The mind is a minefield. And it is vulnerable to others. So we must be talented at being the tricker and not the trickee. It may not be the ethical or moral thing to do but that doesn't mean it isn't a little funny or necessary. When we know we are right and have to make things right, then we must do what we must do.
Redditor u/secretfudgerecipe_ wanted to know what mind games people are adept at by wondering.... What's a psychology trick you use on others?
With the Eyes...
If someone is being disrespectful to me, and I can tell they're only doing it bc they don't think I'll lose my cool, I just stare at their forehead while they're talking to me and keep my replies short to make them feel intimidated. killerpb-j
Better to stare into their eyes without focus, it feels more intense to them than normal eye contact and they usually can't quite put their finger on why unless they're really observant. ThommasKurbyson
I WIn.
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When someone's being rude/impolite, I'm super nice to them. They will either become nicer themselves or very annoyed with me. I win either way. PurrsNpies
Walk the Walk.
You can get people to believe quite a bit if you say it confidently enough. Brinkah
I was going to say Walk with Confidence but wasn't sure if it applied. You can go so many places if you act like you're supposed to be there. overconfidentquartz
Hold Firm.
When somebody interrupts you, look them dead in the eye, and keep looking at them all the time. Neopysiak
This isn't just for eye contact or interruptions, any time a person does/says something to you that you didn't like, make sure you tell/show them that you're displeased, in any way necessary.
People will respect you a lot more it you have boundaries, and more importantly, you'll respect yourself for not being a pushover. night-laughs
In the Shins.
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If you're standing in the middle of a group and you have some thing to say take a step in. pareto-optimal
When I was at school we had a game where you would slowly try to surround a member of your group in the circle during conversation. Then someone would shout "In the middle," and everyone would kick the surrounded victim in the shins.
14 year old boys are idiots haha. NethereseWyvern
A Touch.
I'm a waitress, and if I sense that someone at my table is going to be rude/mean to me based on our first interaction, I'll go out of my way to say something really kind and pair it with a tiny shoulder/arm touch. It tends to work. erikarew
I'm not down with the touching, though I'm sure it works. But most of those people seem to be extremely entitled, so yeah, If you make them feel super special it usually flips their attitude entirely. I worked as a server for 5+ years and it is so much about hospitality and humility. dont_say_choozday
Being You....
Being a good, radically honest and trustworthy person. People tend to love you. Ozymandias47
It really works. It works even better if you add some situational awareness.
- Not everything needs to be said.
- Suggest improvements instead of pointing out problems.
- Don't get in the middle of other people's interpersonal issues. Offer advice and sympathy, sure. Just don't let yourself be used to continue a fight. kayodelycaon
Share with Smiles....
Only share positive things about your life and you'll lose conversation with a lot of people. Most people only want to hear negatives things or feel involved with drama. Debbiero70
Yeah, people get really weirded out when they tell me about some personal achievement and I cheer them on or get excited about it. I don't get it. Am I suppose to be jealous? dont_say_choozday
Oh Sweetie....
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If I want someone to like me I give them a sweet or chocolate whenever I see them. I do this until the reaction of excitement and happiness of getting a sweet is associated with me. Then I stop giving them sweets and the reaction is prompted by just seeing me. Learned that in psychology. AofAsgard
"What street did you grow up on?"
Verbal sedation.
Friend is having a panic attack. They aren't breathing steady and in a thought spiral. You ask them easy to and true questions that are easy to remember.
"What street did you grow up on?" "What was the color of your house you grew up in? And similar questions that have easy to recall answers that are just a few words for the answer. Jessica Jones did a great job demonstrating this when she would name off all the streets that were on her home town near her house. Tedbastion
Eyes Locked.
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If you're moving through a crowd with a lot of people moving the opposite direction (say a crowded sidewalk), keep your eyes up and locked on your general destination. People will subconsciously adjust to give you space. I don't mean just plow into folks, they'll shift on their own. Reverse_Waterfall
Greetings....
Mimic the way they greet you. Over time put your own spin on the greeting. Eventually they'll usually follow suit. Works wonders for making people like you. chillpill9623
"Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep that in mind."
I completely dissociate when being chewed out so they think they have said their piece, but really it's just an hour of invader zim in my head instead. bluntiograph
I do the same and follow it up with, "Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep that in mind." I keep repeating that phrase while they go off on me. I started doing this a few years ago with a supervisor who was a real bully. It drove her crazy because I remained professional but clearly didn't give a crap about what she was saying. It's the little things! onebeaner
Group Efforts.
Want to find out who someone likes most in a group? Keep an eye on who they look at when laughing. Moostcho
It's a measure of feeling connected with someone, more than specifically crushing on them. After hearing this some time ago I started paying attention to who I look at when laughing.
Often it's someone I just had a good conversation with. Or someone who's new to the group and I'm curious about how they're reacting to the joke. If I'm with family, it's usually my dad that I look at because I get along best with him. scrumplic
Grab.
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There's no real use for this but it's just funny, and it actually works, try handing something to a person when you're talking and looking at them, most of the time they'll just grab it for no reason haha. _LFKrebs_
You literally only have to say hi.
Say hello and greet them by name in the morning.
It's like the cheat code for working in an office. You literally only have to say hi. Just look busy, like you have something to do. People will both think you are productive and busy and also a nice person. That will pay off in spades in the future.
Also, make sure you ACTUALLY ARE a productive worker. Suuperdad
All Good.
Talk good stuff about friends behind their back. muhtasim7
Hush.
Staying silent and giving short answers can get you out of a lot of crap. I deal with millions of dollars worth of equipment and if something goes wrong, it turns into an interrogation with the client.
Best thing you can do is shut your mouth. Don't give descriptive answers because that opens doors to other questions. If you give short answers, people might end up talking themselves in a circle. Ultimately answering their own question and giving you ammo to use against them. This has got me out of a couple tense situations where a lot of finger pointing occurs. DrGiggleFr1tz
The Intros....
Stand up while talking if you want to wrap up a dragging conversation. The other person(s) will do the same unconsciously and you'll be able to bid your farewells and part ways. Useful for introverts like me. dizzypretzel
I know too many people who will keep talking to me even as I walk away from them. MyTurtleRanAway716
Moore's Law.
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When I want to find out a piece of information, instead of asking I will just make my best guess. If I am wrong people will gladly correct me, where if I ask they get annoyed at me asking. This is a well-known psychological trick known as Moore's Law. XM202AFRO
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
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"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine
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"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace
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"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office
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"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
Every now and then, a friend of ours might say something, or we might overhear a complete stranger say something that makes us stop in our tracks.
More often than not, what we can't believe we just heard is something so ridiculous, we can't help but put the person who said it in their place.
Other times, however, what we just heard might have stunned us silent because of how shockingly clever it was.
Resulting in our not wanting to scold or yell at someone, but rather give them a handshake.
Redditor SubmergingOriginal was curious to hear the sharpest and wittiest things they've ever heard, from friends and strangers alike, leading them to ask:
"Enough with the dumbest; what is the wittiest thing you've ever heard someone say?"
Don't Give Me So Much Credit...
'I was on a team at work that was on a project working insane overtime."
"One night after an 80-90 hour week, we were all sitting around the table trying to finish up so we could go home."
"Around 11, my buddy's wife called, dubious about the hours he'd been keeping."
"We heard her through the line - 'are you cheating on me?'"
"Exasperated, he looked at our boss, then replied 'honey, if I was cheating on you, I would have been home by now'."- lionbatcher
Eternal Optimism...
"Asked a blind guy if he'd been blind his whole life."
"He said 'Not yet'."- Feeling_Mode_6465
Free time Isn't The Only Thing He Has On His Hands...
"My brother got a vasectomy and when the doctor was releasing him and giving him instructions (with the nurse listening in), one of the orders was to 'come back and have a follow-up appointment after you’ve ejaculated 30 times'.”
"Without missing a beat my brother asked 'what time do you open tomorrow?'”
"The nurse couldn’t keep it together after hearing that."- UtahUtopia
Awkward Season 8 GIF by The Office
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Double Whammy!
"My pal uses the phrase 'he doesn’t look strong enough to carry information' and it cracks me up every time."
"Calling someone stupid and weak in one fell swoop."- JennyW93
Can't Hide Your DNA...
'Whenever I jokingly insult my mum, she says 'that must be where you get it from'."
"She cracked the code."
"I can never offend her without offending myself."- JennyW93
Self-Sufficient!
"My brother was a line cook at a New Orleans restaurant."
"My mom was in town, staying at a fancy hotel, and he stopped by after work, still wearing his kitchen whites."
"He was reading a newspaper in the lobby waiting for her to come down when the shocked lobby manager sputtered at him, 'MAY I HELP YOU!?!?'
"He answered, 'thanks, but I know how to read',” and went back to his paper."- jobrody
Morph Current Affairs GIF by Aardman Animations
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A Miracle!
"My brother-in-law’s comment."
"The entire family went out for my mother’s 80th birthday and after the meal we all went to a local park, largely occupied by the elderly, to rest."
"My mother needed crutches at this point, and they were resting against her bench."
"My 10-year-old niece, who looked like every starving waif image from Dickens, grabbed the crutches and started hobbling round the park."
"All the OAPs were following her progress with looks of pity until my brother ran up behind her, and kicked away the crutches."
"There was an audible gasp from round the park and then my niece picked the crutches back up and started chasing my brother, clearly intending to hit him."
"In the confused silence my brother-in-law’s voice rang out 'Praise be! She can walk again!'"
"We still think this was the highlight of the birthday celebrations."- DdraigGwyn
Still Legal, Whichever Way You Cut It...
"I picked up my pleasantly tipsy boyfriend from a nightclub."
"We were stopped by the Police for a random breath test."
"They asked me my age, and I said, 33."
"My bf blurted out '33? You told me you were 22'."
"Police just laughed and let me go."- Aggravating-Corgi379
Music Video Police GIF by Andrew W. K.
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A Bit Too On The Nose?
"Business law class in college years ago, talking about the issues that black Americans had before the Civil Rights."
"Amendment, trying to travel through the south with the discrimination so rampant, trying to find restaurants to serve them and decent lodgings."
"My instructor was posing a hypothetical: 'So you pull up out front of this place, you're exhausted from driving for hours, and you see the sign out front says 'Ku Klux Klan Motel'."
"'What would you expect to find there?'"
"Without missing a beat, from the back of the room came this gem: "'Extra sheets in every room?'"- NedsAtomicDB
Not Yet, Anyway...
"I was working with my friend and his dad."
"My friend (26) heard an ice cream truck near where we were working."
"He asked his dad if he could have a couple dollars."
"His dad asked, 'what for?'"
"My friend told his dad that there was an ice cream truck in the neighborhood, and that they were playing music."
"My friends dad told him "'They don't charge anything to listen to the music'."- tatersalad1234567890
Words Escape You In The Literal "Heat" Of The Moment...
"A friend of mine is a teacher and her husband is known for his wit."
"She told this story to him:"
"One day at school a kid took the hall pass and returned reeking like smoke."
"She asked the kid if he’d been smoking and he denied it over and over."
"She was about to send him to the office when she noticed smoke coming from somewhere."
"She told the kid and he realized that he didn’t put his cig out completely and it was burning in his pants pocket."
"The kid noticed and frantically tried to put it out and someone finally poured water on it."
"Her husband sat listening to this with a weird look on his face."
"She asked him what was wrong."
“'What’s wrong???'"
"'This was probably the only chance you’ll have in your life to say literally, ‘liar,liar, pants on fire’ and you missed your chance'."- Luder714
On Fire No GIF by PEEKASSO
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Amazing What You Might Say A Few Drinks In...
"When I went to a renaissance faire once, I went to a beer tent and ordered a Newcastle Brown Ale (seemed the most fitting for the surroundings)."
"The beer wench, without skipping a beat, said, 'Everyone wants a Newcastle - no one wants to remodel!'"- jayhof52
Read The Room People!
"My dad wiped out when skiing down a mountain and lost a ski."
"After a few minutes of hunting for it, he gives up, slings the one remaining ski over a shoulder and starts walking down the mountain in his ski boots."
"About half-way down, another skier stops and goes 'Gee! Did you lose a ski?'"
"My dad instantly replied 'No, I was out for a walk and found one!'"- PeterJoAl
There's a reason your mother always told you to "use your words".
As clever remarks can have a much more lasting effect on people than a push or shove.