While we're not all aiming to be manipulative of the people around us, sometimes we could use a trick or two to be more successful around the people around us.
Redditor Aggravating_Taste821 asked:
"What are some dark psychology tricks that actually work?"
Make Them Agree
"Nodding your head up and down slightly when you want someone to agree with what you are saying."
- SumerianProgRocker
Be Inclusive
"Change the perspective from I to we, and people will automatically align themselves with you."
- fckmelifemate
Consistent Influence
"If you say something often enough, people will start to believe it after a while. And once a couple more people are saying it, it will exponentially explode through whatever population is listening."
- Generic300
Stay Accountable
"It's not really dark but every mistake I make at work, I go out of my way to admit to. For some reason that makes me more trustworthy."
- Freaksenius
Hold Coworkers Up
"I admit when I mess up and also go out of my way to sing the praises of anyone that helped me. Makes people want to work with you and why not? That's who I want to work with."
"Be honest, don't throw people under the bus, and telegraph your thank yous and you can ask for plenty of favors."
- crazyrich
Connect with Them
"Related: Ben Franklin suggested that if someone seemed cold to you, ask them a small favor. (I think he mentioned borrowing a book?)"
"After you return the book and we're sufficiently appreciative, that person would likely be less cold in the future."
- ISwearIUsedToBeSmart
Perspective Matters
"If you make a favor seem bigger than it is before asking it, the person on the receiving end is much more likely to help."
"'Babe, can you do me the biggest favor ever? Can you turn off the light when you come to bed?"'He would have done it anyway, but now he feels like a hero."
- SuperDuperStoney
Stay Quiet
"Not really a dark trick but one that I've found effective, when someone's being rude to you stay completely silent and stare at them. It'll make them feel incredibly uncomfortable and they'll usually act civilly after a few moments."
"**DISCLAIMER** Do not do this to people who are exhibiting aggressive behavior, and/or whilst in an unsafe non-public environment. This is a tactic meant to be used on otherwise mature adults in safe environments."
- Natasha_JB
UNO Reverse
"I had a manager who would scream at me and drive me to tears. I got sick of it, so I sat there staring at her and almost burst out laughing as her rant trailed off."
"She got quieter and said, 'Let's just forget the whole thing and move on.' She never yelled at me again."
- Beth_The_Alien_GF
Make Eye Contact
"Staring at peoples forehead irritates them quite a lot."
- Equivalent-Wealth-39
Manipulative or Oblivious?
"One thing that my dad does, that he may be completely unaware of, is when you give him good news he always exaggerates it back to you, thus forcing you to downplay your own accomplishment. I honestly don’t think he’s consciously doing it, but it drives me absolutely crazy."
"Hey, I have amazing news! I got promoted to vice president."
"That’s great! Wow, so senior vice president?”
“No, just a vice president.”
“Oh, well that’s still good.”
"And now the wind is all out of my sails."
- RawbM07
Just Answer the Question
"If someone doesn't want to give you specific information, like tuition costs, or hours expected, give them an example that's completely unreasonable. They will usually immediately give you an exact number and feel embarrassed for pretending not to know."
"Example: Me: How much does your C++ course cost?"
"Them: It really depends on what your goals are."
"Me: Don't you have a beginner's course? Can you give me a price range?"
"Them: We can work with you to fit your individual needs."
"Me: Okay, fine. So is it, like, $10 for access to all your courses, or..."
"Them: Oh, no. We have a subscription for $99 a month, it you can buy the beginner's course for $120."
"Not useful very often, but it works every time."
- Ender367
Wait for It
"Silence. If you want to know something, ask the question then wait. People want to fill the silence and will talk and talk."
- stormbrewing_
Back to Work
"If someone is bothering you at your desk too often, continue the conversation but get up and walk them back to their desk."
"I had a boss who was a guru at this. You'd be back at your desk, wondering how the f**k you got there."
- FrozenBanana46
Prepare Yourself
"Just gonna say that if you familiarize yourself with a lot of the things said here, you can more easily guard yourself against others who attempt to use them on you."
- Vittaminn
Some Redditors felt like they'd already been doing some of these forever, while others felt fundamentally groundbreaking, but either way, these could make a positive change in someone's life.
People Share The Best Psychological Tricks They Use On People
Pay close attention.... I'm hypnotizing you.
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.
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.
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....
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.
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.
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
If you want it... go out and get it. That is what we're told should be everyone's main life motto. If one obstacle in your way is another human, use them to your advantage. There are small, quiet ways to manipulate people into doing your bidding and getting what you need. A flick of a finger here, a strategically placed word there... and boom... magic is possible. Mind games aren't ethical but they can be necessary.
Redditor u/BraySC wanted to know what we can learn in order to play a little mind control by asking.... What psychological tricks do you know?
People Share The Most Effective Psychological Tricks They Use To Get By
Mind games. Life's survival is based on the best of the best of mind games. Sometimes you just gotta get someone to do what you need, like diffuse a dangerous situation. Is it always right or morally ethical? NO. But please, let he is without sin cast the first stone. A little trickery goes a long way... often for good.
Redditor u/PM_ME_UR_PUPPYDOGS wanted us all to fess to some shady yet clever mind games we've all played.... What is the most effective psychological "trick" you use?