Operating with long-term goals will bring you tremendous clarity and resolve. - Robert Greene

People around you, constantly under the pull of their emotions, change their ideas by the day or by the hour, depending on their mood.

You must never assume that what people say or do in a particular moment is a statement of their permanent desires.

The most important of these skills, and power’s crucial foundation, is the ability to master your emotions. An emotional response to a situation is the single greatest barrier to power, a mistake that will cost you a lot more than any temporary satisfaction you might gain by expressing your feelings.

You will not seduce anyone by simply depending on your engaging personality, or by occasionally doing something noble or alluring. Seduction is a process that occurs over time — the longer you take and the slower you go, the deeper you will penetrate into the mind of your victim. It is an art that requires patience, focus, and strategic thinking. You need to always be one step ahead of your victim, throwing dust in their eyes, casting a spell, keeping them off balance.