I wish he didn't try so hard to impress us, instead of writing an exercise in clear thought.
I was with him up to the "Let's show off what I've researched about the history of Love," which turned out to be, yes: there have always been pickup artists of a sort, and yes: there has always been desperate deep love. Thanks. I skimmed most of that indulgent name-dropping.
Then he tries to get clever with words and it goes downhill. Loads of those sections could be stripped out for clarity; elegance from simplicity, not pretense from complexity.
Liked the personal stories, the accounts of modern PUA. Did not like the way the research felt like name-dropping. He was trying too hard.
Nowhere is this more clear than in the stilted final sentences. "You have no choice in the matter. Love was hard enough already; it has only gotten harder. Your love will exhaust you. But it will be worth the trouble."
Given the solid summary of the PUA mindset and method (considering the space requirements) I would have granted the author some airs of grandeur if he had been able to give some insight on marrying the lessons of PUA with a respect for real romantic love. But he really couldn't, so the article ultimately disappoints.
I was with him up to the "Let's show off what I've researched about the history of Love," which turned out to be, yes: there have always been pickup artists of a sort, and yes: there has always been desperate deep love. Thanks. I skimmed most of that indulgent name-dropping.
Then he tries to get clever with words and it goes downhill. Loads of those sections could be stripped out for clarity; elegance from simplicity, not pretense from complexity.
Liked the personal stories, the accounts of modern PUA. Did not like the way the research felt like name-dropping. He was trying too hard.
Nowhere is this more clear than in the stilted final sentences. "You have no choice in the matter. Love was hard enough already; it has only gotten harder. Your love will exhaust you. But it will be worth the trouble."