On Visual, Or Traditional, Peacocking
When Mystery introduced peacocking to the Pick Up world, he introduced it with the express purpose of creating conversational links into openings. Items such as his trademark ‘fuzzy tophats’ or Flavor-Flav’s oversized clocks are perfect examples of traditional conversation pieces. Even ladder wiki, a nominally unbiased site concerned with giving a proper resource for pick up artists acknowledges that the items used were intentionally “garish” in nature. From that humble start, peacocking began to grow further, with taste refinements and adaptations to each and every social class of PUA. In some circles, it was toned down, to allow for a more moderate approach, while in others, such as the alphabet city scene in NYC, it was actually stepped up, to be even more garish, and more vibrant, than the already vibrant freak-scene in existence.
Now, after several years without any major revision, I would like to expand visual peacocking a little farther:”Visual peacocking is the practice of drawing positive attention to yourself through the use of unusual attire and broad body language.” (Lodinkinni, 2008 )
The major addition here is that of body language. Though body language has always been recognized as an important part of any interaction, in any field of deception, the use of eccentric body language isn’t always explored. By making broader motions, and slightly exaggerating expressions, one can, from a distance, broadcast a more forceful personality. Likewise, a person who moves very little, and downplays his emotions comes across as more subtle, blending into the crowd. These changes allows a person to toggle social visibility on and off…just like the use of attire for peacocking. Hence, the grouping.
Now, I don’t plan to go in depth on traditional peacocking, or the body language addition, here, but expect individual articles on techniques and tactics to come later on. Remember: before learning to punch, you must learn to stand (Pat Morita, 1984 - Paraphrased).
For now, I’m your host, Lodinkinni, and after a far too long hiatus, this is Social Falsification: Tales From The Liars’ Underground. Good night, and good luck.