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Dear Reader (Especially those of you relieved to see that sand has finally gotten a fraction of the respect it deserves),

Life deals everyone disappointments. One way to minimize future disappointments is to respond to setbacks realistically. Say you’re the sort of dude who thinks a great pickup line is, “Great outfit. It’d look even better crumpled up on the floor next to my bed in the morning.” Now imagine you use that line on a woman while checking out at the supermarket. I’m no expert on such matters, but my hunch is you won’t get the sort of reaction that was once the stuff of letters to the Penthouse Forum (“Dear Penthouse, I never thought this would happen to me …”). Rather, you’re more likely to discover that not only is a gallon of milk more expensive these days, being whacked in the head with one hurts.

If your response to such rejection is, “She must be a lesbian,” you’re destined to get more rejection in the future for the simple reason that you’re not adjusting your approach based on real-world feedback.