| Great replies. I'd like to add that, though it may sound trite, the best method is YOUR method. I know early on, that seems absurd because you feel you have no method (that's why you're here, right?), but it is ultimately what ought to and will happen.
In high school, whenever we would have a test in our geometry class, someone would inevitably ask our teacher, "What do we need to know for the test?" And without fail, his reply was always sternly the following: "Everything you have learned in your entire life to this point." Obviously, this was his dryly humorous way of indicating a deep truth. For the sake of a geometry class, we needed to know all sorts of techniques to solve problems and draft proofs. Those techniques occasionally were pulled from parts of mathematics we hadn't even thought about for a few years. Also, we needed to know implicitly how to write concisely, spell words, use logic, add and subtract, know what pencil and eraser were best, know what a triangle looks like, etc. Obviously, these are all subtleties that are almost unconscious, and it would have been simple for him to just say that the test was on "exterior angles of quadrilaterals," but that would have been missing the point.
Every technique we study, every person we speak to, every TV show we watch in some way imparts some knowledge to us. In re PUA, there are certain methods that are more strongly in our favor than others, but ultimately, we ought to study many methods. as they will ultimately become incorporated and assimilated into our own personal method.
For example, I never set out to adopt any Ross Jeffries stuff really, but I did study it a bit; and even now, all these years later, I occasionally find that it is the right tool for the job and I find myself using it almost automatically in those cases. The same with with MM: I was not a -huge- fan (though I appreciate it), but I studied it and ultimately it helps me. Also, having read the Canterbury Tales and watched a documentary on how to make a spatula both also, in some ancillary barely perceptible way, helps me.
Just like I'm guessing that even though my geometry teacher didn't intend for his statement to be so profound--but rather just wryly funny--,I have used that small tidbit from him to drastically improve my life. It just seems to resonate with me (and it may not for you; this is why we all have our own method). This is also why I feel it is a huge help to talk to people and get their opinions (especially here); even if those opinions may not be directly helpful, they will ultimately aid you in making a decision or in some other unforeseen way down the road.
A small aside: this concept can also be detrimental; be careful what you expose yourself to as it can all rub off on you a bit--e.g., maybe watching The Real Housewives 48 hour marathon straight through is not going to be the best thing for you now or ever (or maybe it is; what do I know....).
Sorry for going a bit beyond the OP's question, but I just want to stress how important it is to try to educate (not necessarily formally) oneself in all areas of life.
Max
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CHAT