Something that specifically embodies The Art of Seduction would be pretty cool-I was just thinking of the Rake-little article below some differentiates would be (this is different than the magician archtype @Hermit mentioned though)
- Undying Passion for woman
- Reputation and/ or Aura of woman wanting to be with ‘that guy’
- The feeling of the world falling away
- Aura of ‘danger’ and mystery
- Loving challenge
- Complete indifference to societal or other opinions or judgement-with masterful calibration
- Unquenchable sexual passion
- Incredible verbal persuasion
- Aura and/or actions of ‘never being gotten’/ unattainable even as he is totally devoted to any woman
- Master of insinuation/ sexual subcommunication/ and creating vivid imagery in stories
Article
The Rake is the second persona described by Robert Greene, in his masterpiece, The Art of Seduction. The Rake has an unquenchable sexual passion for women. He can never have enough. A Rake uses an incredible repertoire of verbal skills and persuasion techniques to seduce women. Let’s examine the details.
Let Passion Lead the Way
Let’s go back to Part I of this series, where I describe the balance between passion and obsession:
Even when a man is successful, it isn’t long until he is overwhelming her with attention. Like an anaconda squeezing the life out of its prey, such men suck the excitement out of women. Be aware of your intensity. You want to give a little, then pull back. This is referred to as a “push pull technique.” It’s unwise and dangerous to go overboard when pursuing a woman because it will allow her to think she “has you.” Instead, maintain a sense of mystery. You want to show your interest, but not become obsessed. It will drive her wild and make her want you even more. This is the X factor, one that nearly every man lacks.
With the Rake person, you will do just that – make a woman think she has you. This is a slippery slope (as I alluded to) because you want to make the woman feel euphoria, but don’t want to look soft and exploitable. Women are masters at identifying such things. As Robert Greene describes in the book:
“A woman is often defensive and can sense insincerity or calculation. But if she feels consumed by your attentions, and is confident you will do anything for her, she will notice nothing else about you, or will find a way to forgive your indiscretions.”
The Rake oozes passion . You must make a woman feel like she is all that matters to you in the world. Even though a Rake’s attention span is fleeting, in the moment, he is wildly devoted to a woman’s needs, primarily pleasure. You need to avoid distractions and focus 100% on the woman you are attempting to seduce. Listen to every word, and respond with confidence and poise. Your intensity must be unmistakable!
Word to Live By
The Rake uses words to seduce, not his appearance . No persona speaks to the “looks don’t matter” theory than that of the Rake. Good looks are a bonus for the Rake, serving to enhance his impressive demeanor. Remember: Imperfect men can hold the keys to desire if they know how to act. You can thrive with women as long as you throw caution to the wind and have an unwavering sense of confidence. Some of history’s greatest seducers were hardly attractive, but they possessed a key characteristic, a mastery of persuasive language. Their weapon was the spoken word and what a weapon this can be.
You want to master insinuation – mixing and matching words that infect women with a deep sense of attraction. Storytelling ability is also crucial; your ability to paint a mental portrait of your sexual desires is a cornerstone of the Rake persona. Women cannot resist such a verbal attack. The Rake holds nothing back – he will praise and promise his way into a woman’s heart.
Be mindful of your pursuits. Just as you never choose the easy route in life, do not waste your time on women that you can have easily. Such pursuits are fruitless because they will never quench the thirst of a true Rake. The Rake is only interested when presented with a challenge . Due to strong seduction skills, the Rake targets top-tier women because they are the most attractive and thus pose the biggest test. Such a challenge keeps the Rake in the game. The Rake is filled with confidence, and nothing flames his competitive nature more than the pursuit of a woman who plays hard to get. His conquests are boring if there is no challenge during the seduction.
Women are attracted to men who embody a hint of danger and mystery. Such a man offers the thrill of the unique, an escape from boring, everyday life. I used Christian Grey to describe the Siren, and Grey can also easily be cast as a Rake. He gives his full attention to his targets, and intensifies his pursuits if faced with resistance. He stops at nothing to convince Anastasia that she must be his. Without such a challenge, Grey would simply walk away and pursue another conquest. The boredom would be overwhelming. It takes an apprehensive woman to keep a Rake’s interest. The Rake will gladly devote time and energy to a woman he finds mesmerizing, but he will go the extra mile for one who makes him work for it.
You want to embody the qualities women obsess over – confidence, sarcasm, dominance, etc. – but you don’t want to give in so much as to look desperate. If you stoop to predictability or neediness, a woman will begin to look elsewhere. Be bold and never be afraid to rock the boat to keep things interesting and mysterious.
Your Reputation Precedes You
Another crucial component of a Rake is his reputation. Women know he is promiscuous. A Rake is nearly impossible to tie down with commitment, but that only serves to make women more enthralled with him. He is honest and unashamed with his behavior – he is what he is and doesn’t apologize for it. It is up to the woman to reel him in for good.
In the book, Robert Greene mentions the prolific Rake, Pablo Picasso. The world-renowned painter could never stay loyal to one woman, and was constantly looking for his next challenge. His passion was unmistakable, however. This Telegraph article describes his persona brilliantly:
Loyal, generous and affectionate when it suited him, Picasso could be astoundingly brutal, to friends, lovers, even complete strangers. Yet he felt real, often anguished passion for each of these women – a passion he explored in tens of thousands of paintings, drawings and prints, in which he attempted to capture not just the way these women looked, but the totality of his feelings towards them.
Passion mixed with reputation defines a successful Rake. He is a conqueror of women because of these traits. Instead of diminishing his value, his reputation enhances it. Why you ask? Women are attracted to men who have been deemed “worthy” by other women. A man always surrounded by women is a man who is desired by the masses. Women know that there is something such a man possesses, and they want to find out more. A woman who is constantly on her toes becomes all the more attached to a man who can keep her there. The air of intrigue cuts deep.
Robert Greene perfectly captures this sentiment:
“Better to be abandoned than undesired by such a man.”
A man known for his conquests offers an irresistible temptation for women. They can’t help but imagine what he is like, and how he gets women to fall in love with him. Their dark side comes out, and they want nothing more than to be his next “victim.” The Rake is instantaneously desirable because of two things:
- It will be fun to see how long they can resist his attempts at seduction.
- It will be a challenge to keep him loyal once they fall under his spell.
Openly, women will deny this venomously. It is only when they come face to face with a Rake that such feelings manifest. To be desired by a Rake is the ultimate ego boost. Plus, the challenge of trying to tame such a man is a woman’s favorite game to play. The women who brush off the Rake are always the hardest to fall for him. It is with such women that the Rake gives his best efforts. The challenge is too good to pass up. The sense of fulfillment of such a conquest has no equal.
Because Alpha males are in rare supply (and dwindling rapidly); to hold one to one is a pinnacle achievement. Women dream of such men from the days of being a little girl. A woman will try and fail with such a man any day over being rejected by one. Better to plunge into his unpredictable world than suffer the blow of rejection.
Wrap Up
Men with women have pieces of the Rake persona. Nothing motivates a Rake more than a challenge. Because most women are easy to conquer, one who denies his advances get his full attention and best efforts. Their passion takes over and they become obsessed. The Rake will stop at nothing until the seduction is complete. Once successful, however, the Rake will likely seek out another conquest. This makes women all the more attracted to him. Being with a Rake is only half the fun. The other half is attempting to keep him tame.
The Rake cares little for public opinion or socially accepted norms. He lives by his own code and rules. His words are more important than his looks, but make no mistake – the Rake persona is deadly when it comes to seduction. He shamelessly pursues women and his weapon of choice is a verbal arsenal of seductive overtones. He is desired because he offers an escape from predictability, bringing passionate chaos to a woman’s life. Master the qualities of the Rake and never again will you fret over attracting women.
