Concepts in the seduction community

There are many concepts in the seduction community that have been promoted in the seduction literature by various gurus.

Bitch shield

A "bitch shield" is a defense mechanism employed by many females who are accustomed to being approached frequently (e.g. due to their attractiveness). They purposefully act rude in order to pre-empt or cut off seduction attempts by men who have not yet demonstrated high value. The neg is sometimes used to get her to lower her bitch shield.

Cockblock

To cockblock an individual (usually a male) is a term, used primarily by the seduction community,to describe the act of someone seeking to stop a person's advances towards someone else. A cockblock or cockblocker is a person who engages in such obstruction or intervention.

According to an article by a freelance writer, Joshua Bernstein, in the New York Press, cockblocking is a "foul act in which someone interferes with another’s attempt at finding happiness inside someone’s pants."cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Joshua |url=http://www.nypress.com/20/30/news&columns/My%20So-Called%20Strife.cfm |title= Feeling blocked |publisher="New York Press" |accessdate=2008-08-08] An author for the UWO Gazette believes that individuals frequenting bars in university towns are likely to be familiar with "this classic maneuver."cite news |last=Larkin |first=Matt |url=http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/article.cfm?section=Opinions&articleID=20 |title= The fine art of the “cock block” |publisher="UWO Gazette" |date=2004-09-15 |accessdate=2008-08-08] According to a student writer for the Yale Daily News, cockblocks "are a reality of dating".cite news |last=Krinsky |first=Natalie |url=http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/5999 |title= The fine art of the “cock block” |publisher="Yale Daily News" |date=2002-11-15 |accessdate=2008-08-08]

Reasons for cockblocking

When an individual's friend is pursued by an unsavory suitor, then that individual might cockblock the suitor as a protective measure. A primary reason to cockblock is to protect a friend from hooking up under the influence of alcohol, to save the friend from possible acquaintance rape. Friends might cockblock each other out of jealousy. Cockblocking can be a test to screen for suitors who can withstand it.

Usage in the seduction community

In the parlance of the seduction community, a cockblock refers to a person who intentionally or accidentally interferes with or hinders a pickup artist's game (i.e. his efforts to seduce a female, especially in a public setting such a bar or club).cite book |last=Neil |first=Strauss |title= |publisher=Regan Books |ISBN=0-06-055473-8 |page=440 |date=2005 ] In , Neil Strauss writes, "a cockblock can be a friend of the woman, a friend of the pickup artist, or a complete stranger." According to the pickup artist Mystery, when approaching a group of people with a woman he is interested in, it is important to win over any people in the group likely to cockblock him. ["The Game", p. 20.] Strauss recounts how Owen Cook (aka Tyler) pioneered a tactic called "AMOGing" (i.e. competing with an "A"lpha "M"ale "O"ther "G"uy) to deal with male cockblocks. ["The Game", p. 234.]

Other usage

"Cockblock" can also be used in a figurative manner to describe non-sexual interfering behavior. New York Magazine used the term to characterize the Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg's attempts to counter a deal initiated by Governor of New York David Paterson. [cite news |url=http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/06/bloomberg_and_paterson_the_cla.html |title=Bloomberg and Paterson: The Claws Come Out |publisher=New York Magazine |date=2008-6-16 |accessdate=2008-08-08 ]

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, [http://www.cockblocksf.com/ "CockBlock"] is the name of a queer, mostly lesbian, dance club in San Francisco. [cite news |first=Neva |last=Chonin |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/17/PKGTUQDCO01.DTL |title=The Gay Spin |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2007-07-07 |accessdate=2008-08-08 ]

Demonstration of value

A demonstration of value, in the parlance of the seduction community, can be of two types: Demonstration of "higher" value and demonstration of "lower" value. Both relate to the pickup artist's survival value and replication value.

Demonstration of higher value

A demonstration of higher value, or DHV, is a routine in which the pickup artist displays a skill or attribute that raises his worth or appeal in the estimation of a woman or group; it is intended to make him stand out from the other, less interesting men in the club or other venue. A DHV can include stories, humor, etc. that demonstrate social skill. Another DHV is preselection by other girls. When a woman discovers the PUA has a lot of money, this can be a DHV. Social proof is another DHV. Other DHVs include appearing to be a leader of men; being a supporter and protector of those the PUA loves; being nonneedy; being unaffected; negging her; having a strong frame; having interesting knowledge; emotional stimulation; being socially "in demand" (i.e. other people are seeking the PUA's attention or validation, or are paying attention to what the PUA is saying); and connecting conversationally. [cite book|title=The Mystery Method|author=Mystery|pages=100]

Demonstration of lower value

A demonstration of lower value, or DLV, is a behavior that conveys lower survival and replication value; i.e. anything that would tend to cause others to have a worse impression of the pickup artist. Thus, it reduces his chances of success with high-value targets. Examples include reaction-seeking behavior and trying to impress. The theory behind the latter is that he must be trying to impress because he is lower-status.

Neg

A neg (also neg hit, negative hit) is a term in the seduction community for making an ambiguous or negative statement to an individual in order to induce certain reactions. The term was coined by the pickup artist Mystery.cite book|title=The Mystery Method: How to get beautiful women into bed |author=Mystery |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=978-0-312-36011-5 |date=2007 ] Some pickup artists use negs in order to pick up beautiful women. An example of a neg is to ask a woman, "Nice nails; are they real?" ["The Mystery Method", p. 93]

Purpose of negs

Mystery advocates the use of negs by pickup artists to distinguish themselves from the typical suitors he believes beautiful women receive, men who are boring or display too much interest too quickly. He defines a neg as "a statement or action made to briefly and without insult disqualify oneself from being perceived as a potential suitor," that "puts a target off-guard and makes her question her own value, increasing yours on a relative basis." ["The Mystery Method", p. 92-94] According to Neil Strauss, a neg can be a backhanded compliment.cite book |last=Neil |first=Strauss |title= |publisher=Regan Books |isbn=0-06-055473-8 |page=20 |date=2005 ] Rather than being an insult, Mystery describes a neg as "a negative social value judgment that is telegraphed." ["The Mystery Method", p. 94]

Negs are only intended for use on beautiful women accustomed to frequent male attention and compliments. ["The Mystery Method", p. 93] [cite news |last=Johnson |first=Andrew |url=http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=22&art_id=vn20050904104008747C800562 |title=Women rage at book of pick-up tips for men |publisher=The Independent Online |date=2005-11-04 |accessdate=2008-08-09 ] [cite news |last=Strauss |first=Neil |title=Go on, pull the other one |publisher=guardian.co.uk |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2004/feb/15/observerreview.onlinesupplement |date=2007-08-06 |accessdate=2004-02-15 ] Tony Clink argues that, "The woman's confidence has to be sky-high – they have to believe 100 percent that they are too good for you and every other man on the planet – or the neg will destroy their confidence and make them despise you." [cite book|title=the Layguide|chapter=Neg Hits|pages=92|author=Clink, Tony|isbn=0-8065-2602-5]

Controversy

An article in the Rochester City Newspaper calls the neg "one of the many interesting examples of pseudo-psychology the PUAs employ." [cite news |last=Klein |first=Matt |title= "The Pick-Up Artist": The art of seduction |publisher=City Newspaper |url=http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/entertainment/blog/+The+Pick-Up+Artist+:+The+art+of+seduction/ |date=2007-08-09 |accessdate=2008-08-09 ] An interviewer of Mystery for Salon.com described the neg as "inspiring ire," and asked him about critics of the neg who considered it to be insulting and "misogynistic." Mystery maintained that negs were not supposed to be insults, and that critics of the technique "haven't seen it in action."cite news |last=Clark-Flory |first=Tracy |title=The artful seducer |publisher=Salon.com |url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2007/08/06/mystery_qa/ |date=2007-08-06 |accessdate=2008-08-09 ] In his book, Mystery advises against going "overboard" with negs, and he argues that it is both cruel and impractical to to "drop a woman's self esteem out from under her." If a neg offends a woman, Mystery advocates apologizing for crossing her boundaries. ["The Mystery Method", p. 95]

Replication value

Replication value, or R-value, in the parlance of the seduction community, is one's ability to pass on genes to fertile offspring. According to Mystery, human attraction circuits are genetic judges of both the survival value (S-value) and replication value of others. [cite book|title=The Mystery Method|pages=16|author=Mystery] Moreover, women place higher importance on s-value while men place higher importance on R-value. [http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2007/08/06/mystery_qa/print.html] R-value can be assessed using many factors, including physical attractiveness; which in turn is a formula of health, grooming, and many other sub-factors. [http://mysterymethod.blogs.experienceproject.com/6130.html] Trades can be made in which one's replication value is traded for other value; e.g. the woman sexually aligns with the man in exchange for being able to live a certain lifestyle.

References