The Art of Seduction Summary and Review | Robert Greene

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Introduction

Are you a siren, an ideal lover, or an anti-seducer? These are seducer characters and, according to Robert Greene, author of The Art of Seduction, there are 9 of them.

The book was released in 2001 to critical acclaim and became an international bestseller, thanks to Greene’s novel take on seduction.

Greene suggests that seduction underpins social power and, although seemingly subtle, it can have a huge impact. Seduction can topple empires, win elections, and enslave great minds. It is one of history’s greatest weapons.

Join us to discover your seductive character, the 18 types of seducer “victims,” and the four phases of the process of seduction. You can also use the information in the book to protect yourself from seducers who may have immoral motives.

About Robert Greene

Robert Greene is a highly successful American author. His books primarily focus on strategy, power, and seduction. He is a student of Zen Buddhism, and many of his ideas are supported by the principles of this school of thought. He is currently the author of six international bestsellers.

Greene grew up in Los Angeles and attended the University of California, Berkeley. He went on to complete a B.A. degree in classical studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before becoming an author, Greene worked around 80 jobs. These included construction worker, translator, magazine editor, and Hollywood movie writer.

In 1995, while working as a writer at Fabrica (an art and media school in Italy), Greene met a book packager named Joost Elffers. Greene pitched a book about power to Elffers and wrote a treatise which eventually became The 48 Laws of Power. Robert Greene is also the author of The Laws of Human Nature and The 33 Strategies of Law.

StoryShot #1: There Are 9 Seductive Characters

Greene describes specific traits associated with being seductive. To express seductive energy, put yourself into one of the multiple seducer categories. 

The Siren

This type of person is full of sexual energy. They express it openly and know how to use it to gain power. The name comes from the sirens of Odysseus, who would lure their targets with beautiful singing. 

The Rake

This type of person completely adores the gender they are attracted to. This desire is infectious and seeps into surrounding people. Unlike most people, Rakes are unrestrained and open to being a slave to their desires. Rakes have a reputation for being sexually successful.

To adopt the Rake role, focus less on what you say and more on how you make the other person feel. It is the form that matters, not the content. Also, let yourself go and get lost in sexual moments.

The Ideal Lover

This type of person appreciates beauty and appearance, and they apply this to romance. Casanova is a perfect example of an Ideal Lover. After meeting a woman, he would study her and follow her moods. He would find out what this woman was missing in her life and provide it.

Importantly, to be an effective Ideal Lover, appeal not only to the other person’s physical side. You must also appeal to, as Greene puts it, “their better selves, to a higher standard of beauty”, and they won’t even notice they are being seduced. 

The Dandy

Dandies are fluid individuals who are happy to adapt, which makes them attractive. Dandies are exciting because you can’t put them into a box. The people they seek to seduce are drawn to them as they display the freedom that other people wish they had. 

The Natural

Naturals are always spontaneous and open. They embody the longed-for qualities of childhood. They are sincere and unpretentious, accepting and joyful. Naturals use sympathy as a way to seduce. They display their weaknesses, which then act as a virtue. People feel sympathetic to Naturals and want to protect them romantically.

The Coquette

This type of person is always self-sufficient. They do not need you, and that makes you want them more. People who are easy to seduce are not attractive. As humans, we like a romantic chase. Coquettes’ most significant strength is how they can delay gratification. 

The Charmer

Charmers will always want to know how they can please you. They are effective at satisfying as they are also very social. They will not argue or fight with people but charm their way out of difficult situations. This makes charmers naturally pleasant to be around.

The Charismatic

Charismatics display illusive confidence, as they are highly intense yet detached. This combination of features means people think Charismatics know what they’re doing. Charismatics are theatrical and uninhibited. They are the life and soul of the party, and everybody loves them. They believe in ‘something’ and aren’t afraid to tell people. Charismatics are also willing to be vulnerable. This vulnerability makes them lovable. 

The Star

Stars are the most mysterious type of seducer. They seduce people by offering them an escape from the difficulties of life. They promise fantasies and dreams. As well as guaranteeing the world, Stars make sure they are vague and ethereal. They try to keep their distance and, instead of giving people what they want, they let people imagine it.

StoryShot #2: Don’t Be An Anti-Seducer

Anti-Seducers repel others. There are many types of Anti-Seducer, but they all have one thing in common: Insecurity. We need to notice if insecurity is creeping into our behavior and remove it. If we can block our insecure thoughts and make sure we don’t act them out, we will instantly become more seductive. Here are some types of Anti-Seducer that you might have come across:

• The Brute – They only want one thing, and they won’t wait. These people are arrogant and obnoxious.
• The Suffocator – They are clingy and over the top. They don’t even know who they are, let alone who you are. This doesn’t stop them from suffocating you.
• The Moralizer – They show no independence in their thoughts. They drop their morals to do whatever you want them to do.
• The Tightwad – Insecurity doesn’t have to be only emotional or sexual. If someone is financially tight, this shows they are insecure.
• The Bumbler – They are nervous when talking and make others feel uncomfortable.
• The Windbag – This person loves the sound of their own voice. They don’t ever listen to you and won’t shut up when they  should.
• The Reactor – This person reacts terribly to being challenged.
• The Vulgarian – This person doesn’t work hard to seduce you. They expect they have already won you over before putting any work in.

StoryShot #3: There Are 18 Types of Seducer Victims

If you can understand the different reactions to seduction, you will be better equipped to seduce people. You must identify the true person behind their appearance. A person might display themselves in a certain way but want to be seduced by somebody who can challenge this. The most important thing to remember is, simply, never seduce your own type (unless you’re a Floating Gender).

The Reformed Rake or Siren

These people were once the seducers. They were extremely successful sexually, but they eventually had to give up this lifestyle. All you have to do with this type is cross their path, allowing you to seduce them. However, make sure you act like they are the ones doing the seducing.

The Disappointed Dreamer

These people were introverted children, delving deep into fantasy books and popular culture. Because of this, they often have significant pent-up passions to release. They have great imaginations, so if you drop a hint, their mind will run wild.

The Pampered Royal

These people were spoiled rotten when they were younger. They are sitting around, waiting for their Prince Charming. They are searching for the one person who can give them what they crave. To seduce this type, provide many distractions, like new places to visit or novel experiences.

The New Prude

Prudery isn’t just about sex. A prude is somebody who worries about their appearance and doing things outside society’s norms. However, deep down, they are excited by doing naughty things and naughty people. You can start seducing the New Prude by letting them criticize you.

The Crushed Star

These people were once the center of attention but are not any longer. You can tell a Crushed Star by how they respond to attention in social settings. If they suddenly perk up when given the limelight, you know they are a Crushed Star. To seduce them, tap into this by giving them your full attention.

The Novice

The Novice is especially curious. They are innocent yet interested in opportunities to be less so. To seduce a Novice, mix your qualities. You want to be playful but with childlike innocence. Sinister, yet romantic.

The Conqueror

Conquerors have a remarkable amount of energy that can be difficult to control. Conquerors might appear shy and reserved, but you can tell a Conqueror by their work and relationships. They love a chase, so try to be a little challenging to conquer.

The Exotic Fetishist

We’re all interested in the exotic. However, the Exotic Fetishists take this to the next level. All their life choices seem to revolve around exoticism. They often love to travel, adore music and art, and have a rebellious streak. The best way to seduce them is to become exciting and exotic yourself.

The Drama Queen

Drama Queens love drama. If there isn’t drama in their life, they will be bored. You sometimes have to start minor arguments with these types to keep them interested.

The Professor

Professors analyze and criticize everything. They are highly intelligent and think about even love or sex logically. However, they want to be free of their mental prison and yearn for pure physicality and passion.

The Beauty

The Beauty gains power based on their appearance, but this also offers a source of unhappiness. They are constantly worrying about their power, which diminishes if they lose their beauty. To seduce a Beauty, validate their looks and intelligence. Distract them from their insecurities and let them chase you. 

The Aging Baby

This is the type of person who has never grown up. They want somebody who can act like an adult figure. To seduce them, you must appear responsible, and not criticize their behavior.

The Rescuer

These people have fantastic empathy. They listen well and want people to open up and talk. To seduce them, exaggerate your weaknesses. Don’t do this through overt words or gestures; let them sense it. 

The Roué

This type of person has experienced many pleasures in life. They probably have lots of money and might still be wealthy. They love the young and innocent. To seduce them, try to appear innocent and resist their advances at first. 

The Idol Worshiper

These people are not satisfied being by themselves, so they search for somebody to worship. Idol Worshipers often pour their energy into a cause or religion. To seduce them, you need to become the object of their worship. A good way of doing this is to adopt their passions.

The Sensualist

Sensualists have over-reactive senses. They are often quite shy and reserved. To seduce them, take them to beautiful places and pay attention to detail. 

The Lonely Leader

Leaders are treated differently from other people. This can impact their personalities and what they want. They are looking for somebody who will act as their equal or even superior. Being blunt with them will come across as being genuine.

The Floating Gender

These people dislike the burden of distinct genders. They are searching for somebody who thinks along the same lines. Be welcoming and show them they can relax around you and be whoever they want to be. If you are not a Floating Gender yourself, you should not pursue another Floating Gender.

StoryShot #4: The First Phase of the Seductive Process Is Separation — Stirring Interest and Desire

In the second section of the book, Greene provides 24 tactics to help you get into the mind of your victim. They proceed from initial contact to a successful conclusion, in loose order. 

Choose a person to seduce and get their attention. For those who are more resistant, take a slower and more indirect approach. For those who are easier to reach, try a more mysterious presence. Make them aware of what they are lacking in their life and instill feelings of emptiness. Consider what pleasure awaits them, and reflect on their values. Charm and delight them with what they want and need. Finally, lure them with irresistible pleasure or adventure and they will follow your lead.

Tactic #1: Choose the Right Victim

Look for someone with a void you can fill, or who sees something exotic in you. Greene suggests looking for someone who is isolated or unhappy, or who can be made to be so, as well as someone with a quality that inspires strong emotions in you. By handpicking the right target, you can create the perfect chase and enjoy a successful seduction.

Tactic #2: Create a False Sense of Security – Approach Indirectly 

If you’re too direct early on, you risk stirring up resistance that cannot be lowered. When you first approach, avoid looking like a seducer in any way.

Begin your seduction from an angle, indirectly, so that the target gradually notices you. Approach them through a third party or cultivate a relatively neutral relationship, moving slowly from friend to lover. First lull the target into feeling secure, then you can strike.

Tactic #3: Send Mixed Signals

Sending mixed signals is a way to intrigue and draw people in by hinting at contradictory qualities. Be subtle and consider your target audience, as some people may prefer straightforwardness.

Tactic #4: Appear to Be an Object of Desire – Create Triangles

To appear desirable and make your target crave your attention, create an aura of being wanted by many. You can do this by building a reputation and making your target feel like they are in competition with your past and present admirers.

Greene calls this “creating triangles.” The idea is to make your target see you as someone desired by others; someone whom they might lose to other admirers. This will make them want you even more.

Tactic #5: Create a Need – Stir Anxiety and Discontent

To create a need, Greene suggests stirring feelings of discontent and unhappiness in your target, so they see you as the solution to their problems. This is based on the idea that pain and anxiety can lead to pleasure, and by creating a sense of need, you open up space to insert yourself into their lives.

However, be careful with this tactic and don’t push too hard, as it could lead to them becoming defensive or angry.

Tactic #6: Master the Art of Insinuation 

By using the technique of insinuation, you will avoid making your target defensive when trying to seduce them. This technique involves planting ideas in their minds by:

• making bold statements followed by a retraction and apology
• making ambiguous comments
• giving alluring glances

All these methods can help create a sublanguage that will enter the target’s subconscious and help them to think of your ideas as their own.

Tactic #7: Enter Their Spirit

Most people are locked in their own world, making them stubborn and hard to persuade. To lure them out of their shell and set up a successful seduction, you must enter their spirit. This means: 

• playing by their rules
• enjoying what they enjoy
• adapting to their moods

By doing this, you will stroke their deep-rooted narcissism and lower their defenses. 

Tactic #8: Create Temptation

Creating temptation means giving your target a glimpse of potential pleasures and hinting that you can lead them to their desires. Keep it ambiguous to arouse their curiosity and make them more likely to follow you.

StoryShot #5: The Second Phase Is to Lead Astray 

To keep your victims emotionally attached, surprise them with pleasant things and keep them off balance with mystery. Titillate their senses and make them see you as delightfully unpredictable. Your greatest danger in this phase is the mere hint of routine or familiarity. You need to maintain some mystery, to maintain a bit of distance so that in y our absence your victims become obsessed with you. Give them a piece of the fantasy and make the rest of the world fade away. Ensure they have no idea of your manipulations, and keep them coming back for more.

Tactic #9: Creating Pleasure and Confusion

To keep your victims hooked, create a sense of surprise by doing something they do not expect and giving them a delightful sense of spontaneity. This keeps the seduction exciting and makes them feel like they are experiencing something new.

Always be one step ahead and in control to take them somewhere exciting and make things seem spontaneous and natural.

Tactic #10: Use the Demonic Power of Words to Sow Confusion

It is important to be mindful of how you speak to someone to create a pleasant experience. This can be done by using seductive language, such as phrases that inflate their emotions, flatter them, and make them feel secure. However, being too flowery or overly ambitious can be seen as pretentious and selfish.

The best approach is to be vague and ambiguous, as this leaves more room for the imagination and creates a fantasy. The goal is to make the other person feel better, but it is important not to overdo it—less is more.

Tactic #11: Pay Attention to Details 

To captivate your target, pay attention to details to create a personalized experience. This could involve:

• giving thoughtful gifts
• wearing clothes and adornments tailored to please them
• making gestures that show the time and attention you are paying them

It is also important to pay attention to your appearance. By doing so, you can mesmerize your target with what they see, and they won’t notice what you’re really up to.

Tactic #12: Poeticize Your Presence

Alternate an exciting presence with a cool distance; exuberant moments with calculated absences. This creates intrigue and makes it hard for someone to predict your next move.

To poeticize your presence, associate yourself with poetic images and objects. This can draw someone into your seductive fantasies. Embody a cultural ideal of beauty to be seen as a fascinating, mysterious figure.

Tactic #13: Disarm Through Strategic Weakness and Vulnerability 

To make your actions appear more natural and less calculated, and to cover your tracks, make the other person feel superior and stronger. Appear weak and vulnerable; use physical cues such as tears, bashfulness, or paleness to create this effect. Confess something bad about yourself or something bad you did, but do not overdo it or share too much vulnerability, as this can be unseductive.

Choose your weaknesses carefully and time your confession well, when the target is already falling for you.

Tactic #14: Confuse Desire and Reality – The Perfect Illusion

People often spend a lot of time daydreaming and imagining a future full of adventure, success, and romance. To have someone at your mercy, create the illusion that, through you, they can live out their dreams. The best illusions are those that feel like a drowsy dream.

Tactic #15: Isolate the Victim

To make someone more vulnerable to your influence, Greene proposes isolating them from their normal environment, friends, family, and home. This makes them feel they are leaving one world behind and entering another.

Once isolated, they have no outside support and can be easily led astray, as Greene puts it. He then suggests luring them into your lair, a place where nothing is familiar. Make them feel like they are embarking on a great adventure with you, while losing something, like their past or their comfortable life.

StoryShot #6: The Third Phase Is The Precipice – Deepening the Effect Through Extreme Measures 

The goal of this phase is to create a deeper impact on their minds, forming strong emotions of love, attachment, and tension. Use your hooks to manipulate them, pushing them between hope and despair until they weaken and give in.

Tactic #16: Prove Yourself 

If your target is resisting your efforts, they probably have doubts about your motives or the depth of your feelings for them. To dispel these doubts, take a well-timed action that shows how far you will go to win them over.

This self-sacrificing action will overwhelm their emotions. It will allow them to overlook any potential mistakes or foolishness on your part. It’s also important to make your target prove themselves to you, as it raises your own value and covers any blemishes.

Tactic #17: Effect a Regression

Regression calls up childhood emotions and memories to create neediness linked with a parental figure. Depending on the target, you can play the role of the parental figure or the child in the oedipal triangle. This technique can be especially effective on targets that seem serious, full of themselves, and in control.

Tactic #18: Stir Up the Transgressive and Taboo

Stirring up transgressive and taboo feelings can be a powerful way to seduce someone, but it should be done carefully and responsibly. Breaking social limits and taboos can create a strong bond between two people. However, it must be done carefully to avoid crossing any legal or moral boundaries.

It is important to consider the potential consequences of these actions before engaging in them.

Tactic #19: Use Spiritual Lures

Use spiritual lures to allay insecurities and focus on something sublime and spiritual. This will make the target feel light and uninhibited, and make the sexual culmination seem like a spiritual union.

Tactic #20: Mix Pleasure with Pain

The greatest mistake in seduction is being too nice. Instead of overwhelming your target with kindness, try inflicting some pain. This can be done by focusing fully on them in the beginning, then suddenly appearing uninterested. This will make them feel guilty and insecure. 

The lower the lows you create, the higher the highs will be. This technique works best on people who have it easy, and those who have power and few problems. Don’t do it too early on, or on people who have recently experienced lots of pain.

StoryShot #7: The Fourth Phase Is Moving In for the First Kill

To bring them to a boil, use coldness to spark panic, then send signals that spread sexual desire. Once they are brimming with desire and not expecting the climax, strike and move in for the kill. To keep the relationship going, constantly re-seduce. If the victim is to be sacrificed, do it swiftly and cleanly, so you can move on to the next victim and start the game again.

Tactic #21: Give Them Space to Fall – The Pursuer Is Pursued 

To keep your target engaged in seduction, switch up the dynamic by taking a step back and letting them come after you. Hint that you are growing bored or seem interested in someone else to create the illusion that the seducer is being seduced. Balance give and take, as going absent for too long or overdoing it may result in losing your target.

Tactic #22: Use Physical Lures 

Robert Greene recommends combining a non-defensive attitude with a charged sexual presence. This will put your target’s mind at ease and awaken their dormant senses. Maintain a relaxed air to lower their inhibitions and use glances, voice, and physical presence to raise the temperature.

However, be aware of potential discomfort or repulsion. Let go of any inhibitions, doubts, or anxieties, and present yourself with confidence and fluidity.

Tactic #23: Master the Art of the Bold Move

Show confidence and don’t give your target time to consider the consequences. Create tension and be overwhelmed by their charm. However, be careful not to be too bold, as it can be off-putting. Take the initiative and make the move when the moment is right.

Tactic #24: Beware of the Aftereffects 

After successfully seducing your target, be aware of the aftereffects. If you choose to stay in a relationship, keep the fantasy alive by using absence and creating pain and conflict. Never let them take you for granted.

If you must part, do it quickly and gracefully. This way, your target will always remember the beauty of the seduction.

Final Summary and Review

The Art of Seduction highlights that there isn’t a universal seduction approach. We have to use our seductive character’s strengths and filter our approach, depending on the other person’s seductive character.

Robert Greene also argues that some people will want their seductive character challenged. You need to understand the different seductive characters and identify if the person wants to be seduced in line with this or not.

What do you think of Greene’s ideas about seduction? Tag us on social media and tell us which type of seducer or victim you think you are, and whether you think Greene’s book is best used as a manual for seducers or a warning for potential victims!

Rating

We rate The Art of Seduction 4/5. 

How would you rate Robert Greene’s book?

Editor’s Note

This article was first published in early 2021. It was revised and updated on 11 Feb 2023.

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