Just to be clear - these weren't people I randomly met going out. Most of them started as friends from college, friends from work, friends of those friends, etc. This was a big social circle that was fairly consistant/intact for a period of about 5 years. We did most things together and from an outsider's perspective we were close knit. But really the glue was we partied well and we did it often, perhaps a vibe of mutually ensured self-destruction.

While it produced some of the most exciting moments in my life and most of us acted like we really cared about each other, it just felt forced. Personal bounds were loose. Rumors/talking smack was common. It was caustic and emotionally draining. I didn't realize it much while it was happening because it felt awesome to have this big group of cool friends, but after some time you just realize you feel like total crap - basically you're surrounded by all these people yet you have no one to talk to because whatever you say can be used against you.

I've noticed that it's hard for me to join a group of people that has more than 2-3 people. Thinking back, throughout my entire life, I've always been in groups of 'only' 2-3, or 5 people tops. I tried doing the whole 'going out of your comfort zone' and getting into groups which had 9-10 people but the vibes they gave were exactly like you said - superficial. You had this constant feeling that the other people weren't above backstabbing/trampling you over to achieve their means. It felt kind of hollow, and I slowly started to drift away from them to meet others.

So what's a good solution to shortening the time it takes to meet one's fiancée?

Do things. Do things that bring you into contact with other people: namely, working with colleagues, rather than customers. (So a soup kitchen counts, but being a solo consultant doesn't.) When they invite you out for doing stuff, join in. You can back out the second time if you don't enjoy it. Get to know as many of them as you can. Share your interests; listen to theirs.

You'll run into someone interested in you soon enough.

+1 Take a community college course in something that you enjoy like history or calligraphy, if it's good enough for Steve Jobs it's good enough for you. Join a local theatre company, even if it's just painting scenery and doing scene changes. Take a fitness course at a local gym. Learn Tai Chi. If you're in the US go backpacking round Mayan ruins in Mexico. If you're into a hobby already, become active in it. If you play roleplaying games, volunteer to help run a convention. At least you'll have something to talk to people about.

thanks!

Possibly not clubbing to begin with. That does not usually lead to marriage.

I guess to be sincere, be kind, be supportive and always be prepared to listen, treat love given to you as rare, so don't spoil and throw it away. Be there for her.

That's just my solution though I haven't met mine.

I am pretty sure this http://www.artofmanliness.com/ helped me a lot. Not thought dating advice but by helping me to become a better man. I know it sound cheezy, but really you don't really want to trick anyone into marriage.

Dont try too hard.

99% of mainstream dating advice is hogwash.

Learn the truth about women. Start reading:

http://dalrock.wordpress.com/ http://heartiste.wordpress.com/

The best dating advice is concentrated on men who are players or aspire to be. But the skills to seduce a fling and a future wife are very similar.

If you want to catch a great woman, you must have the skills to catch any woman.

The above advice is probably really good if you think of women as objects.

If you can have a Class of Human, I don't see the problem having women AND men as objects.

The problem is that it doesn't have a point to it. If you don't treat people like people, instead of puppets, there's very little point to interacting with them. Even if you could "catch any woman", what would you do with her when the superficial fun wears off?

Obviously I wholeheartedly agree with you. I was just trying to make a relevant joke.

On a more serious note, people who treat others (be it men or women) as objects/puppets are themselves devoid of any deeper intelligence. I will go so far to generalize and say that they are pretty shallow morally, and a lot of times, intellectually (not quite, but I don't know a better word).

To "catch" a woman?

Stick to fishing... it's not 1973 anymore!

"the skills to seduce a fling and a future wife are very similar"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult

Besides that those same "skills" you're developing are going to fuck up your future relationship(s) when you continue to behave like a sociopath.

That second site looks like manipulative bullshit to me.

That's because it _is_ manipulative bullshit! Heartiste is famous for spouting misogynistic garbage. Pretty terrible stuff.

Get. The. Hell. Out.