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Culture War Roundup for the week of April 17, 2023

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Ha, yeah. For example, a relatively well-known video of a young woman trying to get Tinder dates using her male friend's photos.

It's always funny to hear female supposition as to the male dating experience. Dating and courtship are just Acts of God that happen to them, so the view from the male side is completely alien.

A multi-year acquaintance-with-benefits, a total smokeshow (if she were chaste, like a virgin, I'd probably try to marry her), a few months ago asked me what proportion of girls that I message on Insta I end up "going out with" (likely girl-speak for a trip to Pound Town).

I told her to guess, so that I could stall to come up with a dodge that doesn't diminish her attraction for me (few things turn off women like perceived lack of success with other women).

She guessed 2/3. That is, she guessed two of every three girls on Instagram I message I end up pulling.

Jesus. If I could pull 2 of every 3 chicks I message on Instagram I might not be able to do things like hold down a job.

2/30 would be amazing.

I'd be pleased with 2/300.

Snippet from Norah Vincent's book ("Self-Made Man"):

"Dating women as a man was a lesson in female power, and it made me, of all things, into [a] momentary misogynist...I disliked [women's] superiority, their accusatory smiles, their entitlement to choose or dash me with a fingertip, an execution so lazy, so effortless, it made the defeats and even successes unbearably humiliating...women have a lot of power, not only to arouse, but to give worth, self-worth, meaning, initiation, sustenance, everything.”

I honestly have no clue how I got so lucky. Both women I've dated initiated first. Listening to other men I know it sounds miserable.

I have great sympathy for other Anglosphere men (and, tbh, older women) finding difficulties with romance. I do suspect there is a cultural component in play, though, and it probably doesn't generalise globally.