's like in Starcraft, a video game I play: it doesn't matter how well you maneuver your units if your grasp on the fundamental mechanics of economy is too poor to make a lot of them. Until your body looks good, your clothes fit and look nice, and you smell nice, everything will be 10x harder. If you say everything "right" but your breath stinks no girl will kiss you or go out with you.

There's no shortcut, but you can hit the gym and start dressing more nicely today. No shame in hiring a personal trainer or style consultant if you can afford it. You're likely clueless at both anyway if you're here. That's OK -- you'll learn over time.

Once you master these basics, all the "inner game" stuff you read here will be an order of magnitude more effective. How many more nights will you need to sleep alone before you're willing to make meaningful change? Only you can decide.

EDIT: I'm not saying looks are the only thing that matters or that if you have this stuff you can just walk into a bar and crush it. The point is it is FUNDAMENTAL square one stuff that you absolutely must be at least above average at to do well at dating. Amazingly, "just fucking introduce yourself already" starts working as a strategy.