Super Villains of Persuasion Read online

  Super Villains of Persuasion

  by Ben Settle

  Copyright ©2019

  All rights reserved

  “Jimmy was the kind of guy that rooted for bad guys in the movies.”

  — Henry Hill

  Goodfellows

  Legal Notices Even Villains Dare Not Ignore!

  This book is Copyright © 2019 Ben Settle (the “Author”). All Rights Reserved. Published in the United States of America. The legal notices, disclosures, and disclaimers in the front and back of this book are Copyright © 2009-2011 Law Office of Michael E. Young PLLC, and licensed for use by the Author. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system — except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, blog, or website — without permission in writing from the Author. For information, please contact the Author by e-mail at www.BenSettle.com/contact or by mail at PO Box 2058 Bandon, OR 97411.

  For more information, please read the “Disclosures and Disclaimers” section at the end of this book.

  First Edition, 2019

  Published by Settle, LLC (the “Publisher”).

  Table of Contents

  Legal Notices Even Villains Dare Not Ignore!

  Who is Rood?

  Introduction - The Villain’s Lair of Influence

  Chapter 1 - The Secret of Possessing Unequaled Greatness

  Chapter 2 - Persuasion by Pain

  Chapter 3 - The Dark Lord of Charisma

  Chapter 4 - The 3-Second “Mind Tweak” That Creates Mass Influence

  Chapter 5 - How Even Super Villains of Ill Repute Win Trust

  Chapter 6 - Donning the Mask of Authority

  Chapter 7 - The Sexiest Influencer of Them All

  Chapter 8 - The Diabolical Goal-Setting Method that Never Fails

  Chapter 9 - How Villains Create Luck out of Thin Air

  Chapter 10 - The Superpower That Bends People Helplessly to Your Will

  Dastardly Disclosures & Disclaimers

  Who is Rood?

  Rood is an entrepreneur, author, and self-described “Anti-professional.” He is also a master of influence and persuasion and spends all his time in his Lair of Influence writing books, newsletters, and twisted monster novels to finance his world domination plans.

  The authorities are aware of Rood’s Villainous ambitions. And it amuses him how they can do nothing to stop him, because he masterfully uses a “loophole” in the law that says it’s not illegal to plan to take over the world, since no crime has (yet) been committed.

  Rood makes no attempt to hide his real identity, his business dealings, or his Mission to force the world to submit to his will. Through his books about persuasion and Villainy, he openly mocks his hero enemies. And the planet’s leaders, military, and police are terrified of the coming day when he decides to make his move...

  Introduction

  -

  The Villain’s Lair of Influence

  “Transylvania is not England. Our ways are not your ways. And to you there shall be many strange things.”

  — Count Dracula

  Bram Stoker’s Dracula

  Welcome to this second book of my Success Villains series:

  “Super Villains of Persuasion”

  The first book Persuasion Secrets of the World’s Most Charismatic & Influential Villains covered the ten most important fundamentals for building rock-solid charisma and influence, including:

  1. Bow only at the altar of your mission

  2. Nix all neediness

  3. Pay yourself first

  4. Keep a “screw you” fund

  5. Shove people off their pedestals

  6. Slay your inner nice guy

  7. Stake the time vampires

  8. Ignore the sheep

  9. Submit to patience

  10. Be the Joker

  That was the “ground floor” field manual showing men exactly what attributes to have to be attractive, persuasive, respected, influential, wealthy, or to simply be admired by other men & loved by dames.

  I liken it to donning the Villain’s garb of Charisma:

  The dark cloak, the silver skull-handled cane, the gold signet ring, the concealed bullet-proof Kevlar vest, the villainous sunglasses, etc.

  This book is the next phase in your journey:

  The figurative construction of your hidden chateau Lair of Influence — strategically placed at the top of a treacherous mountain, complete with a moat, a stocked fine wine cellar, a full staff of henchman to do your bidding, and all the weapons and instruments of conquest you require. A place that will also be just as foreign and hair-raising to your friends and loved ones as the Villainous garb you donned after reading the last book.

  But from here you must be comfortable.

  As this is where you will position yourself to launch your Influential attacks. And it is also from where you will marshal your forces, and hatch your diabolical plots, putting the world’s heroes, the authorities, and your enemies constantly on defense — mindlessly reacting to your every move.

  But a word of warning before you begin:

  You can learn much from the Villains inside this book without adopting their wicked ways. For just as a surgeon’s knife can be used to cut out a tumor and save a life, it can just as easily be used to impale someone through the chest. And that’s why it is of utmost importance you use wisdom and ethics when applying what you learn inside this tome. For without those two attributes, the following information will (1) not work nearly as well (and even work against you) and (2) almost certainly land you in the same kind of hot spots (such as a prison cell) some of the Villains referenced ultimately ended up in.

  So, use these principles wisely, ethically, and to build your Mission. If you do that, nothing can stop you from achieving anything you want:

  • Money and wealth

  • Power, status, and privilege routinely denied ordinary men

  • A “ride-or-die” dame who always has your back

  • The loyalty of others

  • A higher paying job and professional security

  • Greater respect

  • A thriving business

  • Peace of mind

  • Even the world, if that’s what you want…

  Are you ready to begin?

  Then turn the page and start the next phase of your Villainous transfiguration. By the time you’ve finished reading, you won’t even recognize the man you become as a result. And, I dare say, neither will anyone else.

  Ben Settle

  aka “Rood”

  P.S. This book is a happy hunting ground of movie, TV, and comic book story spoilers. You’ve been warned…

  Chapter 1

  -

  The Secret of Possessing Unequaled Greatness

  “I’m not a comic book villain. Do you seriously think I would explain my master stroke to you if there were even the slightest possibility you could affect the outcome?”

  — Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias

  Watchmem

  I once read an unusually valuable monologue from the majestic Villain Doctor Doom, analyzing why he is superior to four other major Fantastic Four villains.

  Quotes from the short (one page) comic book story include:

  “Recently I read a newspaper report referring to me as ‘one of the many scientific geniuses who have battled the Fantastic Four.’ This is the sort of arrant nonsense I expect from the press. Doom has no peers!”

  “Take the Mole Man, for example… he has no real creative genius of his own.”<
br />
  “Kang [The Conqueror — a warlord from the future] is merely a man of his time, while I am a man far in advance of my own.”

  And, my personal favorite:

  “[The Thinker] has succeeded in tapping into almost every computer network on Earth, even the most secret. Except, of course, mine . I know this because I have gained access to his.”

  He then ends his monologue saying he wishes he could actually meet someone who truly challenged him, and who was worthy. But he then quickly dismisses the desire, because the mere thought of it…

  Is Unworthy of the Unequaled Greatness That is Doom!

  Which brings me to the rub:

  Doom’s Superior Confidence is what makes him persuasive to those he rules and dangerous to those he battles. It’s what make his henchmen fall into line without daring to buck his commands. It’s what makes his enemies horrified whenever he hatches his latest plot to rule the world. And, it’s this Superior Confidence that…

  Makes His Every Word Radiate Influence!

  This Superior Confidence is the secret behind the persuasive power of many great Villains, such as:

  • Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor

  • Asgard’s bastard prince Loki

  • Narnia’s evil dictator Jadis (aka the White Witch)

  • John McClane’s ( Diehard ) Christmas-time terrorist Hans Gruber

  • The X-Men’s cunning foe Mr. Sinister

  • The Thundercats’ arch-fiend Mumm-Rah

  • The Pabst Blue Ribbon-loving psychopath Frank Booth (From Blue Velvet )

  • William “Braveheart” Wallace’s sworn enemy King Longshanks

  • Aladdin’s arch-enemy Jaffar

  • The Avengers’ most dangerous threat Thanos

  • The menacing Col. Nathan R. Jessep (from A Few Good Men )

  • And the list goes on…

  These Villains wield unusually strong powers of influence and persuasion due to the Superior Confidence behind their beliefs that nobody is going to stop them from achieving their Missions. As a result, they have mass influence, loyal henchmen, and an impenetrable “force field” around their egos rendering them virtually immune to doubt, insecurity, anxiety, or the opinions of haters and critics.

  After all, do you really think the White Witch would care if someone trolled her online?

  Or that Thanos would even entertain listening to someone criticize his political views?

  Or that Col. Jessep would be phased in the slightest by a dame who rejects him or snarkily questions his manhood?

  Or that Mumm-Rah would feel “offended” by a mean word or insult?

  One of the world’s greatest persuasion and marketing minds, the great Dan Kennedy, once said people are all walking around, umbilical cord in hand, wanting to plug it in somewhere. Yes, people are looking for someone with confidence and boldness to lead, guide, and direct them. To influence them. And in his NO BS Time Management for Entrepreneurs book he even admits:

  “Having a (preferably private) sense of superiority over others is another power-producing edge.”

  But he’s not the only one who understands this quirk of human nature.

  Perhaps the greatest PUA (pick up artist) who ever lived — the mysterious Roissy of Chateau Heartiste — uses this same principle of Superior Confidence to seduce, persuade, and influence the world’s most beautiful women. In his infamous 16 Commandments of Poon (under section XI “Be irrationally self-confident”) he reveals the simple secret to gaining that kind of charisma:

  “No matter what your station in life, stride through the world without apology or excuse.”

  To be irrationally self-confident is to have Superior Confidence.

  And to have Superior Confidence is to possess powers of persuasion most men can’t even imagine. This is why, whatever you do, go forth and do it boldly, with Superior Confidence, and you will be instantly more persuasive.

  In time, people who ordinarily would ignore you, will hang on your every word.

  Dames who ordinarily would spurn you, will find themselves irresistibly submitting to you.

  And people who ordinarily wouldn’t pay you any attention or respect, will want to hire you, work for you, fight for you, bleed for you, and even, in some cases…

  Die for You!

  Superior Confidence is the foundation of your Villainous Lair of Influence.

  Without it, the entire structure collapses with the first stiff wind or attack on the outer walls — no matter how strong the bricks, how secure the interior, or how impenetrable the gate. If you don’t yet think you have Superior Confidence, do not despair. This is a thread that runs through this entire book — intertwined with each principle of persuasion and influence within, all building and compounding on each other chapter by chapter, page by page, and sentence by sentence.

  And by the time you’re finished?

  You too will have this precious attribute not one in a thousand men possesses.

  Chapter 2

  -

  Persuasion by Pain

  “I sense great fear in you, Skywalker. You have hate. You have anger. But you don’t use them.”

  — Count Dooku

  Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

  The Villain Erik Killmonger (from Black Panther ) was just a child living in the slums of Oakland when his father was brutally murdered by his uncle, the King of Wakanda. Child Erik was orphaned by his own family and left completely on his own to figure out his way, with no guardian, no guidance, and no direction. Imagine being dropped off in the middle of a city by your family and told, “good luck!” as a young child, and that is basically what happened to him.

  The result?

  Well, he could have done what lesser men would do: Given up, despaired, and lived the rest of his life a broken, unsuccessful man, never accomplishing anything.

  Instead, he did the opposite and…

  Used That Pain

  to Achieve His Goals!

  Including spending years building up his body, his combat experience, and his fighting skills by becoming one of the deadliest assassins and soldiers on the planet… plotting his revenge on those who wronged him… and eventually seizing the Wakandan throne.

  Unpleasant as it is, pain is a Villain’s greatest asset.

  It gives you drive, energy, clarity, purpose, and, yes influence.

  Like when Magneto in X-Men: First Class watched his mother be killed, and he used that pain to become the X-Men’s most dangerous foe and attract many of the world’s other Super Villains to join him.

  And when Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins lost his wife and daughter and used that pain to rise up to be the leader of the League of Shadows, with a legion of ninjas at his command.

  And when Aldrich Killian in Ironman 3 was rejected and humiliated by Tony Stark, tricked into waiting for him on a cold rooftop in Bern, Switzerland on New Year’s Eve, and he used that pain to create the multi-million dollar think tank AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics), and invent the persona of the dreaded terrorist Mandarin — with whom he influenced and controlled world governments and even the Vice President of the United States.

  This goes beyond just Super Villains, though.

  Many of history’s greatest achievers were motivated by pain to become some of the most influential, charismatic, and persuasive men who ever lived. Take the late “King of Late Night” Johnny Carson, for example. His biographers agree what motivated him to the top of the entertainment world (he was the “celebrity to the celebrities” — with even other “A-List” actors begging for his time and attention) was the pain of his cold, loveless mother never caring about him. It was the same thing that motivated the late Steve McQueen, too. (Who was the highest paid movie star in Hollywood, and also one of the world’s best race car drivers).

  All of which is why it is foolish and wasteful for a Villain to try to suppress, self-medicate, or rationalize away pain.

  Pain is power.

  Pain is energy.

  And, pa
in is…

  One of the Most Valuable Gifts

  You Can Possibly Be Given!

  Doesn’t matter if it’s pain from heartbreak, being bullied, social humiliation, parental rejection, mockery, broken ego, regret, betrayal, or anything else.

  So, if you have pain, use it.

  It can give you the drive and motivation to do things ordinary men can only dream of — in your business, your career, your relationships, or in any other area of your life. The key is to harness and use it without letting it control you. This is where ordinary men go astray. They let their emotions control them, instead of the other way around.

  The model is the anti-hero the Hulk.

  He is an entity of pure rage and anger. But, when aimed (such as when Bruce Banner “aimed” it at the Abomination in The Incredible Hulk )…

  That Anger Can Win the Day

  When All Other Options Have Failed!

  The flip-side is, it can also be dangerous and unhealthy to stay in a state of anger.

  As Ra’s al Ghul warned Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins :

  “Your anger gives you power. But if you let it, it will destroy you.”

  This is true both figuratively and literally.

  You have to look at your pain like putting on a hat or suit:

  You “wear” it when you need it but you take it off when you don’t. A Super Villain of Persuasion aims his anger in a focused, purpose-driven (to achieve his Mission) way that creates order in his world — not a blind, raging, furious way that creates chaos and leads to debilitating mistakes.

  Do it the right way and your pain will give you powers of persuasion beyond your wildest imagination.

  It will give you influence over people who will eagerly want to help you.

  And, it will give you a special kind of charisma you can use to go forth and conquer your enemies and achieve your Mission.

  Chapter 3

  -

  The Dark Lord of Charisma

  “[Sauron] is seeking it, seeking it — all his thought is bent on it.”

  — Gandalf

  The Fellowship of the Ring