I connect with people very easily. I strongly believe people can sense fakeness and can subconsciously tell when you are just feigning interest so you can meet some goal.

James Swanwick talks about this on the DSR podcasts. Really genuinely learn about someone. Find out what they are passionate about. If you can do that, you can build deeper friendships and relationships, and it makes you look so much more attractive to women.

Here's my problem: I am creating great bonds with the women I meet, but some of them flake out or realize they aren't over their divorce or whatever it is, and they break things off and it's taking an emotional toll on me. I really want to know these people, and I can't.

When I was a much younger PUA I put up an emotional shield and it was fine but I didn't get the results I wanted. Dropping the shield lets me be the outgoing, gregarious, make-friends-out-of-a-room-of-strangers person I want to be, but leaves me vulnerable to some strong negative feelings.

Anyone else have a problem with this, or is this a case where I want to have my cake and eat it too? I find the emotional shield makes me feel fake, but without it I'm getting put through the wringer.