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Why Manipulation Always Backfires—Even When It Works

Oct 27, 2025 | Essays

For over a decade, both liberal academics and conservative critics have shared a false assumption about my past work in attraction and relationships. They believed it was all about tricks—ways to “get one over on the other person,” polished routines to tip...

Why Being Yourself Feels Unsafe (But Why It’s Necessary for Happiness) | (#059) Beyond Success: Psychology & Philosophy for Achievers, with David Tian, Ph.D.

Oct 26, 2025 | Beyond Success Podcast

Most people spend their lives performing. Pretending to be who they think they should be — polished, composed, and never too much. But underneath, they feel like frauds. Because the parts of themselves they’ve hidden — the anger, the neediness, the shame —...

The Myth of “Shit Tests”: Why Men and Women Keep Misunderstanding Each Other

Oct 25, 2025 | Essays

For years, I’ve had critics point to the old pickup artist vocabulary—terms like “shit tests” and “bitch shields”—as proof of misogyny. Here’s the truth: the real problem with those terms isn’t just that they might be offensive. It’s that they’re false. And if we...

Why Manipulation Always Backfires (& Authenticity Wins In The End) | (#058) Beyond Success: Psychology & Philosophy for Achievers, with David Tian, Ph.D.

Oct 19, 2025 | Beyond Success Podcast

There is a seductive and destructive lie many people fall for: Learn the best tricks and gimmicks and you can have complete control over your relationships – romantic and business. It’s so seductive because it promises control and success, but it’s even more...

How Deep-Rooted Sexual Shame Cripples Connection & Creates Conflict | (#057) Beyond Success: Psychology & Philosophy for Achievers, with David Tian, Ph.D.

Oct 12, 2025 | Beyond Success Podcast

In pickup artist culture, men see women’s natural defenses as tests and shields: Pass these “shit tests” and break through her “bitch shields,” and you win her love and affection. But women aren’t sitting around scheming elaborate tests or plotting shields. They’re...

Why Manipulation Always Backfires—Even When It Works

Why Being Yourself Feels Unsafe (But Why It’s Necessary for Happiness) | (#059) Beyond Success: Psychology & Philosophy for Achievers, with David Tian, Ph.D.

The Myth of “Shit Tests”: Why Men and Women Keep Misunderstanding Each Other

Why Manipulation Always Backfires (& Authenticity Wins In The End) | (#058) Beyond Success: Psychology & Philosophy for Achievers, with David Tian, Ph.D.

How Deep-Rooted Sexual Shame Cripples Connection & Creates Conflict | (#057) Beyond Success: Psychology & Philosophy for Achievers, with David Tian, Ph.D.

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