Advertisement
Video via Stylelife Academy on YouTube
DAY ONE
Byron was in the middle of a rant about the alpha male, directed at no one in particular, when the students began shuffling in. First to arrive was Eric, a sweet-faced redhead with a mustache and an exaggerated Southern accent. Then came Tomas, a young-looking Hispanic guy, followed by two bald men, John and Paul, who arrived separately but both in burgundy button-ups. Paul was English. A salt-and-peppered fellow named Charles showed up not long after, and finally there was Alex, who had a red-blooded, clean-shaven Texan sort of vibe. I was struck by, on the whole, how reasonably attractive they were.On MUNCHIES: People in Shanghai Are Eating War Criminal Ice Cream
Advertisement
It felt like the first day of school, except instead of children fidgeting in their seats, it was grown men—and me. I could tell that my presence made them uncomfortable. Byron began by discussing the nature of seduction and how it applies to everything, whether or not we're paying attention. He doesn't believe in "naturals," he professed; he believes in people who are practiced.The first principle to learn was to always be the exception, he said. He referenced a Chris Rock joke about how, when men talk to women, they're really saying, "How about some dick?" So women develop knee-jerk reactions to men who approach them—much the way we brush past petitioners on the street. The students' job was to be the guy who's not offering penis on a platter. Making people feel comfortable in conversation, he stressed, was the primary goal.Byron and Jay gave some examples of conversation openers, all of them questions. There was the cashmere sweater one, which goes, "Hey, quick question! I've gotta get out of here in a second, but I was planning on getting my friend's little sister a cashmere sweater for her birthday, and she wears both smalls and mediums. If someone gave you a sweater, would you rather it be a little too small or a little too big?" In the coffee shop version, you stage a phone "conversation" within earshot of a girl, debating which to get, so it's natural to ask her about it."You're always trying to put the best parts of yourself out there," Byron said. "That in itself is a show."
Advertisement
Advertisement
DAY TWO
Advertisement
Jay told me he thought everyone should try to get to a place where they don't decide they like someone before they know her, or because she's hot. That way, it's appropriate to plant seeds of doubt, because they're real.He and Byron added that people should avoid referring to human beings as "obstacles," stop rating women with numbers, and ditch the term "friend zone"—anything that implies a woman's only value is sexual. This wasn't at all what I'd expected to hear in a pickup workshop.I got to know some of the guys better at the club that night. Charles, the salt-and-pepper-y one, told me, "I'm not here to hook up with a bunch of chicks. It's more about improving my social skills and bedside manner with my patients." Charles is a chiropractor who's nice-looking if you like Michael Keaton (and I do), but he seemed uncomfortable whenever he spoke. It detracted from his attractiveness, but I had hope.Byron added that people should avoid referring to human beings as "obstacles," stop rating women with numbers, and ditch the term "friend zone"—anything that implies a woman's only value is sexual.
Advertisement
Video via Stylelife Academy on YouTube
DAY THREE
Advertisement