# Can one learn to pick up women **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327 "2011-10-11T17:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alandor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@alandor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alandor)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/1 "2011-10-11T17:36:52Z")
Dear Cecil Fans, Recently I have heard about a phenomenon called pickup - in which one goes to a several days course aka boot-camp in which they learn how to systemically pick up women. Considering one is not totally bad with the ladies, can he hope to achieve an improvement through such courses? Or should he stick to unprofessional training, Thanks in advance, alandor ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/2 "2011-10-11T17:52:32Z")
Remember, use your back, not your knees. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/3 "2011-10-11T17:56:50Z")
This is better suited to IMHO than General Questions. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/4 "2011-10-11T17:57:52Z")
Nope. The ability to pick up women is clearly a native, in-born ability that cannot be taught or practiced. Even learning to speak and bathe will have no effect on your ability to get laid. ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/5 "2011-10-11T18:11:44Z")
Please don’t waste your money on this. Pick-up techniques are usually transparent and nearly always shady. Relax. Be friendly, approachable, and learn to be comfortable in your own skin. Links to relevant threads: [Is the “pick up artist” movement an inherently good or bad thing?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=598813&highlight=pick+artist) and the corresponding Pit thread: [A “What the fuck?” to TheWhoToTheWhatNow](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609845&highlight=pick+artist) ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/6 "2011-10-11T18:18:28Z")
You could have searched before you made a post on this highly inflammatory topic. Now there’s going to be another 5+ page argument about the ethics of PUA ☹ > **[Is the "pick up artist" movement an inherently good or bad thing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=598813)** > > I recently spent some time looking over the blog of “Roissy” after seeing a link to it in another thread. For those who don’t know who this is, he’s apparently a very accomplished pickup artist and icon of the “seduction community,” with a very... > **[Spinoff thread: Mystery Method (Pick-Up Artists): Manipulation or No?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=495855)** > > The story so far… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/7 "2011-10-11T18:43:19Z")
Dangit, **Eve** stole my line. But anyway, physicist and Renaissance man Richard Feynman found that the most effective pickup line was just “Would you like to have sex with me?”. Sure, it often doesn’t work, but then again, it also often does, and either way you get right to the point without wasting a lot of time on trivialities. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/8 "2011-10-11T19:04:41Z")
I’m sure there is a skill in talking to the opposite sex that one can learn to improve, but when I was single my friends who were really good at picking up women had two traits in common: a) they hit on anything and would sleep with anyone; and b) they were absolutely impervious to rejection, it just bounced off without leaving a dent in their egos. ---
**Author:** ![Jbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@Jbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jbone)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/9 "2011-10-11T20:16:58Z")
Step 1: Find a local bar Step 2: Find a Pretty Lady #1. Step 3: Ask yourself “Can I go up and talk to her now?”. If Yes, proceed to Step 5. If No, go to Step 4. Step 4: Consume your alcoholic beverage of choice, and buy another. Repeat step 3. Step 5: Walk over to Pretty Lady#1 and say “Hey, would you mind if I buy you a drink?” ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/10 "2011-10-11T21:01:15Z")
> [@Jbone](#): > > Step 1: Find a local bar > Step 2: Find a Pretty Lady #1. > Step 3: Ask yourself “Can I go up and talk to her now?”. If Yes, proceed to Step 5. If No, go to Step 4. > Step 4: Consume your alcoholic beverage of choice, and buy another. Repeat step 3. > > Step 5: Walk over to Pretty Lady#1 and say “Hey, would you mind if I buy you a drink?” This algorithm has been brought to you by Rajesh Koothrappali, Ph.D. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-learn-to-pick-up-women/599327/11 "2011-10-11T21:05:15Z")
Step 6: If she accepts, cream your pants and call it a successful night. If she rejects drink proceed to Step 7. Step 7: Wallow in self pity and go back to Step 4.