The Art of Seduction

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The Art of Seduction

• Book by Robert Greene
• Author of
• The 48 Laws of Power

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Power
Thousands of years agogained through physical
violence and brute strength. No one suffered
under this scheme more than women. They had no
way to compete politically, socially, or at
home. So how did women gain power? Through mens
weakness
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- No man hath it in his power to over-rule the
deceitfulness of a woman. Marguerite of
Navarre
Name three people throughout history or in
todays society that you would consider
seducers.and why?
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Who invented seduction?
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And who fell to these seductions?
Antony
Paris
King Fu Chai
King David
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So are women the only seducers?
Duke de Lauzun
Giovanni Giacomo Casanova
Napoleon
Don Juan
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What is womens weakness?
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What can we learn from all this?

• Modern world is at ultimate point of seduction
• Force brutality is discouragedwe must persuade
  in a way that does not offend or impose.
• Forms of persuasion are everywhere blending male
  female strategies
• Examples?????

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Psychology as Weapon

• Seducers are people who understand peoples mind
  set when they fall in love
• People grow emotional, do not think straight, act
  foolishif this goes on long enough we surrender
  our will.
• Thus, seducers understand this psychology and use
  it to further themselves

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To be a seducer- to arm yourself with persuasion
and charm

• 1. You must understand yourself and what is
  seductive about you and
• 2. You must understand your target and what will
  penetrate their defenses and create surrender
• If you strategize without paying attention to
  your character you will be seen as slimy and
  manipulative and if you do not pay attention to
  the other person you will make mistakes and limit
  your potential

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The Siren
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Siren prototypes
Aphrodite
Mythology Sirens
She represents a powerful male fantasy of a
highly sexual, supremely confident, alluring
female offering endless pleasure and a bit of
dangerSymbol Water
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Spectacular Siren
Cleopatra
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Modern Siren
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Keys to the Siren

• Appeals to the male psychethe modern world
  offers less adventure and risk. The irrational,
  the thrill, the danger, can prove highly
  seductive
• Sirens must distinguish themselves by
  physicality, confidence, be elusive and
  dangerousprojection of a fantasy
• Sirens are fantastically irrational and
  moodykeeping men off balance
• Voice, makeup, clothing or adornments, walk, and
  demeanor all enhance the fantasy
• Who would you say is a Siren?

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The Rake
William Jefferson Clinton
Lord Byron
Gabrielle DAnunnuzio
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Keys to the Rake

• Offers what society normally does not allow
  women an affair of pure pleasure, an exciting
  brush with dangerthis man lives only for herif
  only for a while
• Rakes are able to abandon themselves to the
  momentmaking you seem uncontrollable and a
  weakness of existing only for them
• Resistance only spurs the rake onif there is no
  obstacle one must be createdotherwise no
  seduction
• Rakes have extreme personalities, their greatest
  asset is their reputationirresistible
  attractiveness uncontrollable devotion to
  pleasure
• Symbol Fire
• Who would you argue is a rake?

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The Romantic Ideal
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• We all carry an ideal of who we would like to
  become or what we want another person to be for
  usour ideal is something missing inside us.
• The ideal lover reflects your ideal and you
  project on them your deepest desires and
  yearnings
• The ideal lover observesespecially subtle signs
  that betray their target
• They disguise their manipulations and gain power
• Can be modeled after the chivalrous knight, the
  artist, for the woman the Madonna/Whore complex
• Symbol The Portrait Painter

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Modern Dandies?
Elvis Presley
Mick Jagger
Johnny Depp
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The Feminine Dandy
Rudolph Valentino
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The Masculine Dandy
Lou von Salome
Friedrich Nietzche
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Keys to the Dandy

• Display a true and radical difference from other
  peopleappearance and manner
• We are drawn to those who are fluid and flaunt
  their appearance as opposed to our lack of
  freedom
• Seduce socially as well as sexually- a dandy is
  by nature rare be striking and aesthetic, never
  vulgar, poke fun at current trends and styles, go
  in a novel direction, and be supremely
  uninterested in what anyone else is doing
• Often defined by clothing- must be subtle, never
  trying for attention- attention comes to them.
• They do not try to please and they live for
  pleasure not work
• They often adopt psychological traits of the
  opposite sex appealing to our narcissism
• Often a strange mix of the masculine and the
  feminine
• Symbol The Orchid

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Psychological Traits of the Natural

• Children often play the game of innocence- if
  they can persuade a parent to yield in one
  instance they will strategically use it in
  another moment to get their way
• Naturals embody the childhood innocence and play
  with that natural childhood charm- they retain
  the childhood spirit and can be uncontrollably
  foolish
• Symbol The Lamb

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Types of Naturals

• The innocent exaggerate weakness to elicit
  sympathy seeing the world through innocent eyes
  (Lloyd Christmas Harry Dunne?)
• The imp fearless, do not see possible
  consequences for their actions blissfully
  uncaring (Bam Margera Steve-O?)
• The wonder inexplicable talent- impulsive,
  improvisational with true spontaneity (Roy
  Hobbs?)
• The undefensive lover not self protective,
  retain playful, receptive spirit of a child,
  graceful youthful in appearance- lower
  inhibitions of target (?)

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Natural Seducers
Charlie Chaplin
Josephine Baker
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The Hot Cold Coquette
Josephine
Napolean
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Modern Coquette
Contrast to older generation of artists who were
aggressive and hard drinking womanizers. His
work appeared coldand his personalityno one
could get close to him physically or mentally.
Famous not only for his art/film work but for the
phrase of fifteen minutes of fame The less
something has to say the more perfect it is.
Andy Warhol
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Keys to the Coquette

• Cold coquettes create space by remaining elusive
  and making others pursue themsuggestion of
  confidence and their silence makes you want to
  talk
• Their self containment, appearance of having no
  need for other people makes us want to do things
  for themhungry for recognition
• Can be maddening to deal withnever committing
  yet never saying no, never any closenessbut yet
  we find ourselves coming back to them addicted to
  the coldness they project
• They are teases who trap people
  emotionallykeeping us off balance, surprised,
  intrigued
• To adopt the power of the coquette you must
  understand narcissism happily self contained and
  self involvedbut not self absorption
• Symbol The shadow

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The Art of Charm

• 1. Make your target the center of attention
• 2. Be a source of pleasure
• 3. Bring antagonism into harmony
• 4. Lull your victims into ease and comfort
• 5. Show calm and self possession in the face of
  adversity
• 6. make yourself useful

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Examples
Matthew Goode as Tom Hewett in Matchpoint
Henry Kissinger
Hugh Grantjust about any movie
Catherine the Great
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Keys to the Charmer

• They dont talk much about themselvesthey seem
  to be interested in us and the focus makes us
  relax and open up to them
• They are pleasant to be aroundseeming to know
  what pleases with a diffused warmthunion without
  sex.
• We become addicted and dependent and that is
  where their power lies
• Diffuse their sexual presence create vague sense
  of excitement through generalized flirtation
• Outwardly gracious- your targets aggressiveness
  will land them in trouble eventually putting you
  in power
• Symbol The Mirror

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Charisma Seduction

• Charisma is seduction on a mass level
• Unusual confidence, smoothness with language,
  express a vision, we believe in these people
• Charisma must seem natural and mysterious
• Must have Purpose, Mystery, Saintliness,
  Eloquence, Theatricality, Uninhibitedness,
  Fervency (belief), Vulnerability,
  Adventurousness, Magnestism

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Historical Examples
Evita- the drama spirit
Rasputin- the authentic animal
Lenin- the savior
Malcolm X- the deliverer
Joan of Arc- the miraculous prophet
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Keys to the Charismatic

• Charisma must be communicable through all
  mediumscalm, underplaying to hypnotize
• Convey emotion visually and through words
• Confidence
• Symbol The Lamp

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Marlene Dietrich
Gary Cooper
JFK
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Keys to the Star

• Art of insinuationappealing to the real and
  unreal
• Words and actions seem to come from the
  unconscious
• Mysterious face allowing people to project/see
  what they want to
• Stand out with dramatic flair
• Make us want to know more about themlet your
  target get a glimpse of the personal (hints of
  good-heartedness, spirituality, etc.)
• Live for love and play
• Make others identify with you- represent a type
  and people will gravitate to you
• Playful about themselves, adjust and adapt their
  imageadapting to the times
• Symbol The Idol

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Typology of the anti-seducer

• The Suffocator
• The Moralizer
• The Tightwad
• The Bumbler
• The Windbag
• The Reactor
• The Vulgarian

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Historical examples
Prime Minister William Gladstone
Emperor Claudius
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