A reader emails in and says he has a deep‑rooted fear that his guy friend will laugh at him after a rejection, calling out how he ‘tried to pick her up’. He notices that his flirting and fun with women are actually better when he goes out with strangers or guys he just met, like on trips or while backpacking. He quotes Teddy Roosevelt’s idea that critics on the sidelines don’t count, only the man actually in the arena does, and he knows this is rational.

The core issue is that you can’t let your friends get in the way of you getting pussy. You can’t let anything get in the way of you getting pussy; PnV is the end goal, always. If your friends won’t approach, fuck them. You’ve got to start making approaches regardless of who is around. There are two ways to deal with the pressure: grow a set of nuts and start approaching all the damn time, or go out alone. Each move forces your friends to either level up or fade into the background.

The first option is to grow a set of nuts and start approaching every single woman you see that makes you think, “I’d like to sleep with her.” Make it your default behavior, no matter where you are, what you’re doing, or who she is. Drop whatever you are doing and talk to her. This extreme, balls‑out approach is intense and awesome, and it will teach you more than any theory ever could. Living as a consistent doer rewires you so fear of ridicule feels small

The second option is to go out alone while your bros hold you back. If they stop you from approaching, you simply can’t party with them anymore. Roll solo until you reach a close rate where you’re confident grabbing numbers and bang most of your targets. The more you close and bang on your own time, the more solid your confidence becomes, and your friends can go to hell because you know this chick is going home with you.