“Seduction is the art of coercing somebody to desire you, of orchestrating somebody else’s longings to suit your own hungry agenda. Seduction was never a casual sport for me; it was more like a heist, adrenalizing and urgent. I would plan the heist for months, scouting out the target, looking for unguarded entries. Then I would break into his deepest vault, steal all his emotional currency and spend it on myself.”

Elizabeth Gilbert is best known for her wildy successful memoior, “Eat, Pray, Love.” It recieved mixed reviews but was well-recieved by readers. (Some have suggesed these were mostly female readers.)

In this article published in the New York Times Magazine Gilbert writes a piece that reads like an extended “share” at a 12 Step meeting. The title accurately describes what it is: Confessions of a Seduction Addict.

It is worth a read. It provides a portrait of two selves. 1) A woman trapped in a addictive process, and 2) A woman empowered by a hard-won new sobriety that holds the promise of new life.

This kind of wisdom does not come easily. But when it comes, it is a gift worth fighting for.

Image by Benard Latzko