Almost everyone who reaches a plateau where he or she is happy and comfortable says its because of finding balance between work, relaxation, exercise, socialising and family - plus some alone time to do something contemplative, creative, or educational.

Neil Strauss

In life, people tend to wait for good things to come to them. And by waiting, they miss out. Usually, what you wish for doesn't fall in your lap; it falls somewhere nearby, and you have to recognize it, stand up, and put in the time and work it takes to get to it. This isn't because the universe is cruel. It's because the universe is smart. It has its own cat-string theory and knows we don't appreciate things that fall into our laps.

Neil Strauss

time appreciation life

A couple of kind words

Neil Strauss

couple judging want

We have this idea that love is supposed to last forever. But love isn't like that. It's a free-flowing energy that comes and goes when it pleases. Sometimes, it stays for life; other times it stays for a second, a day, a month or a year. So don't fear love when it comes simply because it makes you vulnerable. But don't be surprised when it leaves either. Just be glad you had the opportunity to experience it.

Neil Strauss

opportunity love life

It's not enough to just be yourself. You must be your best self

Neil Strauss

best-self just-be-yourself being-yourself

You have to build systems to protect against your lesser self.

Neil Strauss

protect self

If there was anything I'd learned, it's that the man never chooses the woman. All he can do is give her an opportunity to choose him.

Neil Strauss

opportunity giving men

In life, people tend to wait for good things to come to them. And by waiting, they miss out.

Neil Strauss

missing waiting people

A lot of guys are very intimidated by an attractive woman, and they dehumanise her because our culture perceives beautiful women as commodities. But I think if you're able walk up to a person and get to know them, and you see their flaws and their impurities, and realise that they're like you, then you can humanise them again.

Neil Strauss

guy beautiful thinking

To get a woman, you have to be willing to risk losing her.

Neil Strauss

losing-her risk losing

Without commitment, you cannot have depth in anything, whether it's a relationship, a business or a hobby.

Neil Strauss

depth inspirational commitment

there are only so many ways to get rejected or ignored. It doesn't hurt at all anymore because why should someone who's a complete stranger have any control over your sense of selfworth?

Neil Strauss

ignored hurt way

In fact, every woman I met seemed disposable and replaceable. I was experiencing seducer's paradox: The better a seducer I became, the less I loved women. Success was no longer defined by getting laid or finding a girlfriend, but by how well I performed.

Neil Strauss

paradox girlfriend facts

The good thing is that women have such high expectations of men that it inspires us to live up to them. That's what I learned about male-female relationships.

Neil Strauss

expectations men inspire

We're just fragile machines programmed with a false sense of our own importance. And every now and then the universe sends a reminder that we don't really matter to it.

Neil Strauss

machines now-and-then matter

Life is more fun when you open your mouth.

Neil Strauss

mouths life-is fun

Men are a hundred times worse than you can imagine. We are thinking the worst, shallowest thoughts, all the time.

Neil Strauss

imagine men thinking

One of the things I'd learned ... was how to take a compliment. Just say, "Thank you." It's the only response a confident person can make.

Neil Strauss

saying-thank-you response compliment

Fear makes you docile.

Neil Strauss

docile

When the Internet first came into public use, it was hailed as a liberation from conformity, a floating world ruled by passion, creativity, innovation and freedom of information. When it was hijacked first by advertising and then by commerce, it seemed like it had been fully co-opted and brought into line with human greed and ambition.

Neil Strauss

creativity passion ambition

I think my love is storytelling. No matter what it is, it's storytelling. And so whatever the medium is, what's right for the story, I enjoy doing it.

Neil Strauss

stories love-is thinking