From the original article on April 23, 2007. Author: Chateau Heartiste.
In my experience there is a simple and steadfast rule that governs serial dating for men who play the field. For every 12 women a man dates, 2 of those 12 will be hot by his standards, 8 will match him in attractiveness, and 2 will be below his standards. (12 is the magic number since studies on the mathematics of love have shown that on average that is the number of partners a man or woman must date before finding ‘the one’.)
This rule applies to the average guy who is socially competent and reasonably comfortable around women and who has command of some basic game. Men with crippling dating handicaps like having more than 1,000 life-hours logged on World of Warcraft should focus on dating one or two women of any caliber.
The 2/8/2 Rule is not a prescription for dating success, but an observation of the courtship patterns of most players. The rule seems to describe a “stasis point” that men reach when they are actively dating around and have settled into a comfort zone where a balance is struck between hot sex and emotional stress. Since the rule is fluid, any changes in the strength and consistency of a man’s game will move his ratios positively or negatively.
Ideally, you want a 12/0/0 ratio but that would require masterful game plus objectively high status. It is a rare man indeed who manages a 0/0/12 ratio. These types are the gammas who have dropped all standards in order to satisfy their indiscriminate sexual appetites. You will find them at NAAFA mixers and retirement community bingo halls. 0/0/0 men are betas who refuse to budge on their impossibly high standards and instead find an outlet for their probable low sex drives in porn.
2/8/2 is comfortable for most men because it gives them the opportunity to stretch their boundaries a little while not stressing them out too much. Since regular sex without stupendous effort with girls who pass their attractiveness threshold is the principle driving force of men, the bulk of their partners will be the kinds of women other people think are “right” for them. Interestingly, while the game needed to close these mediocre women is unexceptional, the learning gained from being in a relationship with them is much more valuable than any time spent with very hot women. This is because a man can go much deeper with a moderately attractive woman, pushing his game and relationship strategies in all sorts of new directions, without running the risk of her suddenly leaving. A drop-dead gorgeous woman is apt to walk out on him at the slightest infraction of her emotional checklist. His room for error is razor-thin.
This is not to say he should forego aiming high. It is optimal to have put in the effort and bedded at least 2 high quality girls out of the 12 total — the kinds of girls that make other people say “what the hell is she doing with him?” His game needs occasional shakeups like a bodybuilder needs a new eating regimen or a new exercise routine to bust out of a plateau. Only girls whose beauty takes his game to the breaking point are capable of inspiring him to unimagined heights. Any more than 2, though, and he will likely crumble under the pressure, retreating to the familiarity of porn and 3AM garbage time. Bend the ego, don’t break it.
At the tail end, he’ll dumpster dive with a couple of fuglies. As long as he’s quiet about it and wasted little effort chasing her, he can avoid a crisis of self-esteem. Gaming unattractive girls is sometimes necessary to end dry spells. Hapless beginners and insatiable male hos are the most common types of pursuers of the easy notch. Be careful not to make it a habit.
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