“A good romantic partner makes everything in life easier. A bad romantic partner makes everything more difficult. Therefore, relationship skills are some of the most important skills for life.” – Mark Manson
Happy Friday.
We’ve had some valuable discussions on dating, love and relationships inside The Path recently, so I wanted to share a few of the highlights today.
Enjoy.
They Aren’t Teachers, They’re Triggers.
Romantic partners are, in many cases, our most powerful teachers — but they rarely teach through words.
Far more often, they teach experientially:
By triggering parts of us (in pleasant and unpleasant ways) so we can look at ourselves more clearly.
This is far more valuable than linear teaching, but we need to read between the lines to receive it…
Stop Approaching & Just Be Friendly
In the past I’ve found that “approaching” people is kind of the wrong angle…
What felt better for me was just generally chatting with people, not hitting on anyone, just being friendly with everyone and seeing which seeds sprout.
You could start with something really simple and add one sentence (“how’s your day going?”) every time you interact with a cashier or someone in your yoga class.
Don’t make it about finding a date / soul mate, just make it about being friendly.
Crushing On Chicks Turns Our Brain Goofy
My working theory on love & neurochemistry:
Liking a girl, at least in the early stages, turns our brain goofy.
The serotonin / dopamine / oxytocin soup our brain cooks up when we’re crushing on someone makes us less productive, more reactive, prone to poor decisions, and overall, simply, dumber.
And yet, in the end:
Life is still better for it.
Monk mode is overrated fellas, get out there and mix it up.
Have an awesome weekend over there.
You deserve it.
- T
P.S. Many, many thanks to everyone who left a rating and review for the new podcast.
And, in case you missed it yesterday, here’s the deal:
Everyone who leaves a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (turns out Spotify doesn’t allow reviews, so Apple is best) and replies to this email with a screenshot will receive access to one of the best recordings from this year’s retreat:
Happiness: A practical guide to life strategy.
(not even shared with our Path members, yet!)
Thank you, again and always, for your support of this work.
“I don’t believe in magic”, the young boy said. The old man smiled: “You will, when you see her.” – Atticus
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