The Peacock and the eHarmony Profile

One concept that has been developed (and refined) in the pick-up artist community is the concept of "Peacocking".

It was a concept taken from evolutionary theory - noting that some animals (such as peacocks) made ostentatious presentations of their manhood, in order to attract the females of their species.

And, in the bars (which is where most pickup artists started), ostentatious displays do add to the fun factor. So, yes, guys wore bizarre hats and accessories.

So, you may ask, does that mean that I should take pictures of myself in a feather boa, in order to attract women on eHarmony?

Well... probably not. What may be fun in a club may be a little bit too much for an eHarmony profile. (But you'd be surprised about what people want to try. I've received several emails asking me if I thought that dressing up in a superhero costume would be a good idea.)

But, done properly, some subtle peacocking can be effective.

Some ideas in calibrating your peacocking?

If you peacock - make it a subtle exxageration of your best traits.
For most guys, a superhero costume or a feather boa... just looks silly. And makes you look like you're desperate for attention.

For guys, the best peacocks are subtle exxagerations of their identity.

For example, if you've built a persona as an adventurer... clothing that accentuates that identity may help your "photo appeal".

World travelers might wear interesting, foreign necklaces or bracelets.

If you're a "club kid", dressing as one may be appropriate for you.

Again, take your identity - and let your clothing and accessories demonstate it. In a subtle way.

Make the peacocks social - not bizarre
Bottom line - can you actually peacock in a way that doesn't make you look like a freak?

It's okay to push the envelope a little bit. You want to look like your look could be a natural extension of your personality. But you still want to look like you fit in socially.

Wearing a costume with your friend in your living room? With no one else around? It makes you look like a lonely, immature, man-boy.

But if you've built an identity as a hard-partying socialite... a picture of you in an attractive swashbuckler costume, with a wench by your side, and lots of other people dressed to the hilt in costumes will seem normal.

Again - consistency is key.