That thread title is a bit dangerous, but I couldn't come up with a better one. Here are my thoughts.
After reading, absorbing, and acting on all of the knowledge I've read, it appears to me that game is really about treating women like humans. The natural tendency of a man who can't get women is to pedestalize them and act like someone else when talking to them. This is highly enforced by the modern day "chivalry" that men are supposed to take part in, while ignoring the faults of the women to whom they are being chivalrous.
However, consider how the same man would act when told that he must converse with another man. There is none of this awkwardness. Perhaps a bit of polite formality at first, but quickly two men can decide whether they enjoy the other's company and choose to continue or forgo the discussion. There is no real awkwardness on the level you see when a neophyte to game talks with women for the first time.
It appears that game is really about knocking down this disparity. By treating your interactions with women as something to be enjoyed without any embarrassment, and, if the stars are right, enjoying each other's mutual company (read: fucking), you've essentially begun treating an interaction with women as similar to that of an interaction with other men. You're goal-oriented and will not continue the discussion if it is not somehow beneficial (either conversationally enjoyable or leading toward a swoop).
As a small example, I would take "negging", as defined by the classic Mystery method. Negging is often seen viewed as some sort of douchebag trick, but it's really nothing more than teasing. Sure, a bunch of social idiots starting on their game path may overdo it and cross over to insulting. However, I view negging as similar to what you'd do to a male friend if he started acting cocky. It's almost organic. Imagine a male friend starts acting big-headed in a group. Everyone starts giving him shit in a jovial way and (assuming he's not a douchebag) he laughs and simmers down. If he's a douche and gets offended, you'd probably stop talking to him, right? Same with how you should treat women. If a woman is so high on herself that she cannot handle a bit of teasing, you should blow her off.
TL;DR - Gaming is the study of learning to treat women as humans, and not as goddesses.
After reading, absorbing, and acting on all of the knowledge I've read, it appears to me that game is really about treating women like humans. The natural tendency of a man who can't get women is to pedestalize them and act like someone else when talking to them. This is highly enforced by the modern day "chivalry" that men are supposed to take part in, while ignoring the faults of the women to whom they are being chivalrous.
However, consider how the same man would act when told that he must converse with another man. There is none of this awkwardness. Perhaps a bit of polite formality at first, but quickly two men can decide whether they enjoy the other's company and choose to continue or forgo the discussion. There is no real awkwardness on the level you see when a neophyte to game talks with women for the first time.
It appears that game is really about knocking down this disparity. By treating your interactions with women as something to be enjoyed without any embarrassment, and, if the stars are right, enjoying each other's mutual company (read: fucking), you've essentially begun treating an interaction with women as similar to that of an interaction with other men. You're goal-oriented and will not continue the discussion if it is not somehow beneficial (either conversationally enjoyable or leading toward a swoop).
As a small example, I would take "negging", as defined by the classic Mystery method. Negging is often seen viewed as some sort of douchebag trick, but it's really nothing more than teasing. Sure, a bunch of social idiots starting on their game path may overdo it and cross over to insulting. However, I view negging as similar to what you'd do to a male friend if he started acting cocky. It's almost organic. Imagine a male friend starts acting big-headed in a group. Everyone starts giving him shit in a jovial way and (assuming he's not a douchebag) he laughs and simmers down. If he's a douche and gets offended, you'd probably stop talking to him, right? Same with how you should treat women. If a woman is so high on herself that she cannot handle a bit of teasing, you should blow her off.
TL;DR - Gaming is the study of learning to treat women as humans, and not as goddesses.