17 People Shared Psychological Tricks They Love to Use Every Day

Most of us would like to know what other people are thinking, and sometimes we develop sorts of mind-reading abilities or existing mind hacks and turn them into handy tools. This proves that we are special and have peculiar skills because we know how to respond and what to say at just the right moment to our benefit.

At Bright Side, we compiled other people’s experiences that can be helpful to us and make our lives hassle-free.

• I’ve seen this a lot in airports and in some stores, but having a mirror behind the cashier/receptionist often stops people from being angry because once you start to see what you look like angry, you begin calming down. © November_Dawn_11 / Reddit

• Give any excuse while you ask someone for a small favor. There was a test conducted to see if people could cut in line. There were 4 groups. People who just cut in line, people who asked to cut in line, people who asked and gave a valid excuse, like “I am in a hurry,” and people who asked and gave a bogus nonsensical excuse, like “Can I cut in line because I need to cut in line?”
  The no-talk group suffered the worst results. The ones who at least asked had better results, and those who gave an excuse, BOGUS OR NOT, had nearly identical results. The conclusion is that people don’t listen to your excuses for why you need to do something. Just the fact that you gave an excuse at all gives you bonus points. © gummby8 / Reddit

• I find that Cunningham’s law works surprisingly well. The quickest way to get someone to tell you the right answer is to post the wrong answer. © MlghtySheep / Reddit

• If in need, instead of asking “anyone” to help you, ask a specific person, “Hey, you there in the green shirt, could you give me a hand?” It works. © DarkPasta / Reddit

• Never stand anywhere for more than 60 seconds, and you’ll always look busy. Also, walk fast. When I moved to LA many, many years ago, I landed a job on a reality TV show. My friend who got me the job was complaining one day about one of the other PAs and how they just wandered around all day doing nothing. But when she sees me, I’m always busy. I pointed out that I too wander around all day doing nothing, I just walk faster. © Noodle_pantz / Reddit

• Stroke their ego. The most effective one you’ll find. There’s no more effective way to amass power than by convincing people that they’re smart enough to give it to you. © catboneslovestory / Reddit

• When it’s hard to convince someone to do something, give them options. That way, they feel like they’re in control. “You could do A, or do you prefer B?” © nilsn91 / Reddit

• I use that trick on my kids all the time. Especially when it comes to food. “Do you want chicken or steak?” Otherwise, if I just ask her what she wants for dinner, she’ll just say “cookies.” © CaptainAwesome06 / Reddit

• Whenever anyone says anything and I want to add more information to their statement, I try to start with “I agree with you!” or something that expresses positivity about their statement. I also try to give people compliments as often as possible. It makes people more agreeable to my future conversations. © NeutralFrog / Reddit

• Ask someone to do something they don’t really want to do, and they’ll do it begrudgingly. Ask them to choose between that same task and something they’d hate even more, and they’ll do the task with a smile on their face. © whovian5690 / Reddit

• If asked to do a task at work, say it will take longer to do than it will. Then, when you complete the task ahead of schedule, people will think you’re amazing. © no_lemom_no_melon / Reddit

• If you can summon the self-control to just stare at someone silently for 30 seconds, the tension grows so great that they will often start talking and telling you anything and everything just to get you to respond. © Ok-Brilliant-1737 / Reddit

• Say nice things about people behind their backs. There are no downsides: the person you’re talking to likes you better, and so does the person you’re talking about. This really helped me make friends at new jobs and in new cities, and also helped diffuse social tensions unrelated to me. © 21ratsinatrenchcoat / Reddit

• My favorite tricks for annoying co-workers are to smile, listen actively to what they’re saying, try to accept them for who they are, cultivate a genuine interest in their lives and passions, and open up about the things going on in my life when the moment feels right. This lets you get close to them and builds trust. Then, after a few months of this, BOOM! No more annoying co-workers, just a bunch of quirky work friends.© SquidWigglesMcGee / Reddit

• If you’re walking toward someone and think you’re heading toward a “which way do we pass by each other” dance, indicate which way you want to go with your shoulders (rather than your head). I don’t recall where I heard this, but it works almost every time. © frgetabout**00 / Reddit

• If you need a big favor from someone (or a favor someone is likely to say no to), ask for a smaller favor first, like borrowing a pen or something similar. They will more likely say yes to a bigger favor. © Critical_Werewolf / Reddit

Which of these tricks have you used before? Do you have any tips like these? Tell us in the comments.