Definition
Target selection is the first phase of the seductive process: rather than pursuing whoever is nearby, the seducer chooses deliberately. The chosen person is the one whose susceptibility is highest — typically because they carry an unmet need the seducer can credibly appear to fill.
Greene's argument is that seduction succeeds or fails before it begins. A poorly chosen target — content, well-defended, indifferent — resists all subsequent technique. A well-chosen one is, in effect, half-seduced already, waiting for someone to articulate the lack they already feel.
Why it matters
How it works
The seducer reads for signals of openness: restlessness, a recent loss, an unmet ambition, a person who feels overlooked. These are the cracks through which influence enters. The seducer then matches their self-presentation to that specific gap — appearing as adventure to the bored, as recognition to the unseen.
Selection is therefore an act of observation, not charm. The charm comes later; the early work is diagnostic, identifying who is ready to be moved and in which direction.