IMO, it is quite the contrary. The truth usually resides somewhere in between, meaning the two sides you have presented here are both right in some ways and both wrong in others.
The "LTR market" is not some stand alone facet in which all circumstances will always be the same. Higher quality women with less "baggage" will tend to be younger, but these women will also have many more options, higher hopes/expectations for their future, etc. This creates almost a sense of lower appreciation for higher quality men. When women get older and obtain that baggage, the value and appreciation for higher quality man skyrockets, but by this point, these women themselves are seldom worthy of it.
So, there is a time when the LTR 'Market" will be ideal for a top tier man while also being a trashy market. He will have his pick of the litter, but will find very few women worthy of selection.
There will also be a time when the value of a top tier man will be muddled in a "good market" by other top tier men who will be available to worthy women who have many options to choose from.
The bottom line is, there will ALWAYS be competition for the most valuable things in life. Nothing good comes easy. In light of this truth, there is no point in arguing over the current state of the market or whether it is better or worse for a top tier man, unless you're also willing to accept the possibility that being your best is a waste of time.
Your post hit on a number of points, but I will tell you that self-improvement in areas such as finances, looks, health, social interactions, mental health, emotional control, etc., should be pursued based on the direct benefits they provide themselves that are outside of the women/dating environment.
For example, improving your finances improves your life OVERALL. Women are just a side benefit of that, but I think that the LTR market and the STR market are just two completely different operations today.
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If you are a improved man........you are going to clean up in the STR market.
- If you are an improved man........you are going to find the LTR market has very few candidates that are even worth the time, energy, effort, and sacrifice (having to drop your other plates) to commit to. And that's NOT your fault. That's the fault of women on the MARKET.
There's a notion on here that we as men are not allowed to blame society, the market, etc., because that supposedly makes us "weak". But that's like saying we can become relaxed and careless about who runs our Government Departments because
"markets don't matter, only my individual choices do". We ALL know that makes no sense, but yet, some guys are trying to apply that LOGIC to this discussion.
We as men have sat back and allowed feminism, liberation, and gynocentrism to completely and utterly fvck up our families and fvck up the LTR market. We have allowed men to be fvcked over in Family Courts. We have the POWER....literally at any fvcking time....to put an END to all of the bullshyt. All of the games, all of the flakes, all of the mental gymnastics, all of the shyt tests, all of the baby momma shyt, all of the gold-digging shyt, all of the divorce shyt, all of the alimony shyt.....ALL OF IT......but we refuse to do so. We refuse to FIGHT BACK.
We have become submissive supporting actors, operating in this
retarded "system" women have set up and literally SHAMING other men who are not "succeeding" in this retarded fvcking system that women have setup. It makes no sense whatsoever.