What Are the Best Life Hacks You’ve Learned From Fiction?
One of my favorite psychological tricks comes from the novel The Saleswoman by comedian Steve Martin. This is a guide to lying. According to the main character Mirabelle at the party, effective lies have three main qualities:
“First, it must be partially true. Secondly, it should make the listener feel sorry for you, and thirdly, it should be a shame to talk about it, ”says Mirabel.
“Go on,” the room implies.
“It must be partially true to be believable. If you inspire sympathy, you are much more likely to get what you want, and if you are ashamed to say, you are less likely to be questioned. “
For example, according to Mirabelle, she wanted to skip work, so she told her boss that she had to go to the doctor (which she did sometimes in the end), won his sympathy for her pain, and embarrassedly hinted that it was a “gynecological problem “.
By this point at Shopgirl, we know Mirabelle is sad, shy, and lonely, which makes her advice either suspicious or authoritative. And you just know that Steve Martin must have tried it in real life. (I never had, but I saved it just in case.)
What’s the best life hack you’ve found in a movie, novel, TV show or fiction story in any medium? (Props for everyone who got life advice from limerick.) Tell us in the comments and we’ll share the best of them.