“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains.”
–Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, page 1
This applies to pickup.
All of us are born socially free. But we got bound by social chains of “you can’t do this,” esteem, hurt feelings, limited thinking, insecurities.
Pickup is one way to free us from these chains.
Brad P: what all the master pickup artists have in common, despite whatever school of pickup they represent, is
Social Freedom
MOST people have social anxiety. They’re afraid of rejection, afraid to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing.
But the key to success in pickup is to break free from this anxiety and be socially free again. The way we already were as kids.
Like Rousseau says, EACH ONE OF US has freedom inside us already. We just have to return to it.
When I think of social freedom, I think of the movie The Mask.
Remember how Jim Carey transformed from this timid, Mr. Nice Guy into a wild, fearless, powerful and invincible guy when he put on The Mask?
Then Ben Stein explains The Mask had released his id from his super-conscious. With The Mask on, he now had no more social pressures like “you’re not supposed to this” or that. Just total non-self-consciousness and freedom!
When I picture The Mask before I go into the field it’s amazing how approach anxiety kind of lessens for me. What other people think of me? Screw that. All I care about is doing the right thing… being friendly to EVERYONE and giving lots of love. That’s higher than what people might think of me.
Now here’s the best part of all this. How do we break our social restraints?
Approaching.
What could be more socially free than approaching complete strangers? Approaching is an exercise of social freedom, like an athlete exercising to become healthy and strong.
Social freedom is our natural right. It’s in ALL of us. We just have to reclaim it. The art of pickup is an awesome… and very practical… way to do this.