David DeAngelo is the pseudonym of a notable member of an American Seduction community [1] [2] Deangelo is credited with founding "Double Your Dating", a company providing dating advice to men and marketed primarily over the Internet . Within the community he has achieved status akin to a guru.[3]
Background
David DeAngelo is the stage name of a dating adviser based in the United States. (His real name is Eben Pagan.) Originally a student of Ross Jeffries and using the nickname Sisonpyh (hypnosis spelled backwards), DeAngelo's ideas were first widely published and publicized in a post on the underground seduction newsletter called Cliff's List .[4]
DeAngelo's commercial career began with the release of his first book Double Your Dating in 2001. Since then, he has released many products aimed at helping men with dating with titles such as the Advanced Dating series, 77 Laws of Success With Women and Dating , Deep Inner Game , and Meeting Women Online.
DeAngelo runs an e-mail newsletter which is distributed to over 1 million subscribers [5] .
Beliefs
DeAngelo argues that much human social behavior is related in some way to sexual reproduction , and that human mating habits do not differ significantly from other species.
He suggests that societal conditioning has programmed many modern men to develop involuntary habits that increase the failure rate of consistently attracting women or negate the attractive qualities that were designed to make women want them. "Pickup lines cause you to lose before you even begin" since they "don't usually elicit positive and rewardful responses; instead they breed negative reactions."[6]
DeAngelo states in one of his advanced dating technique seminars that people can use his techniques to achieve a variety of goals, whether that goal is to have casual sex or to form more lasting relationships.[7] David DeAngelo, as a member of the Seduction Community as a whole, often comes under fire by women and men who advocate "just being yourself", but is just as strongly defended by his proponents who argue that these opinions are based on ignorance of his actual material. [8]
One of his beliefs is that being brainy doesn't automatically equal success with women, but that such success can be acquired. [9]
David DeAngelo contends most men lack a deep understanding of women, and in this way they are at a loss to attract the ones they desire. As a result, men are forced to accept whomever selects them.
DeAngelo believes that women are not as obsessed with the appearance of prospective mates as males are.[10] Further, he contends that typical male courting gambits such as excessive flattery and gifting are seen by women as manipulative and insecure, and are thus ultimately unattractive.[11] Instead, he contends that "attraction isn't a choice" -- women cannot be bribed into choosing to feel attraction. Rather, DeAngelo asserts that a woman will feel attraction automatically when she perceives a man to have certain characteristics such as confidence, lightheartedness, humor and independence, qualities he labels "cocky and funny" or "cocky funny." [12]
Thus, while a typical man might hope to appeal to a desirable woman with obsequiousness and unbridled enthusiasm, carefully hiding any reservations he might have about her, a "cocky and funny" one would actually make his reservations abundantly clear from the outset, albeit flirtatiously and with humor.
DeAngelo stresses that his recommendations are limited to advising men on how to present themselves more attractively in dating scenarios, and makes it clear that his advice is not necessarily relevant to ongoing relationships.
Quotes:
Double Your Dating is a series of tutorials primarily advertised and sold through the internet.
The foundation for the Double Your Dating series is an ebook which claims to help men "demystify" much of what goes into attraction. Following the ebook, DeAngelo created further materials in the series, including a second ebook, as well as several ebooklets, seminars on DVDs and CDs covering various topics (notably the Advanced and Mastery series, as well as Meeting Women Online, Deep Inner Game, Power Sexuality, On Being a Man, Cocky Comedy and Body Language and several others), and the monthly Interviews with Dating Gurus CD subscription. Many of the guests that appear in his interview series also appear in his seminars and programs.
Some critics regard "Cocky & Funny", DeAngelo's best known technique, as being over-emphasised. [18] They believe that the technique may backfire and be interpreted as arrogant, insecure and phony and may actually harm a man's chances with women. Alternatives have been suggested to "Cocky & Funny", such as "Confident & witty"[18] and "Playful & Confident" ("P&C")[19] .
David DeAngelo points out that "arrogance by itself is a turn-off to women", whilst "arrogant humor that MAKES THEM LAUGH is a HUGE turn on." [14] It should also be noted that DeAngelo has acknowledged that his work is a collection of suggestions and ideas and not to be taken as dogma. As evidenced in his Sexual Communication series, DeAngelo encourages students to evaluate his material "with your own minds". When commenting on his guest speakers, who sometimes say things that are in complete contrast to DeAngelos work, he responds "Good, that makes you think for your self".