Thanks to this post by Conor Fridersdorf at True/Slant, I now know a new tactic by “pick-up artists” labelled “the neg.”

Citing examples:

Negs: turning your back to her, pointing out a flaw in her clothes, her hair, something, anything. ‘Hey your nose wiggles when you talk’. ‘Your lipstick is weird’. Eating a sandwich while talking to her, with sweet sandwich in your mouth. Ignoring her. Correcting body language is a great neg. I don’t like when people cross their arms, it’s a sign of anger, so when girls do it I tell them to uncross them. They always do, it’s a very alpha neg… and compliance test… and IOD… and DHV!!! Oh sweet negs, you do so much, so very very much, you are the swiss army knife of pickup!!! They Alice-in-Wonderlandise the world, black becomes white, up becomes down, cute becomes ugly - that 9 you would covertly beggar yourself for is suddenly seeking your smile, your good graces, like some moon-pale concubine in Kublai’s court!

The writer of the cited blog Elysium Revisted clearly swears by it. In reality, what has been so cleverly defined as a “neg” is an attempt to gain power over someone by negating them. Think you’re pretty? You’re not. Smart? Not. Desirable? Hell no. And let me tell you why. By the time I’m done, you’ll be lucky to know what planet you’re on. Surely then you’ll be into me.

Degrading a woman and breaking down her confidence is an easy way to gain power and influence over her. This has been done for centuries, albeit with a bit more rape and violence. But old habits never die.

If the object of the “dating game” is to screw as many women as possible, then yes, perhaps this technique has worked for some people. If it’s a matter of “conquering” women, like you do enemies or rogue countries, then anything you can do to break them is a win.

People who think with anything other than their genitals find other things to hope for.