Long-Term Relationship Game Theory

A model for managing relationships from a Red Pill perspective. It treats commitment as something a woman earns through her investment, and treats men as the "gatekeepers" of relationships. The author calls it a personal model, not a rulebook, and encourages readers to adapt it.

Two starting points

Be willing to lead. The author argues a woman can't feel secure unless someone else is in charge. You don't have to be perfectly in control of your emotions, but you must be willing to be firm and say no, even when she's upset.
Don't make a relationship your goal. Be open to one. If you're desperate for a relationship, you'll ignore red flags and character flaws in the person in front of you. Treat it like hiring: don't fill the position just because it's empty.

The core principle

"Women are the gatekeepers of sex; men are the gatekeepers of relationships." What's behind a man's "relationship gate" (his time, effort, help, support and leadership) is valuable, so it should be given with care:

Give it too freely and you become an orbiter, used for benefits.
Never give it and you stay a lone wolf.
The model aims for balance: share time and effort in proportion to what each woman invests.

The four levels

In order of how much you invest:

Level 0: One-night stand; A single casual encounter. No ongoing investment.
Level 1: Casual / fling; Repeated casual sex, knowing just enough of each other's lives to make plans.
Level 2: Friends with benefits; Regular time together beyond sex: meals, shared activities, favours, real memories. Moderate investment.
Level 3: Girlfriend; The most time, intimacy and shared life. She relies on your guidance, and affection and betrayal both hit hardest here.

Moving up

Someone starts at level 0 or 1 depending on how you met. To move up, she shows investment through non-sexual effort:

Cooking you a meal.
Taking you out to something you enjoy.
A thoughtful gift that shows she understands you, where insight matters more than cost.
Something handmade.

The more consistent her effort, the more she earns. The author also cites a popular "golden ratio" from the Heartiste blog: give back a little less than you receive, about two-thirds, so she keeps chasing.

Moving down

Small mistakes (a burnt dinner) don't count. What does:

Unintentional offences (casual flirting, breaking an important promise, neglecting responsibilities, sex fading): drop one level.
Intentional offences (deliberately flirting to make you jealous, open insults, consciously avoiding intimacy): drop two levels; public humiliation, three.
In the author's model, once someone is demoted, that's her ceiling. The point is to protect yourself from obsessing over one person and from endless "one more chance" cycles.

Keep it natural

The author admits writing it down makes it look mechanical. In practice you don't announce "you've lost a rank". You naturally invest more in people who invest in you, and quietly less in those who don't.

Final thoughts

He argues that despite modern independence, people still want a partner who offers love, attention, stability and leadership, and that a man should expect real effort in return for his.