The Art of Seduction is a 2001 book written by Robert Greene. He offers advice on sexual seduction and managing a relationship. The book contains the process of seducing someone to gain power over him or her by using mental and physical techniques. It will take only a few minutes to learn these techniques throughout this The Art of Seduction summary.
The Art of Seduction Summary and Quick Takeaways
#1 Acknowledge the Power
Do you remember a time you let somebody guide you or even take charge of your life because you were in love? That’s the power that person had over you by using seduction. Acknowledge this power and use it to gain control over somebody. Focus on the person you want to seduce and treat this as a process that you manage.
#2 Select the Right Person
Find someone who has time and who is emotionally available. This should be someone you can have two-way interaction. Be around that person (your target) but don’t contact and don’t be direct. Stay in distance and give your target enough room to take an action. Once the person gets closer to you, respond but then pull yourself back so your target becomes more hungry. When it’s the time, be bold, and take control while keeping the emotions high.
#3 Say What Your Target Wants to Hear
Plan what you are going to say. When it’s time to speak, aim for your target’s emotions, not the mind. Do not let your ego guide your speech. Always focus on the other person to figure out what he or she needs to hear. Say what your target wants to hear but do not communicate desires and wishes directly. Insinuate instead.
#4 Reveal Enough to Seduce
Don’t open up to your target. Keep a mysterious and complex part of your personality hidden. Let your target pursue you and build desire. Have a good reputation among others so they help you by spreading the word. If your target hears positive comments about you from others, he or she will naturally want to get closer to you. Let your target make moves but keep an eye on signals. If you feel that your target’s desire is fading away, slow down and let him or her want more.
#5 Tap into the Forbidden
Figure out the borders your target is struggling to maintain. Find what is “taboo” for him or her. Encourage your target to do things he or she is fighting against not doing. This will unleash the person’s wild side. Doing the forbidden things with you will create private moments for your target to feel more attached to you.
#6 Pay Attention to Your Target’s Taste
Does he or she like a certain type of music, sport, food, style, car, etc.? Make a note of them and surprise him or her with these objects and experiences. Even if you come up with ideas that aim to your target’s desires, don’t be predictable. Keep him or her at an emotional high by acting unexpectedly and taking your target out of his or her comfort zone.
#7 Don’t Always Be Nice
Don’t hesitate to fight. Conflicts can heighten the desire. Even pain may give more pleasure to your target. Don’t let your target associate you with good emotions only. Let him or her see you as a source of intense highs and lows.
#8 Make Your Target Vulnerable
Isolate your target from his or her habits and daily routine. This will cause that person to feel alone. He or she will be more needy and vulnerable. Show up to support him or her so your target feels comfortable and calm with you. To further strengthen your power over the person, encourage him or her to detach from the past experiences that give support. Make him or her feel off balance. Open the old wounds by asking questions until you become the only source of freedom and comfort. Make your target feel wounded and incomplete so he or she feels whole with you.
#9 Feed His or Her Ego
People are naturally self-centered. Use this to your advantage. Make your target feel like he or she is the center of your life. Become the person who provides what he or she wants. This will cause your target to drop his or her defenses. Then it’s time to make your target believe that you are an ideal person, like at an angel level. Make your target think that he or she must love you to serve a higher power.
#10 Cry on His or Her Shoulder
Show a slight weakness and let your target believe that you would show this side of you only to him or her. Break down in tears on your target’s shoulder to make yourself even more vulnerable so he or she feels slightly powerful. This small power shift would make you look more attractive and improve your relationship.
#11 Be Flexible and Switch Roles
Throughout the process, continue analyzing your target’s desires. Don’t hesitate to roleplay based on what he or she needs. You can become an alpha person or play an innocent depending on the situation.
Seductive Character Variations:
The Art of Seduction summary can’t be completed without mentioning the seducer types.
To seduce someone, you should be more than average. You can employ skills from different seducer types to accomplish your goal. You can switch the type when the situation requires.
#12 The Siren
The first seductive character type is The Siren. This is a female who dresses sexually to allure men in every way. She makes her targets believe she is special.
#13 The Rake
This is the male version of The Siren. The Rake type does anything to get the woman. He uses seductive words and shows his bad side so the woman wants to listen to him more and even reform him. The Siren targets men’s eyes while The Rake targets women’s ears.
#14 The Ideal Lover
This seducer type finds out the target’s dreams and makes him or her believe that they will come true one day. The Ideal Lover figures what the target craves for and becomes that person.
#15 The Dandy
The Dandy type dresses or suits up to impress. They look so good that people ignore their mistakes and allow them break the rules. The Dandy character is all about pleasure even if it means getting social criticism. They don’t bother with it and go for what they want.
#16 The Natural
The Natural type is kind of the opposite of The Dandy type. The Natural character acts like he or she is innocent. Make the target want to help them. They attract their target by letting them believe they need to learn to be restrained.
#17 The Coquette
The Coquette type is self-centered, self-sufficient, and selfish. They don’t need anyone and they don’t hesitate to withdraw. This attitude make their target to pursue them by desiring their attention.
#18 The Charmer
The Charmer type gives full attention to their target to make him or her feel safe and comfortable around them. They please and flatter their targets so he or she feels no pain or loss around them. This works like magic to gain the target’s trust.
#19 The Charismatic
The Charismatic type uses a higher level of energy mixed with mystery and sexual appeal to seduce the target. They have a smooth and elegant speech to trigger inner desires of him or her.
#20 The Star
The Star type acts like somebody with a great idea, social influence, and power. They attract admiration and attention. They make the target think like they are the stars in he or she portrayed in the daydreams.
Top 10 Quotes from The Art of Seduction
- “Seducers are people who understand the tremendous power contained in such moments of surrender.”
- “You have deliberately created mystery and suspense to make the victim experience a real-life drama.”
- “People are constantly trying to influence us, to tell us what to do, and just as often, we tune them out, resisting their attempts at persuasion. There is a moment in our lives, however, when we all act differently – when we are in love. We fall under a kind of spell.”
- “People are more complicated than the masks they wear in society.”
- “These principles have application far beyond sexual seduction. To hold the attention of a broad public, to seduce them into thinking about you, you need to mix your signals.”
- “Flattery is seductive language in its purest form. Its purpose is not to express a truth or a real feeling, but only to create an effect on the recipient.”
- “Everything in daily life is hurried and improvised, and you need to offer something different. By taking your time and respecting the seductive process you will not only break down the victim’s resistance, you will make them fall in love.”
- “To sow a seductive idea you will need to engage people’s imaginations, their fantasies, their deepest yearnings. What sets the wheels spinning is suggesting things that people want to hear – the possibility of pleasure, wealth, health, adventure.”
- “What you are after as a seducer is the ability to move people in the direction you want them to go.”
- “There is too little mystery in the world; too many people say exactly what they feel or want.”
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