On Pick-Up Artists’ techne

I was checking out The Game book. It may be the expat loneliness, but a couple of expat friends came up independently singing the praise of that book and the whole pick-up artists / Venusian arts  movement.

Doesn’t it strike obvious and sad how much of our culture is shaped by and built on technology? It has become our basic way of thinking. When we’re faced with a problem, we invent a technology or a process to solve it. Techne has over taken episteme and poiesisin all aspects of our life.

Isn’t it sad? A technology to find a solution for love, like it’s a finite problem or a challenge to measure up your skills. Follow a set of practices and you get the girl (all girls you want, like they are collectible items). You’re done. Problem solved.

Can such a culture express a new Don Giovanni or Valentino? I fear not.