The Competition: the High-Functioning Geek

Today we look at the last of the types of men who may be your competition in the world of dating: the High-Functioning Geek/Intellectual.

Definition: In high school he took AP physics and calculus *and* got laid.

What He Has that You Don’t: Social skills. Awareness of popular culture.

The Type of Women He Attracts: Smart, self-confident women.

What It Tells You about a Woman if Her Last Boyfriend Was a High-Functioning Geek/Intellectual: She is (may be) out of your league but there’s hope!

What to Do to Be More Like Him:

Physical attributes: Wear funky t-shirts.

Hobbies: Hang out with friends (i.e., have friends that you know in the non-virtual world). Keep up with pop culture, politics and recently published books (non-fiction *and* fiction). Read. Watch documentaries.

Behavior: Treat everyone equally. Be non-judgmental.

What to Do to Win Over a Woman When He Is Your Main Competition:

Often these men already have wives or long-term girlfriends, so (assuming you aren’t trying to compete for the wife--which you shouldn’t be, shame on you) you may not have to contend with him all that often.

But when you do, you can gain an advantage over the High-Functioning Geek by talking less about what you know and what you just learned from Nova, and letting *her* inform you about the latest viral video on the Web or the latest opinions about string theory--even if you already know about these things. You don’t want to seem dumb or uninformed. Being so will get you ignored. But the woman does want to be the talker and informer some of the time, and with the High-Functioning Geek, she may not get to be that very often as he, unintentionally, beats her to the punch every time by showing he already knows all about strange attractors and the obscure new indie band that has become popular on Youtube in the last week.

And remember: these women are highly intelligent but they want their sexuality acknowledged. Don’t get fooled into staying on the intellectual plane with these women. You have to flirt. You have to be unafraid to touch them, casually--the hand on the shoulder or knee (just lightly and don’t linger). You can be sure the High-Functioning Geek isn’t forgetting these things, so you better not either if you want to have any chance with her.

On Friday, I’ll start writing about Creating Your Campaign Setting--or how to create a home that is woman-attracting.

In the mean time, if you’re brave, ask a woman you used to be interested in who is now a friend why she wasn’t into you. Be prepared for a huge dose of reality. Schedule a therapy appointment right after.