Planting ideas in people’s minds by dropping elusive hints that take root days later, even appearing to them as their own idea.

From The Art Of Seduction, Master The Art of Insinuation.

You cannot pass through life without in one way or another trying to persuade people of something. Take the direct route, saying exactly what you want, and your honesty may make you feel good but you are probably not getting anywhere. People have their own sets of ideas, which are hardened into stone by habit; your words, entering their minds, compete with the thousands of preconceived notions that are already there, and get nowhere. Besides, people resent your attempt to persuade them, as if they were incapable of deciding by themselves—as if you knew better.

Honesty in persuasion is not noble, it’s weak. It leaves no mystery, no subtlety, and no lasting impact. People dismiss your words as noise, barely registering them before returning to their preconceived notions.

Insinuation is a art. You don’t strike directly; instead, you plant the seed of an idea where they are least prepared, within their own minds. A harmless comment, a casual observation, or a fleeting suggestion, it slips past their defenses unnoticed.

The magic lies in subtlety. The hint doesn’t challenge their ego; it whispers to their insecurities or unmet desires. They won’t remember where the thought originated, but over time, it grows roots in their subconscious. When the idea finally blooms, it feels like it was theirs all along. By making your suggestions appear as their own, you avoid resistance and give them the illusion of autonomy, even as they are doing your bidding.

Philosopher's Stone:

Count Saint-Germain, an 18th century charlatan, achieved his legendary status not through direct claims or forceful persuasion but by masterfully planting ideas in the minds of others. He never directly claimed to possess the philosopher's stone or the elixir of life. Instead, he dropped hints during conversations.

He might casually refer to someone who had died decades earlier, implying he had known them personally. Observers, noting his youthful appearance, began to suspect he was much older than he seemed. He alluded to mystical powers in subtle ways, leaving his audience to connect the dots. His vagueness worked like a hook: people couldn't help but ponder his words long after he had spoken, building a narrative in their minds that made him seem larger than life.

Saint-Germain's insinuations aligned perfectly with the desires of his audience. He spoke of wealth, eternal youth, and the secrets of alchemy, dreams that resonated with their deepest yearnings. By appearing as if he might hold the keys to these dreams, he drew people in without ever making bold, disprovable claims.
His genius lay in making people believe they had reached their own conclusions. They would approach him, seeking the philosopher's stone or the elixir of life, not realizing that Saint-Germain had subtly implanted these ideas in their minds.

Remember: to sow a seductive idea you must engage people's imaginations, their fantasies, their deepest yearnings. What sets the wheels spinning is suggesting things that people already want to hear—the possibility of pleasure, wealth, health, adventure. In the end, these good things turn out to be precisely what you seem to offer them. They will come to you as if on their own, unaware that you insinuated the idea in their heads