Yikes. Just WOW! I appreciate your transparency here and pulling back the curtain a bit, although it’s kind of scary back there! I think you’re on the best path regardless of the immediate results (or lack thereof). I hope you can view it as quality over quantity… your friends will meet more women who like them for inauthentic or superficial reasons. Whereas the person you’re with will be genuinely into you, because you didn’t play the game or tell them what they want to hear. They’ll know exactly who you are. I know it sucks and supports the “nice guys finish last” theory.. but I hope that’s encouraging.

And yes, both sexes often seek validation from the other and it can lead to us acting against our own values and best interests, sadly.