The Art of Seduction (43 page)

gland was known as a rather stern and demanding ruler. She made it a point PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE OF THE

not to let her courtiers see anything soft or weak in her. But then Robert DEMOCRATIC PARTY, QUOTED IN

Devereux, the second Earl of Essex, came to court. Much younger than JOHN HELLMANN,
THE

KENNEDY OBSESSION: THE

the queen, the dashing Essex would often chastize her for her sourness.
AMERICAN MYTH OF JFK

The queen would forgive him—he was so exuberant and spontaneous, he could not control himself. But his comments got under her skin; in the presence of Essex she came to remember all the youthful ideals—spiritedness, feminine charm—that had since vanished from her life. She also felt a little
The normal rhythm of life

oscillates in general between

of that girlish spirit return when she was around him. He quickly became
a mild satisfaction with
her favorite, and soon she was in love with him. Old age is constantly se-
oneself and a slight
duced by youth, but first the young people must make it clear what the
discomfort, originating in
the knowledge of one's

older ones are missing, how they have lost their ideals. Only then will they
personal shortcomings. We
feel that the presence of the young will let them recapture that spark, the
should like to be as
rebellious spirit that age and society have conspired to repress.

handsome, young, strong or

clever as other people of our

This concept has infinite applications. Corporations and politicians
acquaintance. We wish we
know that they cannot seduce their public into buying what they want
could achieve as much as
them to buy, or doing what they want them to do, unless they first awaken
they do, long for similar
advantages, positions, the

a sense of need and discontent. Make the masses uncertain about their
same or greater success. To
identity and you can help define it for them. It is as true of groups or na-
be delighted with oneself is
tions as it is of individuals: they cannot be seduced without being made to
the exception and, often
feel some lack. Part of John F. Kennedy's election strategy in 1960 was to
enough, a smoke screen
which we produce for

make Americans unhappy about the 1950s, and how far the country had
ourselves and of course for
strayed from its ideals. In talking about the 1950s, he did not mention the
others. Somewhere in it is
nation's economic stability or its emergence as a superpower. Instead, he
a lingering feeling of
discomfort with ourselves

implied that the period was marked by conformity, a lack of risk and ad-
and a slight self-dislike. I
venture, a loss of our frontier values. To vote for Kennedy was to embark
assert that an increase of
210
•
The Art of Seduction

this spirit of discontent

on a collective adventure, to go back to ideals we had given up. But before
renders a person especially

anyone joined his crusade they had to be made aware of how much they
susceptible to "falling in
had lost, what was missing. A group, like an individual, can get mired in
love." . . . In most cases

this attitude of disquiet is
routine, losing track of its original goals. Too much prosperity saps it of
unconscious, but in some it
strength. You can seduce an entire nation by aiming at its collective insecu
reaches the threshold of
rity, that latent sense that not everything is what it seems. Stirring dissatis
awareness in the form of a
slight uneasiness, or a

faction with the present and reminding people about the glorious past can
stagnant dissatisfaction, or
unsettle their sense of identity. Then you can be the one to redefine it—a
a realization of being upset
grand seduction.

without knowing why.

— T H E O D O R R E I K ,

OF LOVE AND LUST

Symbol:
Cupid's Arrow. What awakens desire in the seduced is
not a soft touch or a pleasant sensation; it is a wound. The ar-
row creates a pain, an ache, a need for relief Before desire

there must be pain. Aim the arrow at the victim's

weakest spot, creating a wound that you

can open and reopen.

Reversal

If you go too far in lowering the targets' self-esteem they may feel too insecure to enter into your seduction. Do not be heavy-handed; like Lawrence, always follow up the wounding attack with a soothing gesture. Otherwise you will simply alienate them.

Charm is often a subtler and more effective route to seduction. The Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli always made people feel
better
about themselves. He deferred to them, made them the center of attention, made them feel witty and vibrant. He was a boon to their vanity, and they grew addicted to him. This is a kind of diffused seduction, lacking in tension and in the deep emotions that the sexual variety stirs; it bypasses people's hunger, their need for some kind of fulfillment. But if you are subtle and clever, it can be a way of lowering their defenses, creating an unthreatening friendship. Once they are under your spell in this way, you can then open the wound. Indeed, after Disraeli had charmed Queen Victoria and established a friendship with her, he made her feel vaguely inadequate in the establishment of an empire and the realization of her ideals. Everything depends on the target. People who are riddled with insecurities may require the gentler variety. Once they feel comfortable with you, aim your arrows.

Master the Art of Insinuation

Making your targets feel dis-

satisfied and in need of your atten-

tion is essential, but if you are too obvious,

they will see through you and grow defensive.

There is no known defense, however,

against insinuation
—
the art of plant-

ing ideas in people's minds by

dropping elusive hints that

take root days later, even

appearing to them as

their own idea. Insinua-

tion is the supreme means

of influencing people. Cre-

ate a sublanguage
—
bold state-

ments followed by retraction and

apology, ambiguous comments, banal talk

combined with alluring glances
—
that enters

the target's unconscious to convey your real

meaning. Make everything suggestive.

Insinuating Desire

One evening in the 1770s, a young man went to the Paris Opera to

meet his lover, the Countess de . The couple had been fighting,

and he was anxious to see her again. The countess had not arrived yet at her box, but from an adjacent one a friend of hers, Madame de T ,

called out to the young man to join her, remarking that it was an excellent stroke of luck that they had met that evening—he must keep her company
As we were about to enter
on a trip she had to take. The young man wanted urgently to see the
the chamber, she stopped
me. "Remember," she said

countess, but Madame was charming and insistent and he agreed to go with
gravely, "you are supposed
her. Before he could ask why or where, she quickly escorted him to her
never to have seen, never
carriage outside, which then sped off.

even suspected, the

Now the young man enjoined his hostess to tell him where she was
sanctuary you're about to
enter. . . ."
• . . .
All this

taking him. At first she just laughed, but finally she told him: to her hus-
was like an initiation rite.
band's château. The couple had been estranged, but had decided to recon-
She led me by the hand
cile; her husband was a bore, however, and she felt a charming young man
across a small, dark
corridor. My heart was

like himself would liven things up. The young man was intrigued: Madame
pounding as though I were
was an older woman, with a reputation for being rather formal, though he
a young proselyte being put
also knew she had a lover, a marquis. Why had she chosen him for this ex-
to the test before the
celebration oj the great

cursion? Her story was not quite credible. Then, as they traveled, she sug-
mysteries.
. . . •
"But
gested he look out the window at the passing landscape, as she was doing.
your Countess
. . . "
she
He had to lean over toward her to do so, and just as he did, the carriage
said, stopping. I was about
jolted. She grabbed his hand and fell into his arms. She stayed there for a
to reply when the doors
opened; my answer was

moment, then pulled away from him rather abruptly. After an awkward si-
interrupted by admiration.
lence, she said, "Do you intend to convince me of my imprudence in your
I was astonished,
regard?" He protested that the incident had been an accident and reassured
delighted, I no longer
know what became of me,

her he would behave himself. In truth, however, having her in his arms had
and I began in good faith
made him think otherwise.

to believe in magic. . . . In

They arrived at the château. The husband came to meet them, and the
truth, I found myself in a
vast cage of mirrors on

young man expressed his admiration of the building: "What you see is
which images were so
nothing," Madame interrupted, "I must take you to Monsieur's apartment."
artistically painted that
Before he could ask what she meant, the subject was quickly changed. The
they produced the illusion
of all the objects they

husband was indeed a bore, but he excused himself after supper. Now
represented.
Madame and the young man were alone. She invited him to walk with her —VIVANT DENON,"NO

in the gardens; it was a splendid evening, and as they walked, she slipped TOMORROW," IN MICHEL FEHER, her arm in his. She was not worried that he would take advantage of her, ED.,
THE LIBERTINE READER

she said, because she knew how attached he was to her good friend the countess. They talked of other things, and then she returned to the topic of
213

214
•
The Art of Seduction

A few short years ago, in

his lover: "Is she making you quite happy? Oh, I fear the contrary, and this
our native city, where fraud
distresses me. . . . Are you not often the victim of her strange whims?" To
and cunning prosper more
the young man's surprise, Madame began to talk of the countess in a way
than love or loyalty, there

was a noblewoman of
that made it seem that she had been unfaithful to him (which was some
striking beauty and
thing he had suspected). Madame sighed—she regretted saying such things
impeccable breeding, who
about her friend, and asked him to forgive her; then, as if a new thought
was endowed by Nature

with as lofty a
had occurred to her, she mentioned a nearby pavilion, a delightful place,
temperament and shrewd
full of pleasant memories. But the shame of it was, it was locked and she
an intellect as could be
had no key. And yet they found their way to the pavilion, and lo and be
found in any other woman
hold, the door had been left open. It was dark inside, but the young man
of her time. . . .
•
This

lady, being of gentle birth
could sense that it was a place for trysts. They entered and sank onto a sofa,
and finding herself married
and before he knew what had come over him, he took her in his arms.
off to a master woollen-
Madame seemed to push him away, but then gave in. Finally she came to
draper because he happened

to be very rich, was unable
her senses: they must return to the house. Had he gone too far? He must
to stifle her heartfelt
try to control himself.

contempt, for she was

As they strolled back to the house, Madame remarked, "What a deli
firmly of the opinion that
no man of low condition,

cious night we've just spent." Was she referring to what had happened in
however wealthy, was
the pavilion? "There is an even more charming room in the château," she
deserving of a noble wife.
went on, "but I can't show you anything," implying he had been too for
And on discovering that all
he was capable of despite
ward. She had mentioned this room ("Monsieur's apartment") several times
his massive wealth, was
before; he could not imagine what could be so interesting about it, but by
distinguishing wool from
now he was dying to see it and insisted she show it to him. "If you promise
cotton, supervising the
to be good," she replied, her eyes widening. Through the darkness of the
setting up of a loom, or