Favorite Reddit Psychology Tricks
“What’s the most effective psychological trick you use?” – asks the editor PM_ME_UR_PUPPYDOGS. In a chain that is still picking up steam, people are responding. Here are our favorites so far. Let’s start with the sneaky one from redditor usrnmtkn1:
Present your ideas as strangers
I work as a creative director. I have a lot of great clients, but unfortunately there are some crappy managers on their part. They usually adhere to the mantra, “If this is not my idea, then this is a bad idea.” In the end, I (sometimes) tell them about what Google, Tesla, Amazon, Samsung, etc. are doing, and how we could try it. They grab onto these ideas. The ideas actually belong to me or my team. Works like a charm.
Use it sparingly.
Just remember to keep an eye on which companies and “opinion leaders” all claims are read about in their business books.
Help the violator to save face to do the right thing
I’m a big fan of helping people save face after they’ve done something bad but fixable. (Most of the time I was a jerk and made a scene for someone not betraying me and I reacted badly. I’m not proud!) Here’s a tactic from SSSS_car_go:
When I am on foot in the wilderness, I have to watch out for people with dogs, which is prohibited. The ranger taught me to ask dog owners, “Are you looking for a place to walk your dog?” This gives them the opportunity to pretend they don’t know about the rule (signs are of course posted) so they don’t lose face. Then I give them a booklet with routes suitable for dogs.
Madsky puts it this way: “When someone does something clearly wrong, you mentally construct the least negative reason they could do it (for example, they disobeyed the no-dog sign because they just didn’t see it). sign). they have a chance to take advantage of this explanation. “
Hasp3 has a similar trick: “Thank someone for the trait you want from them. Instead of telling the customer that you are sorry for waiting, thank them for their patience or understanding. Works miracles. “
End the conversation when you meet someone you know
In New York, I run into a lot of people who want to say hello, but then we both get trapped in a conversation because neither of us wants to be rude who ends it. It is similar to how young people end their letters and emails with the words “Okay, it’s time!” instead of ending. So I’m happy to try this advice from jungpub:
My wife calls this the simplest manipulative activity I do.
Whenever I bump into an acquaintance (not a friend, but just a person I know), of course, I say hello, and the conversation goes something like this.
Me: Hey! What’s your name ? You look good!
They: laugh. Thank you, I’m fine. How are you?
Me: I’m great, now I’m going where I’m going, and I also tell them why . So what are you doing here?
They: Tell me where they are going and why.
Me: Okay, okay, I won’t hold you anymore, then I have, I have a good name for the day!
This leaves people feeling well, relieving the awkwardness of cutting convoys and making them want to leave.
Reading this exchange relaxed me physically .
Get people involved
You can get people to help you by making them feel important or by replacing “any” question with “what”. Aaronmicook says:
I currently manage about 240 people in 6 restaurants. It is often difficult to get them to do the right thing. I found that the word “I need your help” is enough to get them on board. People want to feel needed and want to change something.
The mediocre Paladin says, “Instead of asking,“ Do you have questions? »I ask,” What questions do you have? “
Polyfuckery says, “When you need something, speak directly and personally. Instead of asking if anyone has an EpiPen, ask who has an EpiPen. ”
Compliment people behind their back.
“To avoid workplace drama and to be well loved,” Jacobdi says, “compliment them behind their back.” Puru11 suggests doing this to stop the detractors:
My colleagues are sometimes moody. When they cling to me because of what someone else did, I just cover it up by saying, “X is amazing at customer service,” or a compliment to the person they’re complaining about. Works like an amulet and sends a message: “I’m not going to feed on this shit, so go away.”
Of course, this will lead to loss of points for more attractive people and make them complain about you too, so decide if you like it.
Help someone “get out of this” in an emergency
Orpheus91 says they work in emergency services:
If someone is completely distraught and disconnected, asking for their phone number / address / SSN / date of birth can take them out of their emotional state and return them to a free space where it will be easier for them to talk about what happened. I often ask these questions even after I have information to de-escalate.
Complete your child’s “why” cycle
AD_Meridian could have gotten this trick from Lifehacker:
Some time ago, my youngest (4 years old) entered the “why” phase. Read the article which said that the best way to get them to stop is to ask them, “I’m not sure what you think?” This is a godsend. They answer their own question, and you leave a review: “I like it.” and they will move on immediately. Awesome.
Give yourself an extraordinary reminder.
If to-do lists and alerts aren’t right for your day to day activities, Mooncake22 has a more physical memory trick: move an object out of your daily routine from the spot to help you remember to do the chores before you touch that part of your routine. For example, they say if you need to take out the trash before bed, move the pillow to the foot of the bed. According to redditor dxlta, this is from the Wimpy Kid diary .
And finally
The latter is useless, but it allows you to create cute YouTube videos. Surrah says: “If you give something to someone, they will take it. It’s very funny.”
Read the thread for more tweaks as the editors keep adding them.
What psychological “trick” do you use most effectively? | Ask