Hey everybody,
I'm 24 years old, living in Southern California, and am completely new to the game (all I've done so far is read Neil Strauss' book). I've spent my entire life drifting into the "friends zone" when it comes to women, possibly because I'm not aggressive enough to take the initiative in order to spark sexual interest. I'm a very social guy when it comes to group dynamics and have no problem talking with new people, but my main problem is making my intentions clear and getting the girl to see me in a different light. I think I have an advantage in the sense that I'm a pretty smart and funny guy, but it's pretty hard for me to translate that into a sensual or seductive manner of behavior. I guess some of my other weaknesses would include a reluctance to approach strange attractive women due to self-esteem and confidence issues, as well as awkward silences when I run out of things to say. It would also help if I could learn some methods to cure one-itis.
My goal isn't really to become a master pick-up artist or even to sleep with a ton of women (although I wouldn't mind that at all), but rather to have the ability to stay out of the friends zone and at least exploit the opportunity of having a romantic relationship with a person of interest.
Right now I think it's best if I go through a learning phase and absorb as much material as I can, but when I feel comfortable enough with the basic concepts and ideals of the community, I'll be sure to ask a lot of questions and fine-tune my abilities under the excellent tutelage found here at these forums.
Thanks in advance!