Dates And Bragging

[The Wykydtron]

However I would have to ask whether they had ever played Persona 4 at some point, she says no and I would end up silently resenting her forever.

Wykydtron: "Do you play Persona 4?"
Date: "No, sounds stupid"
Wykydtron: *flips table and storms out*

Damn straight. Naturally, if she says yes, I would also be prepared with some follow-up questions such as:

Who is your favourite character? (Answer: Naoto, will also accept Yosuke and Chie)

What was the name of the final boss? (to assess if they got the True Ending)

What did you think of the soundtrack?

And the list continues to #57, i'll shorten it to #10 if I end up with eyes glazed over endlessly nerding out about it. It happens yo'

Of course if she says she never finished it, I would be stuck urgently, passive-aggressively encouraging her to carry on with it while also trying to play it cool.

Obviously my dream girl would be decently attractive, A/B cup breasts (dude it's cute don't judge me,) be able to write an essay on Persona 4, being good (but not too good) at fighting games, understands how to fucking ward in League and wears glasses.

Not that picky right? I don't think so.

 

[maninahat]

I'm kind of an inverse version of that guy - dates/girlfriends will get this initial impression that I am some kind of clever, cool and handsome superman, without any bullshitting or effort on my part. It takes a few months for them to realize I'm actually a dim, anti-social, hairy jerk. I think what happens is that when I'm around new people, I'm shy and I keep my yap shut, which makes me look all collected and sophisticated and shit. The illusion is broken when I come out of my shell and communicate exclusively through movie quotes and annoying noises.

 

[Diddy_Mao]

The closest I can think of was a date I went on when I was 17 or so. The lady was a stage actor and part time film extra.

No harm there really, but every single story she had revolved around her just being in the same area as some C to B list celebrity while theg did or said something funny.

After two dates I realised I knew absolutely nothing about her other than the fact that her personality seemed to hinge on being around other folks who were more interesting.

 

[INF1NIT3 D00M]

Oh yeah, I went on a date with someone I met online once. ONCE.
Never again. I'd rather die alone, at this point.

I've known a few characters like that, they're interesting but quite strange. Can't say I've dated any, but women on dates are not the only targets. I'm pretty sure these types feed on attention, and they're just as desperate to make male friends as they are to get into a female's pants. What really irks me is when they reveal their love of any form of Video Games. Generally, these types are "hardcore into Super Smash Bros." or "a purveyor of japanese romance games". They're the loud, completely socially inept stereotypes that make it feel weird to be a gamer in public. I'll be talking to my Bro Lab Partner, the guy who has only ever played Call of Duty: Black Ops II, when Outcast Guy comes waddling over. I'll be in the middle of recommending things Bro Gamer might enjoy, things that might open his eyes to new experiences and maybe even get him interested in new types of games, and here Outcast Guy is with "OH HAY GUYS! I HEARD YOU TALKING ABOUT GAMES AND NOW I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE TIME I PLAYED ZELDA: WIND WAKER!"
There's also no way to talk to a female about games, lest this guy try to cut in with his 1337 Ski11z. I'll be talking to her, "Oh, you've played the whole Mass Effect Trilogy? That's really great! Did you go Renegade or Paragon? Who'd you leave on Virmire?" and before she can answer, sure enough, Outcast guy hears us from across the room and comes over with "OH HEY! MASS EFFECT!? MAN, THE ASARI ARE SO HOT! HAVE YOU EVER COSPLAYED? YOU SHOULD COSPLAY AS AN ASARI OR FEMSHEP OR SOMETHING!"

Cases like that, I don't even know how to handle them. Conversation's pretty much over at that point. Games are not a topic I'd like to touch with that female again, because I don't want to remind her of this guy, or accidentally bring him back around again. From there, it's damage control. How do you get this guy away from you without being a dick, and with the minimum emotional damage? He's nice, if completely inept. You don't want to hurt him, you might even discuss Zelda with him in a different place and time. But right then and there, you want that guy FAR away from you before he starts telling you about his mother, any weapons or odd collections he may have at home, any anime/manga he likes, or the medical problems of his pets. Many times, this guy becomes a social WMD. As soon as he hits, you're instantly vaporized. She's a shadow on the wall in the best case, and in the worst case, you might have to take the bullet and chat him up so that he doesn't pester her.

I had one guy who managed to do all of this without even directly talking to us, but that's a story for later.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Not that picky right? I don't think so.

Nah man, its k, chicks will flock for you, they find gamers who play games where people become enamored over their virtual girlfriends sexy.

Fuckin' knew it. I knew Atlus was prepping me for real life the moment you start juggling several potential girlfriends at once.

Only a matter of time now... I'll need to research the basic female character archetypes in the meantime in order to prepare for actual conversation with the womenfolk. I might need to carry notes with me at all times for when the inevitable time where a cute girl rounds a corner too fast and bumps into me, starting her romance route from there should only be a few simple conversation choices away.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

Another one of my "I went out with a crazy person" stories! Are ya ready kids?! Awesome, here we go.

My latest one was a young man of about 20 years old who asked me to dinner. No problem. So we go out and begin to get to know one another. By "getting to know one another" I actually mean that he was talking and talking, while I sat there listening and smiling. Honestly I don't mind, as listening is a good way to learn about another individual, he was merely making it easier on me (I didn't have to ask any questions, it was glorious).

For a bit of background information on myself, my two main professions are assistant psychologist in training (5 years of education, year in a half of field work), and I am an assistant manager at a deli (I know, amazing, you don't have to remind me /bleh). On the side to pay for all this education I write and draw for various comic series and sell my art at conventions. I state this for a reason.

So as the date continued I realized this kid had to be highly nervous. He stated he had never really been on a date, was a virgin, and only ever had one girlfriend of whom he never had a physical relationship with but he proposed to at 15. So when he started talking about his apparent accomplishments I didn't stop him. Here is a list of apparently what he was a professional at or various other things:

-Professional welder at 20 but unemployed (I don't know how well a welder gets jobs so I can't compare)
-Professional bowler (This was proven false when I suggested bowling, and I'm terrible mind you)
-Professional Knife Thrower
-Professional boxer, but has never been wounded. Apparently his matches were so brutal they were taken off youtube
-Hentai Comic Book Artist. However his art skills were... well he frequently traced (This is not an insult towards those who are learning to draw. Please, keep doing what you're doing. Practice creates skill)
-Apparently he found a customer at his local store who would cut up bodies and throw them in their garbage bin (I know this because he told me very loudly in a barnes and nobles cafe in front of a group of elderly people in grand detail)
-He's going to be a writer (Although the boy has little to know knowledge of basic grammar and writing skills)
-Took 1 class of psychology so now he knows how to professionally psychoanalyze people
-Took 1 class of psychology so now he is knowledgeable on all mental illnesses ever
-Professional archer
-Doesn't have a job, but owns his own beach front.
-My favorite: Due to his lack of job, sells sex toys to high school students (as we all know many high school students are minors, in my area at least)
-Everything revolves around his ex girlfriend. The boy has apparently done nothing with his life without that ex girlfriend being physically present.
-He was apparently adored as a god in high school. This however has not helped him socially currently, as it seems he has little friends to speak of.
-Every other woman before and after adores him so much all they want to do is sleep with him. He is too moral though to take them up on the offer

Needless to say we talked and I told him I was uninterested, and he agreed. This apparently didn't stop him from asking me to sleep with him the second time we happened to meet up (decided we would just be friends). When I told him no, his reaction was his was apparently bisexual and would then continue to tell me how he found all these male anime characters to be highly attractive and all the fanart he would make (/shudder).

So Escapist, have you ever been on a date, or even just out with people, where you have experienced or met an individual who apparently is a master and skill at all things available? Are YOU one of those people? If so for either, what kind of experience was it? I want all the gory details.

And this concludes another episode of why Saeton is single. Tune in next time folks.

--- For anyone concerned, I am not mocking this individual. He seemed to have a lot of problems dealing with his own self image and I can only assume he either was attempting to make up for it, or he hada high level of delusion (I guess the first). This was not made to poke fun of the individual. Thank you ---

This is quite interesting actually. A thread by a psychologist about a guy who asked her out and likes to brag, in which she feels the need to point out her professions, qualifications and how long it took her to achieve them, as well as making a kind of circus out of her own experiences with dates she feels she it too got for. If I were a psychologist myself I would be intrigued.

 

[Lonewolfm16]

Not that picky right? I don't think so.

Nah man, its k, chicks will flock for you, they find gamers who play games where people become enamored over their virtual girlfriends sexy.

Fuckin' knew it. I knew Atlus was prepping me for real life the moment you start juggling several potential girlfriends at once.

Only a matter of time now... I'll need to research the basic female character archetypes in the meantime in order to prepare for actual conversation with the womenfolk. I might need to carry notes with me at all times for when the inevitable time where a cute girl rounds a corner too fast and bumps into me, starting her romance route from there should only be a few simple conversation choices away.

Your avatar is surprisingly appropriate for this conversation, isn't it? The God of Conquest, unless I am mistaken.

 

[SaetonChapelle]

snip

This is quite interesting actually. A thread by a psychologist about a guy who asked her out and likes to brag, in which she feels the need to point out her professions, qualifications and how long it took her to achieve them, as well as making a kind of circus out of her own experiences with dates she feels she it too got for. If I were a psychologist myself I would be intrigued.

Actually, I totally understand what you are saying here. I was originally intending to include his attempts at false psychoanalysis and such due to my previous experience (only in the departments of psych and art I am knowledgeable in, all of the others I am completely ignorant) however I decided to omit it as it would not have been important, but forgot to remove the paragraph.

My apologies.

 

[DevilWithaHalo]

So Escapist, have you ever been on a date, or even just out with people, where you have experienced or met an individual who apparently is a master and skill at all things available? Are YOU one of those people? If so for either, what kind of experience was it?

It's less bragging and more an honest streak of narcissism (from what I see in others). Men want to appear more impressive than they actually are, women merely think they're more impressive than they actually are.

I've been called that guy merely because I know how I fit into statistics; detailing facts isn't arrogance. But claiming you're a 10 when you're more like a 5; that is.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

snip

This is quite interesting actually. A thread by a psychologist about a guy who asked her out and likes to brag, in which she feels the need to point out her professions, qualifications and how long it took her to achieve them, as well as making a kind of circus out of her own experiences with dates she feels she it too got for. If I were a psychologist myself I would be intrigued.

Actually, I totally understand what you are saying here. I was originally intending to include his attempts at false psychoanalysis and such due to my previous experience (only in the departments of psych and art I am knowledgeable in, all of the others I am completely ignorant) however I decided to omit it as it would not have been important, but forgot to remove the paragraph.

My apologies.

That's okay.

By the way, all psychoanalysis is false as a science and also if we're talking about helping people and not just in the short term.

 

[SaetonChapelle]

snip

This is quite interesting actually. A thread by a psychologist about a guy who asked her out and likes to brag, in which she feels the need to point out her professions, qualifications and how long it took her to achieve them, as well as making a kind of circus out of her own experiences with dates she feels she it too got for. If I were a psychologist myself I would be intrigued.

Actually, I totally understand what you are saying here. I was originally intending to include his attempts at false psychoanalysis and such due to my previous experience (only in the departments of psych and art I am knowledgeable in, all of the others I am completely ignorant) however I decided to omit it as it would not have been important, but forgot to remove the paragraph.

My apologies.

That's okay.

By the way, all psychoanalysis is false as a science and also if we're talking about helping people and not just in the short term.

Although I am aware that there is still a debate on that (as psychoanaysis does feature an experimental or "empirical" confirmation, however there is no scientific evidence for psychoanalysis nor do I believe there could be. /shrug. I'm not really involved in the argument nor do I take a side.

Of course that is off topic anyhow

 

[Buffoon1980]

I have been on precisely one actual, proper date (you know, dinner, stroll along the beach, that sort of thing). It ended with sex. I guess this shows that although I have trouble getting women interested in me in the first place, once I get them to notice my existence they can't resist. Although I may have to increase my sample size for that conclusion to have much weight...

Anyway, as stated I don't really date per se, but when it comes to actually talking to women, yeah, I brag. I'm sure it makes me look like a douche, and I'm sure that the fact I have precious little to brag about becomes apparent quite quickly. It's like some switch flicks on in my brain, and I can't shut up about how awesome I am.

Women, if you come across a man afflicted with this terrible syndrome, cut him some slack. What he's essentially saying is that you have all the power in this relationship, and he's just scrambling in a vain attempt to keep up.

 

[scorptatious]

I never went on a date before, so I can't say I have personal experience. Although this does remind me of my brother in-law and my sister. He was a bit of a liar himself and now they're separating.

I remember when I was about to graduate from High School, he told me that he would help me form a business or something like that, but he never actually did.

 

[BarbaricGoose]

That's okay.

By the way, all psychoanalysis is false as a science and also if we're talking about helping people and not just in the short term.

Are you honestly saying psychology can't help people, or.... what? That looks to be what you wrote. And if I am reading that correctly, I wholeheartedly disagree. How can you say that it doesn't help people? ...is that what you're saying?

-Hentai Comic Book Artist. However his art skills were... well he frequently traced (This is not an insult towards those who are learning to draw. Please, keep doing what you're doing. Practice creates skill)

Anyway... did this guy honestly brag about his skills as a hentai artist? Really? That seems like something you'd take your grave. Also: how did you know his artwork sucked? Did he show it to you after bragging about it?

That's a good dinner conversation: "I draw school girls getting penetrated by monsters. Professionally. WANNA SEE?!" I wouldn't know whether to congratulate him on his enormous balls or walk away slowly.

Most of my dates have been pretty average, for better or worse.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

Sounds like a keeper.

No in all seriousness, talking yourself up is natural and there's no harm in it, but by that I mean talking up things that are actually true in a way that implies they're more significant than they are. (IE, someone learning guitar but works at mcdonalds is more likely to introduce themselves as a musician than a mcdonalds employee.) That's fine.

At the point where you're saying "I'm a boxer and my fights are so brutal theyve been removed from youtube" you might as well be like "I have super powers and I killed the last tsar if Russia before he blew up the united states with his secret mega-nuke. The news didn't cover it because the obama administration is keeping it a secret for fear that I will get too much pussy." It's like when people go about their day to day life wearing a fedora, sunglasses, and a trenchcoat. Nobody sees that and assumes "I'll bet this cool mysterious guy kicks a lot of ass." Pretty much the most uncool think you can possibly do is fail at an attempt to be cool.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

That's okay.

By the way, all psychoanalysis is false as a science and also if we're talking about helping people and not just in the short term.

Are you honestly saying psychology can't help people, or.... what? That looks to be what you wrote. And if I am reading that correctly, I wholeheartedly disagree. How can you say that it doesn't help people? ...is that what you're saying?

Yes. How can you say it does help people? What do you mean by help? First of all there is no statistical evidence that is has helped people. Then it's the whole idea of psychotherapy which, to my mind, doesn't stack up. A patient comes to see a psychoanalyst who tells them they have a problem because of they way they relate to the world. Then there's a process of healing, therapy, which is meant to solve those problems. Who's to say these defense mechanisms are a problem in the first place? Why should there be a "right way" and a "wrong way" at all? It's a way of making money, that's all. You can claim it helps people fit into society, I wouldn't argue with that, but that's not necessarily a help. Many of our cultural idols in the arts and sciences have also been the biggest misfits.

Medicine has a separate reference point for the "good" - the survival of the organism. Psychoanalysis doesn't. It has the patient or doctor saying what is "good" and how do they know that? Liking or disliking a psychological or physical trait is no basis for diagnosing anything.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Damn straight. Naturally, if she says yes, I would also be prepared with some follow-up questions such as:
Who is your favourite character? (Answer: Naoto, will also accept Yosuke and Chie)

Gotta go with Chie or Kanji. Naoto didn't click with me.

What was the name of the final boss? (to assess if they got the True Ending)

Shadow Teddy's eyeball.

Or the Gas Station attendant who insists on touching you when you arrive in town.

... one of them. It's been a while and I can't remember which of them is which.

What did you think of the soundtrack?

Not as good as Persona 3's.

Obviously my dream girl would be decently attractive,

Check.

A/B cup breasts

Check.

be able to write an essay on Persona 4,

I'd rather write one on Persona 3 Portable, but I'm sure I could manage at least 2000 words if you give me an hour or two.

being good (but not too good) at fighting games,

... I'm pretty good at Soul Caliber. Playing Sophtia. ....

understands how to fucking ward in League

I hate MMOs and online multiplayer in general. Same room or GTFO. The point being, never played League of Legends, so I have no idea what warding is.

and wears glasses.

... 20/20 vision.

Apparently I'm not your dream girl. Just FYI.

 

[Snowbell]

A man I know, who is aware that I'm in a committed relationship, repeatedly flirted with me and when I told him I wasn't interested he told me that if he wanted to, he could 'hypnotise' me with his 'animalistic' ways and I wouldn't be able to 'resist' him. I avoid him whenever possible, but although I find him repulsive (he's not bad looking but I can't stand his cocky 'I deserve all the women' attitude) he has actually slept with quite a few of my friends. I just can't understand what they see in him.

 

[The Funslinger]

Another one of my "I went out with a crazy person" stories!

Dis gon be gud.

*reads*

Dis wuz gud.

OT: While I have had a couple of relationships, and I have my share of experience, blah blah blah, until my most recent relationship, I'd only been on one actual date, weirdly enough. Having been on a couple more casually in my most recent relationship, so far they've all been pleasant.

First date I'd been on was quite pleasant. Just a nice trip to the movies (though it was to see Woman In Black, so 'pleasant' may be subjective). My only qualm was that as I do when engrossed in a film, I devoured popcorn at a pace that would make Goku blush, which must have looked a bit dumb.

Other than that, my dates have been small scale things. A drink in a bar, getting slushies from a coffee shop, and going around a couple of those shops with perfume in the air that just sell random odds and ends, mostly of the feminine persuasion.

Fun, right? Well, I feel the need to contribute a freaky-ass story, so for that, I'll tell you how my most recent wonderfully pleasant relationship ended. She broke up with me in order to jump into bed with a close friend of mine, whom she'd only known a few weeks, while I was there.

After that, they had a bit of a tiff, and she tried to put me in the middle of it. When I refused to talk him into talking to her again, she slashed her palm and started threatening suicide.

Fun.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Wow. Awkward.

I get lack of confidence, but that doesn't seem like a good way to compensate.

Then again, what do I know about dating? I've never been on one. Ever. (And believe me, when you're my age, that' saying something.)

But honestly, the more stories like this I hear, the less inclined I am to try.

Of course, it doesn't really help that I pretty much freak out and run off if a guy (or girl. Either works for me - in theory anyway. XD), approaches me and even shows the slightest hint they might be interested in me...

Yeah... Not gonna happen, basically.

But I guess that does make commenting on topics like this seem a bit awkward. XD