We've all heard of life hacks, and most of us have even tried some that worked really well.
But there are also evil life hacks in the world that, while they might make our lives a little easier, they certainly highlight something about our personal characters.
Redditor Every-Technology-747 asked:
"What's the most evil life hack you know?"
Lean Into The Silence
"Learn to embrace the silence. It's such a powerful tool in professional conversations. Most ppl need to fill the silence and most likely say something they shouldn't."
- JSmellerM
"As an attorney, this is such a valuable tool in depositions. Just sit for a bit, let people stew, and watch them bury themselves."
"I actively discuss avoiding this with my clients/witnesses during prep."
- naphomc
The Long Con Lie
"Tell the truth 99 percent of the time. Then when you have that credibility, you can lie and people will believe you."
- AngelicXAdmiration
"I learned this in middle school."
"All the teachers liked me and the few times I was an a-hole they would let it pass or not even believe the claims made against me."
- Chubuwee
Put Those Numbers To Good Use
"I use my ex's and boss's phone numbers at Kroger's fuel pumps to steal their discounts."
- thinkdeep
"I used her Sephora rewards to get new cologne."
- below-avg-chef
Office Dynamics
"Let your a**hat coworkers underestimate your skills when starting a new job. You'll be able to learn a lot more about the politics."
- PuzzleheadedBobcat90
"Also, never give away your full hand when you start a new job. Hide some of your skills and talents until you need them to get ahead."
"It's always easier to 'improve' when you're starting at 50% capacity."
- islandvich
Wait For The Right Moment
"I was in a three-person team in Home Economics in high school. I always volunteered to do the dishes."
"Then when it was something gross like a really greasy pot or pan, I said to the other two that I do the dishes all the time and that they could do it for once."
- MangoPeyote
Anything For A Dollar
"There was a guy who was a woodworker my dad knew. He had a horrible accident at work and lost a bunch of fingers. Big settlement and too disabled to work..."
"One day he's at our house, and he's drunk. And he f**king tells us all he did it on purpose."
"My dad just told him to leave."
- Billbapaparazzi
"I know someone who got six figures for losing his big toe in a work accident, and even though that enabled him to pay off his house, he says he'd rather have his toe back."
"Apparently, walking without a big toe really sucks."
- GlitteringAttitude60
Take And Take And Take
"Nothing opens a person up wider than giving them a thoughtful compliment and a relatable story. Well, asking for a favor in general."
"Research* shows that, paradoxically, a person giving a favor will like the recipient more, while the recipient will like the giver less. IIRC, it seems to be some sort of social status thing (the giver placing themselves over the recipient)."
"As such, asking for small favors in moderation might be a great way to manipulate someone."
"*should be noted, psychological research currently has a huge reproductivity crisis, so grain of salt."
- semiseriouslyscrewed
The Gateway To Costco
"Go to Walgreens or somewhere that sells Costco or Sam’s gift cards. Buy one for any amount and then go shop without being a member. Because you have the gift card they can’t make you buy a membership and will let you use it."
- Hatemywifescat
"I did this. A coworker took me to Costco with her because I’d never been. I didn’t anticipate going much, so I paid her to pick me up five $10 Costco Gift Cards. That gave me five free trips to Costco where I could shop and buy as much as I wanted. Just used the $10 card and then paid for the rest."
"Turns out I later liked it enough to join, and I’ve been a happy member for years now, but that was great when I didn’t go much."
- Pleasant_Studio9690
Biggest Troll Ever
"'Kill them with kindness.' Be the biggest troll ever. Whenever someone is super mad at you, don’t fight back. Be understanding. Listen to them and don’t respond with anything mean. It will drive them nuts and save you such a big headache."
- HippoPebo
"This one can work so well it is surprising. Sometimes they even come back and apologize and let you know their actions were actually based on something that has nothing to do with anything. This happened to me yesterday."
- AllDarkWater
Get Out Of Jail Free Rock
"My wife used to be quite indecisive, so I played rock paper scissors with her, and I always chose rock."
"After she clocked on, she would choose paper or scissors depending on what she actually wanted. Helping her feel more comfortable recognizing and voicing what she wants was a genuine pleasure as she struggled with this due to her parents."
"However this lead to her suggesting to play when she could avoid things, knowing I was only going rock. Stuff like cleaning the car, going to the shop, making dinner, little things we share responsibilities for but at that moment, she wanted to chill."
"Well, this went on for about two years while living with her mum, who had suddenly booked an impromptu late-night flight from an airport three hours away, and she asked if we could give her a lift. My wife turned to me and said, 'Let's play for it.'"
"In a moment without thinking, I went scissors, I shocked myself, her jaw dropped, and her mum rushed her out the door while I ordered a pizza and played Xbox for four hours before going to bed."
"I had unintentionally created a get-out-of-anything-free card."
- Superdash1
Don't Forget The Butter
"Sprinkle instant mashed potatoes on someone’s grass before it rains, and it’ll make a huge mess. I certainly call that evil."
- Lilnuggie17
A Ride For One
"In many elevators, you can hold down the 'close door' button while choosing a floor to get a non-stop ride. It's meant to be used by rescue service/firemen."
- 2einamation
"Well, that most certainly doesn't do anything."
"Maybe that was the point. Were you just being evil to us?"
- SnuffyUffyGuss1717
The Imperfect Ticket
"When you enter a raffle drawing, fold or crinkle your ticket/slip of paper a little bit. It makes it slightly more likely to be drawn. It's worked for me a few times, and I feel a little guilty every time."
- abow
"This 100% works. I used to go to an annual raffle party for a local organization and come home with tons of prizes. One year it was like an embarrassing amount of items that I won...I wanted to hide under the table after the 6th or 7th prize. The crinkle never lets me down."
- Xxmissvxx
It's Already Made, So...
"I used to go to Subway knowing my bank account had like 45 cents in there. I’d customize my sandwich and when it was time to pay, I’d be like, 'Ugh, what is wrong with my card? I have money in there!'"
"Since my sandwich was customized to me, they would just give it to me. I was a crappy teenager."
- AccomplishedDish17
If It's Not A Heck Yes...
"If you don't wanna do something, don't do it."
- oussbai
"Now that I am in my 40s, this is slowly becoming my life philosophy even more. It just feels so good to simply not do s**t you don't want to do. Saying no graciously is so liberating."
- purpletrekbike
From stealing sandwiches to saying no to tricking people into trying to hack elevator systems, there are all kinds of tricks here that, while they may work, it might make us wonder what the user is like as a person.
