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going forward, it seems like the two options are, to either change my personality to become more like, say, Mystery (who i think is very intelligent and is right about a lot of what he says about human nature). or to act like Mystery while still secretly holding onto my true identity as an introvert, the more authentic of the two options. the problem with this more authentic option, is that it feels personally degrading. it's a self negation. it feels degrading to the extent that it makes the means not really worth the end. and the first option, even more so.
the problem is i am a good person, just not in a way that is attractive to women. a step in the direction of being a pua would be a self betrayal. and i would lose some of my faith in humanity if took the step. if you can't be a good person and be true to who you are, it's obviously quite dispiriting.
Even Mystery himself says that you can (and should) take Mystery out of the method. It's not about imitating him, it's about understanding certain principles about human nature, as you rightly said.
These principles can help you in every area of life, and like ninja says, there are many areas of life where you need to be careful and thoughtful in your dealings with other people. "Being yourself" isn't always the best thing for you or others.
In response to the introvert/extrovert question, I'd say that being introverted isn't a problem. However, defining yourself according to how you see yourself in your own head is. If you're going to have any kind of success in life you need to start seeing yourself through other people's eyes. You can sit on the sidelines and consider yourself great but if others don't see that then it's all going to waste.
"Demonstrating value" is basically about showing others everything that you truly have to offer and not letting it stay hidden beneath a shy exterior. Do you want to be a good person but have noone ever know it? Think of the things that make you a good person and find ways to convey that quickly and in a way that makes an impact on others.
I had the same concerns about selling out as you, but holding onto a rigid concept of who you're supposed to be is limiting. If someone advises you to do something which you find morally questionable then you probably shouldn't do it, but being open to more effective ways of doing things is positive for you, and should not be seen as a betrayal of your true self.