In the intricate tapestry of our daily lives, we encounter numerous individuals and societal forces that subtly shape our perceptions and behaviors. Often, we remain oblivious to the subtle psychological tactics employed by these influences. To navigate this intricate landscape with greater awareness, it is crucial to equip ourselves with an understanding of these pervasive tactics.
A user asked the forum, “What is the most effective psychological trick you use?”. Here are the top responses.
LISTENING TO SOMEONE TO GET MORE INFORMATION
“Listening to someone without giving advice or pushing for more information typically nets me more information than being pushy for it.”
COMPLIMENT PEOPLE BEHIND THEIR BACK
“To avoid workplace drama and be well-liked is to just compliment people behind their back.”
SILENCE
“Silence. It’s disturbing to many. It can be used in many scenarios.”
GIVING CHILDREN A JOB TO DO
“I give my children jobs to do when they’re about to lose their patience. For example, I ask them to help me find something if we are at the supermarket and they’re bored and hungry.
Please find this thing mamma needs. Can you choose the flavor of ice cream this week? We will all get a big bowl when we get home. They feel very important. They’re part of the team. Crisis averted.”
LEAVING TO FILLING A WATER BOTTLE WHILE SOMEONE TALK IN THE OFFICE
“I work in an office. When people stop by my desk and refuse to leave me alone, I will get up and refill my water bottle while they are talking to me. Instead of walking back to my desk, I walk them to theirs. They instinctively will sit down. Then I just serve the convo and get back to work.”
STAY QUIET DURING ARGUMENTS AT FLIGHT
“If you are in a fight/argument with someone, let them vent, stay quiet, and make eye contact with them for at least 30 seconds to a minute. This makes them calm down a bit, and if they’re the ones in the wrong, it helps them break it down and realize they’re fighting over nothing.
I’ve tried it a couple of times, and I ended up getting apologies from both of them using this tactic.”
BEING NICE TO PEOPLE
“I’m genuinely nice to people; amazing how that tricks them into being kind back.”
GIVING CHOICES TO PEOPLE
“Giving someone a choice between doing two things instead of doing nothing…or a choice about how/when they will do the thing in question. Ex: asking my brother “when” he’s going to take out the trash. He can’t just say “never”, so I have time.”
PRETEND AND ASK THEM TO EXPLAIN
“When someone is saying something inappropriate or offensive, I like to pretend I don’t get it and ask them to explain.”
NODDING YES WHILE ASKING A QUESTION
“Nodding yes when asking a question when I want someone to say yes… works very well in the restaurant industry.”
TRIGGERING THE MEMORY
“If you need to remember something, think about it while doing something noticeably unusual. This will pair the memory with the “something” so that when it is noticed later on, it will trigger that particular memory.”
LOWER YOUR VOICE
“Energy matches energy. When my kids challenge me to get angry, I lower my voice. I keep lowering it until they stop to actually be able to hear me. It resets the “temperature “of the room, and it helps them slow down and refocus.
Same thing with adults. I’ll just respond calmly, ‘I’m not raising my voice- why are you?’ And repeat it if necessary until they follow suit.”
SETTING A 3 MINUTES ALARM
“Everything I’m seeing is “tricks” on others, but I have one for myself! Tasks/chores seem overwhelming most of the time (thanks to depression and anxiety), so I end up not doing them, which is a big problem.
So I set the alarm on my watch for 3 minutes; that’s 3 minutes I have to dedicate to a specific task/chore before I allow myself to take a break. When the timer goes off, I’m usually not done with the task.
Sometimes, I’ll finish it because it’s almost done, but if I feel too overwhelmed or exhausted, I allow myself to take a break, usually about 5 minutes and then, I set another 3 minutes for the task.
There are a few reasons this is effective.
1. Instead of a big task, I’m only dedicating 3 minutes to it, with no pressure or expectation to finish it at that moment.
2. Because it’s only 3 minutes, I typically spend more time on the task each interval ‘since I’m already up.’
3. Instead of punishing myself for not doing the insurmountable list of things I need to do, I reward myself for the things I am doing.
Before, I would look at a long list, start to panic, and not do anything while thinking about it all day. Now I can knock out most of a list with just the initial panic before I start to tackle it.”
MASKING
“Masking. It is very helpful to hide that you are actually not doing well or that you have difficulties with things. As someone with ADHD and depression, I wouldn’t want to miss it!”
NEVER ASSUME PEOPLE THAT THEY DID SOMETHING WITH BAD INTENTIONS
“Never assume people do something to you with bad intentions. Assume misguided good intentions, unthinking carelessness, or even apathetic indifference, and you will most likely live a much happier life.
Please note: I don’t mean to say that people never have bad intentions. But 999 times out of 1000, they really don’t.”
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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.