From how to cut off an incessant talker to the secret of leaving a lasting impression,
today we look at Secret Psychology Tricks That Work On Anybody.
#12 Drop And Talk We’ve all been to a backyard barbecue, or
similar gathering, surrounded by strangers and run into someone who just won’t stop
jabbering.
Despite how funny those anecdotes might be, you’ve listened to this person for an hour
now and enough is enough!
It has got to be someone else’s turn to talk!
But you don’t want to butt in and gain a reputation for being rude.
So what is there to do?
Drop something!
Dropping a pencil, a bag, your keys, or any type of durable object will cause a distraction
in the conversation and draw attention to you.
As you pick up the dropped object, suddenly all eyes are facing your direction and the
floor is yours!
#11 Alt Conflict Resolution If you’ve ever had a spat with a friend,
you know it can be difficult to patch things up entirely.
Sometimes combative personalities clash and there’s just no agreement on either end
as tensions continue to bubble.
Then it becomes a real problem when a mutual friend looks to gather everyone together,
making an interaction unavoidable.
But with this trick, you can dodge the conflict entirely!
Instead of just sitting opposite each other to try to make distance, the hostile parties
should sit on the same side of a room or table and refrain from facing one another!
This small change can open the gate wide for cooler heads to prevail.
And if you’re not at that point yet, there are still preventative measures you can take
to avoid issues with other people.
Like pizza!
The ultimate conflict resolver, food calms attitudes and often quells pent up stress
the agitated parties may have been harboring.
#10 Thrills Build Bonds Small talk can be rough.
Like a verbal rainforest, the prickly barricade of meaningless, potential topics feels like
it requires a machete to fight through at times.
Fortunately, there’s a fast track for those looking to skip the so-called pleasantries:
Adrenaline!
A first date at a candlelit dinner followed by a walk through the park sounds delightful
and all, but the shared experience of bungee jumping or a rollercoaster can have an equal
if not greater effect on an early relationship.
Not only does this become a more memorable experience, but the increased stimulation
of the brain results in an arousal that reinforces the idea that the person is having a great
time with you.
#9 Subtle Investigation A common issue on the schoolyard blacktop,
children often are scared to admit guilt after a peer tattles to the teacher.
Rather than going in circles hearing the child deny involvement, a witty instructor might
choose instead to cut to the chase.
Simply adding a “Why” to the question “Did you do it?” can evoke a much different,
reflexive response.
This is because the child immediately, albeit subconsciously, recognizes this as a chance
to tell their side of the story.
The fear and distrust that inspires the same reflex to deny fault originates from fearing
a lack of understanding.
Asking “Why?”
demonstrates an irresistible openness, especially when emotions are running high.
But this trick isn’t exclusive to children.
Did your roommate eat your Girl Scout Cookies?
Suspect your brother of wearing your favorite shirt?
Well, skip the fibs and use this trick to get that confession you crave...then again
it may blow up in your face when it turns out they’re really innocent of whatever
accusations you’ve lobbed their way.
Perhaps it might be better to take a different approach.
Sometimes the best strategy is to say nothing at all.
After asking a question, maintaining eye contact and remaining silent can often elicit more
information than the other party was initially willing to divulge.
Similar to the response to “Why”, the innate knee-jerk reaction to fill the silence
takes over the mind, pushing out whatever fears were holding back their true answer.
#8 Present A Choice Whether you’re a professor with a lecture
hall of 200 students, a manager with 15 employees or a parent with 2 kids, chances are you’ve
had to ask someone to do something they didn’t want to do.
The weight of a task can drive some to stress and panic at the overwhelming assignment at
hand.
A simple distraction can ease this panic, and a subtle option lies in the task itself:
give them an option.
If students are to take a test, try offering options for the format.
If employees need to clean the concession stand, see if they have specific tasks they
like more than others and split the work.
If the kids need to rake the yard, come up with a couple games that involve gathering
leaves.
No matter the situation, the options you present not only distract from the daunting pressure
of the work that needs to be done but also give the other person a sense of control in
the situation.
#7 Payday Flinching If you’ve seen hit cable shows like Pawn
Stars and Storage Wars, you know haggling isn’t the easiest interaction to exit on
top.
There are numerous factors that come into play when bargaining during a transaction:
which party wants the good more, which party knows its full worth, what amount each party
is willing to agree upon, what other parties are interested in the good and so on.
Luckily, there are all sorts of tricks to increase your odds of coming out on top!
One of the simplest, yet effective means is to flinch.
When bartering over a good with a potential buyer or seller, if you receive an offer that
doesn’t match what you want then simply flinch.
Hesitate.
Make the other participant in this negotiation visibly and audibly recognize your distaste
in their offer with feigned subconscious reaction.
Simply grunting, grimacing, and giving a hard sigh is enough to cause them to counteroffer
their original bid with something greater.
#6 All In The Eyes A traditional custom in the western world,
eye contact can make or break a first impression.
Avert your eyes too early and you risk giving the appearance that you lack confidence.
Allow your stare to linger too long and you run the chance of giving real heavy creep
vibes.
So how do you find that sweet spot in between to make just the right amount of eye contact?
Make a note of their eye color on the first meeting.
That means only hold eye contact long enough to analyze and recognize the color of their
eyes, thus guaranteeing a more genuine stare than a cursory glance but ending long before
entering weirdo territory.
Your eyes don’t cease their role in body language after a first meeting, though.
Eyes can reveal much more than many realize.
In a group conversation, pay attention to where each person looks when laughter erupts.
The people they look at tend to be the ones with which they have the closest bond!
Similarly, eyes can tell another person when you’re paying close attention in the conversation...or
when you’ve lost interest entirely.
If you want to show you’re invested in the story someone is telling, employ the Upside-Down
Triangle technique and periodically shift your gaze from their eye to their other eye
to their mouth.
Conversely, if you want to leave a conversation, there’s the Right-Side Up Triangle technique.
Look from eye to eye to forehead of the person talking and they will quickly get the hint
that they’ve lost your attention.
#5 Ask For Favors A universal commonality, the majority of people
are quick to help friends and family.
But when it comes to acquaintances and strangers, getting assistance can sometimes be a bit
tricky.
However, when used sparingly and intelligently, asking for a favor may just gain you someone’s,
well...favor!
Whether it’s borrowing a pencil or holding a door open, the combination of their choice
to help and your thankfulness will create the illusion of a much friendlier relationship
than you’ve actually established.
It also creates a debt for you to repay as well, solidifying your newfound chumminess!
#4 Mimic They say imitation is the highest form of
flattery, but it’s also the secret to getting others to like you.
Referred to as “mirroring”, this tactic involves mimicking the mannerisms of the person
in which you’re attempting to relate.
For many this happens subconsciously.
You’ve probably had friends and family through which you’ve begun using similar phrases,
gestures and even expressions and stances.
However, a study in 1999 at New York University proved this mirroring, which they called the
“chameleon effect,” can be concentrated to convince others to like you.
In the experiment, the strangers were actually working with the researchers and exhibited
varying levels of mimicry.
At the end of the study, they questioned the participants and found those partnered with
someone exerting higher levels of mimicry had a tendency to be more well-liked!
#3 Keyword Conditioning Positive reinforcement can be one of the most
powerful motivators available.
We see it daily in parenting and pet owners, with outstanding report cards and rolling
over on command both earning well-deserved rewards across the globe.
But in everyday interactions, that very same concept can take you far.
Stating the name of a person right after meeting them is a great way to encourage further conversation.
The repetition of their name reinforces the sincerity of the meeting and that you’ve
recognized them as an individual about which you’re interested in learning.
But it doesn’t stop there, you can take this positive reinforcement further.
If someone you converse with often uses a specific word or phrase, try responding with
a smile and a nod.
If this person is fond of you, they will most likely begin using this term at an increasing
rate in accordance with your positive response.
Suddenly that one time your friend said “tubular” has become a daily occurrence, and all because
you let them know you dig it!
#2 Be The First or Last Memory is a fickle thing.
Think back to the last movie you watched.
What was the best part?
Regardless of the film, there’s a pretty good chance you either said the opening sequence
or the finale.
That’s because it doesn’t matter what you’re watching, reading, or listening to,
the average person is more likely to remember the beginning and ending than the middle.
This information can be extremely beneficial as many aren’t even aware of the effect
they’re experiencing.
For example, are you scheduling an job interview for next Tuesday?
Try to nab one at 8 a.m. or 4:30 p.m. and the chances that you get hired will skyrocket!
#1 Yawn Surveillance Have you ever felt the hairs on the back of
your neck stand on end as you could swear someone was watching you from afar?
Well, let’s find out who, if anyone, is surveilling you with this maneuver.
Simply yawn.
As you’re probably aware, yawns are contagious and can spread from person to person simply
from the sight of one.
So, if your would-be observer really is doing their best Sting impression, one glance around
should show you the yawning stalker in your midst.