The seduction community is the term coined to describe a male-driven subcultural movement. The primary goal for these men is the successful courtship of women, and men who participate in the seduction community subscribe to a set of key beliefs from which they derive techniques to attract women. Communication amongst members is facilitated mostly by the Internet.
The movement is also known as "the community" while followers are known as pickup artists (PUAs). The community is founded on the teachings of Ross Jeffries, who may have been the first individual to establish an online presence that allowed him to share his views. Jeffries specialized in the seduction of women, communicating his beliefs and techniques to other interested individuals through books and group gatherings and by maintaining online communities. He focused specifically on a woman's psychology and behavior and believed that the seducer could forge a positive connection by manipulating her emotions with hypnotic techniques based on neurological and linguistic patterns called neurolinguistic programming. The strategies and teachings devised and advocated by Jeffries are collectively referred to as speed seduction.
The development of the Internet allowed for mass communication among followers of the seduction community. From 1994 onward, a slew of online forums ranging from message boards to blogs surfaced. Individuals labeled gurus by the seduction community utilized the Internet to offer new teachings and strategies. While these online avenues increased the level of activity within the seduction community, the subculture gained national recognition in 2005 and later with the publication of an investigative book on the community and a television reality show that chronicled the efforts of pickup artists.
Pickup artists dismiss the social norms that dictate dating routines, such as lavishing women with over-the-top compliments and material goods. They believe instead that the ability to attract a woman hinges more on the PUA's personal development of internal and external qualities, including his personality, confidence level, and physical presentation. These three components have been labeled the "game," "inner game," and "outer game," respectively. The seduction community's terminology is well-developed, incorporating such phrases as average frustrated champ (AFC), men who lack the necessary skills to seduce women, and recovering average frustrated champ (rAFC).
PUAs rely on strategies constructed on the basis of fields of study such as evolutionary psychology and neurolinguistic programming. Usually, women are first approached by PUAs. Most pickup artists believe that women are not inclined to actively pursue someone, although they may subtly convey sexual interest. An approach can be initiated by a lone PUA or a group, and the PUA will read body language and other signs, classified as indicators of interest, that determine the language and intimacy of the interaction. Interaction with a woman begins with an opening, or conversation starter.
Members of the seduction community will sometimes provide a written account of their approach and interaction with a woman for the perusal of other PUAs. These summaries are labeled as "field reports" or "lay reports" by the community. PUAs also congregate in "lairs," or in-person meetings, for further discussion and education.