Even in the late 90's and very early 2000's we were able to "mack" or conversate with women around night clubs, the street, grocery stores, gas stations and bus stops. The goal wasn't to get a phone number or laid, the goal was to conversate. The phone number results when you detect sufficient interest. Lays resulted from a meetup. In the format I use, i notice an initial interest via her taking a double take or adjusting her hair or body presence around me, and I start off with "hello" or "hi". I will talk about a commonality, and in that first 1 minute, the commonality is the location we are both at.
Some of the guys are saying that it's impossible for them to "d1ck women" down now adays and these are from some formerly successful daters. Back in the days I could fvck her good enough that she keeps coming to me for sex, even though they were doing rotations back then too, I was able to usually get a girl to keep coming back. I'm not sure if people are just complaining or did women in general instill more hardening and less emotional so they won't catch feelings?
Maybe we are ALL more cynical and negative due to the websites... You do know the brain is a powerful mechanism in that it will cause the reality to occur that you feed to it. If you keep feeding it negative and cynical thoughts and ones of low amounts of hope, the brain will look at the world in a way to validate your viewpoint.
If you have hope, and desire, that the brain will fill in the gaps and notice the things that you will need to create the desires in your imagination.