Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Most Effective Psychological Tricks They Use To Get By

It puts the lotion in the basket....

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?


Be responsible with your powers....

Think of my future self...

  • How will my future self feel in an hour or two if I skip my gym session?
  • Will my future self be happy if I do this pile of dishes now, before bed? Or would he prefer to have to do it in the morning, before work?
  • I have a three month deadline on this project, will my future self appreciate my current self taking the first three or four weeks easy, or will he be really pissed off?

...essentially delayed gratification. Pretty much all the bad stuff gives us instant gratification, while all the good stuff has delayed gratification. I always try to remember that - if I have to wait to reap the rewards then it's probably the best option. TheGrog1603

Check! People are lemmings... 

Set expectations low and blow peoples minds with my mediocrity. midnightcheese

Sometimes you just need a hug! 

This isn't something I've used but I think it's worth sharing. Derren Brown said that once there was a muscley drunk guy that wanted to beat him up and said the classic "what are you looking at." Derren replied with "the wall outside my house is four feet tall." The idea is that it puts the aggravated person on the back foot and takes them out of that adrenaline filled state. Anyways he sat down and the guy started crying to him about his GF. He is Derren Brown though so I wouldn't recommend this to everyone. Jimeh86

I'm Listening....

I wear noise-cancelling headphones at work. 90% of the time they're not making a sound, I just want all my weird coworkers to back off. And it works. They are the Headphones Of Shielding. AdamFeoras

The Game of Love...

Idk if this is an actual thing or not... or maybe just distractions... but when I do something annoying or bothersome to my husband and he goes quiet, I wait a few minutes and then I ask him a seemingly innocent question, usually on the subject of how certain parts of a car works, or something mechanical. This gets him talking about the car thing and he rambles for like 5 minutes and then bam! He's happy again and not quietly brooding. I'll never tell him I do that because I'm afraid it won't work anymore if he knows about it. It's foolproof though, it works every single time, no matter how bothered he is. alskdjfhgtk

What they had said was.... 

To avoid workplace drama and be well liked is to just compliment people behind their back. jakobdee

I would never say this to her face, but she's a wonderful person and a gifted artist. HerpesHummus

Nod and Smile... 

When somebody shy is speaking, if you look at them and nod your head it encourages them to keep talking. SectoidEngineer

I'm hard of hearing, I've spent a lot of my life nodding at my family to show I've heard and understood so they don't ask "did you hear that." I do it at work, especially in meetings. I get a lot of attention from the speaker as I look like the only person actively listening. nikkibic

Just laugh.... 

I'm a professional poker player. When I am in a pot with one other player, I often try to make them laugh when they are thinking about what to do. If you can get them to laugh, it sets them in a mood where they are unlikely to bluff. (I talk a lot in general it's very common to make jokes at the table even in hands). Amo4sho4sho

A Positive Outlook....

Instead of arguing I start off by agreeing and then state my point of view after addressing the other person's point. Always ends in a positive interaction. cloudstrife1191

Eye Contact!

When someone is trying to throw excuses or generally if they're getting a bit foolish about something, often the best way to handle it is to stare back with mild interest and contribute nothing to their monologue. If you don't give them anything to work with they'll talk themselves into a corner and lose confidence in what they're saying.

I learned this trick from an old Director who used to control pretty much any meeting room scenario by being the most silent and impassive person in the room. I fondly remember the time someone asked him a ridiculous question and he just stared at him for about 15 seconds. 15 seconds is a long time to be stared at in a room full people. The guy wilted into his chair and nobody could work out if the Director was angry or just quietly mulling it over. pinky0926

REDDIT

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Serena Williams; Coco Gauff
Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty Images; Robert Prange/Getty Images

Serena Williams Offers Cheeky Advice To Coco Gauff After She Smashed Her Racket Following Australian Open Loss

There's no better person to take advice from than someone who's gone through exactly what you're going through right now. Having four Olympic Gold medals might not hurt, either.

While participating in the Australian Open quarterfinals, tennis star Coco Gauff was moved to tears when she lost the competition to Elina Svitolina. But the cameras kept rolling after she stepped off the court, revealing that she smashed her tennis racket out of frustration once alone in the back halls of the athletic center.

Keep Reading Show less
TikToker Romeo Bingham; Dr. Pepper
@romeosshow/TikTok; Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto/Getty Images

People Are Floored After Dr. Pepper Actually Uses TikToker's Catchy Jingle In Commercial

Let's be real: You'll never get what you want if you don't shoot your shot.

That was what TikToker Romeo Bingham decided when she was bored and suddenly came up with the idea for a new jingle for Dr. Pepper.

Keep Reading Show less
Jennifer Grey Shares Poignant Thoughts After 'Dirty Dancing' Sequel Is Set To Start Filming—And Fans Are Thrilled
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Getty Images

Jennifer Grey Shares Poignant Thoughts After 'Dirty Dancing' Sequel Is Set To Start Filming—And Fans Are Thrilled

In 1987, audiences had the time of their lives when Dirty Dancing hit theaters. Nearly 40 years later, that story is officially stepping back onto the dance floor.

Lionsgate announced Tuesday, January 27, that Jennifer Grey will reprise her role as Frances “Baby” Houseman in an upcoming Dirty Dancing sequel. The project will be produced by The Hunger Games and Crazy Rich Asians producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, with filming expected to begin later this year.

Keep Reading Show less
TikTok logo
illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images

TikTok Now Claims A 'Power Outage' Is To Blame For The App's Massive Glitches—But The Internet Isn't So Sure

The new owners of U.S. TikTok—American investors to satisfy safety concerns about the app created by the Chinese technology company ByteDance—have an explanation for ongoing problems experienced by users beginning Sunday morning.

For context, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump infamously ranted about the app and vowed to permanently ban it from the United States during his first term in office.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshot of Megyn Kelly; Picture of Alex Pretti from memorial
The Megyn Kelly Show; Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images

Megyn Kelly Slammed After Boasting About Why She Doesn't 'Feel Sorry' For ICE Shooting Victim Alex Pretti

Right-wing talk show host Megyn Kelly was slammed after she shared her reasons for not feeling "sorry" for ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by ICE agents over the weekend.

Calls for an investigation have intensified from across the political spectrum after analysis of multiple videos showed ICE officers removing a handgun from Pretti—a weapon that authorities said Pretti was permitted to carry but was not handling at the time—before fatally shooting him.

Keep Reading Show less