| Mystery | |
|---|---|
| Born | Erik James Horvat-Markovic September 24, 1971 Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Other names | Erik von Markovik |
| Occupation | Dating Coach |
| Known for | Pickup Artist |
Mystery is the stage name of Canadian dating coach Erik von Markovik (born Erik James Horvat-Markovic on September 24, 1971).[1] He was the co-founder of dating companies Mystery Method Corporation (2004) and Venusian Arts (2006). He was featured in the 2007 VH1 reality television series The Pick-up Artist.
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He is the co-author of The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed, published by St. Martin's Press[2] and of The Pickup Artist: The New and Improved Art of Seduction[3] was published by Villard in 2010.[4] Before Mystery became known as a pickup artist, he was a professional magician.[5]
In 2004, Mystery went into a partnership with fellow dating coach Nick Savoy to form Mystery Method Corporation. Mystery left to form Venusian Arts in December 2006.
A reality series titled The Pick-up Artist debuted on August 6, 2007 on VH1.[6] In the series, Mystery and his wingmen trained eight "lonely, socially inept" men in an eight week bootcamp in Austin, Texas to compete for the title of "Master Pick-Up Artist".[6] A second season debuted on October 12, 2008.
Mystery is credited with popularizing a few terms that he often uses, including "peacocking", i.e., dressing to stand out, or having an item of clothing or an accessory that looks interesting, allowing the girl to comment on it if she is interested in starting a conversation; "cat-string theory," i.e. keeping a woman engaged just enough to hold her attention;[5] and the "neg", a backhanded compliment.[7][8]
In a Psychology Today article titled How to Spot a Narcissist, Mystery is described as a classic narcissist, who "may be satisfied just knowing a person finds him or her attractive."[9]
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