The brain is a mysterious thing — one can easily crack it, not physically, but psychologically. Psychological tricks are like invisible bullets — able to pierce the workings of a brain without the physical damage. While the ethics of using psychology tricks are up for debate, no one is against learning a few. Tricking the mind takes time and patience. Charisma is usually required to pull off these tricks. Of course, you must remember that you could become the subject of some mind tricks too.
In this world, you are either a Frank Reynolds or Atticus Finch, meaning you either have a mind equal to Fort Knox or can resist the harshest mental tricks. In the Fort Knox situation, brain tricks pass through your brain like light through glass — freely and effectively. On the other hand, you might be like Atticus, calm and able to counter even the greatest of mind games. Of course, there are also the ones who start the tricks, who like the psychological manipulation of the mind, but they are usually just overall bad people.
Want to play an innocent mind game or two? Look no further than Reddit, especially AskReddit, where people share some of the best psychological games you can use on a person. Are they psychopathic or not — well, it’s up to you. If you need help, share the trick with a friend for additional insight. Either way, if you think a trick could trick you, be sure to upvote it for others to see. If you tried it or were on the receiving end — leave a comment below on how you dealt with it.
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"Sometimes when my dog won’t eat his food I turn on the stove and act like I’m cooking it. I will grab random condiments from the fridge and fake pour them in. Nothing changes but now he wants it."
Yep - our cats only eat when we're in the kitchen or I'm cooking a meal.
"When you're studying for an exam, try to study in multiple different settings (different rooms in your house, a library, outside, etc.) Multiple settings sets up more connections for your brain towards the material you're learning and you're more likely to remember it."
I just usually imagine what I’m studying as characters in their own world. That helps me in studying science and maths
"Compliment people behind their backs. Don’t do it in a manipulative way, genuinely compliment people and somehow it gets back around to them and it leads to them liking you."
Yup, I did this unknowingly at my new job, my boss is a harda** but not in a malicious way, she just wants the job done efficiently. But she's a very held back person and is mostly curt with employees, mainly new ones. I mentioned to one of my co-workers at a break that I like how she works, she'll tell you exactly what she wants done and how to do it, no bs. Cue a few days later she's super mellow with me
"If you need to get information from someone give them the wrong information. People are a lot more willing to correct you than help you."
"Basically, don't try to defend your position when someone criticizes/gets mad/disagrees with you. Just shrug your shoulders and go on with your life."
Not all criticism is unwarranted. Sometimes you really should listen when someone gets upset about something you did /said.
"If you feel like someone doesn't like you, ask them for advice on something about which they're more knowledgeable than you. This gets them into the mindset that they're on your side and they'll tend to view you more sympathetically."
I've done this, though it wasn't intentionally meant as a way to make the other person like me more. Totally works, though.
"Speak a little more quietly when you have something important to say. The other person will try harder to hear you."
"I've noticed that people will let me do kind things for them if they think I'm doing it for selfish reasons. 'No, let me cook for you! I need to practice making this dish!'"
"I am always surprised at how effective simple silence can be. Some people become so uncomfortable with it that they will simply tell you all kinds of things."
"My kids never wanted to nap, so when it was nap time I'd tell them 'No napping, sorry, you may NOT take a nap.' Amazing how they'd immediately want to go take their naps, lol. It really did work."
"You really don’t have to add much to be part of a conversation. Just occasionally repeating part of the other person’s sentences as a question can be more than enough to continue their momentum. I learned it in a negotiation masterclass."
"Speak slowly and quietly in stressful situations."
Oh, yeah. That worked well in my childhood - my mother would just yell at me to "speak up" and ask what I was "muttering". Then she'd slap me and tell me that I wasn't an idiot, so stop speaking slowly as if I was one. Yeah, this entry kinda gets to me XD but I can see its value for normal stressful situations.
"Listening to someone without giving advice or pushing for more information typically nets me more information than being pushy for it."
The opposite works too. As soon as my spouse starts "giving me advice" I stop talking.
"I like to write positive affirmations on my bathroom mirror. It gets into my subconscious and really helps with my mental state during times of depression."
Kids, don't try this at home without your parent's permission. And especially don't try it with a Sharpie. Or a sharp object.
"Some of the guys are just desperate for a compliment, so I thank them and positively reinforce anything I want them to keep doing. 'You're a champ dude, I saw you did all the dishes again. Solid effort.'"
"My friend in high school told me that she did things around the house without being asked and her mom almost never said no to her. I tried it on my mom. I cleaned the kitchen before she got home from work. It only took me 20 minutes and it worked. No more curfew. I started doing it every day. My older brother couldn't figure out why he was only allowed to borrow dad's work van and I always got mom's convertible."
"When people ask for advice I mentally walk them through various scenarios that might occur based on their actions or choices. Then I ask them which scenario they prefer. Because they made their own choice instead of being told what to do they have more determination to follow through."
"Compliment someone who's being mean. It knocks them down a peg or two."
"If you're always locked in the endless cycle of figuring out what's for dinner with your significant other, instead of asking them what they want, ask them to guess what we're having. Whatever the answer is, tell them they were right and have that."
"I dunno. What?" "Nah, guess!" "I'm tired. I don't want to guess. Just tell me."
"When someone says an inappropriate joke (sexist, racist, etc) tell them, 'I don’t get it.' Have them try to explain why it is funny. Sometimes it helps people have a moment of self-reflection and growth."
Try that on reddit and you'll get "what's not to get, it was pretty straightforward"
"Whenever my wife asks me to do something I don’t want to do I’ll reply with 'That’s my favorite thing to do.' I suddenly don’t mind doing it, and just go do it."
"The Andorra effect. Basically treating a person like they already behave like you would like them too. For example, being excited when you give someone a task because you totally believe they will do their very best makes them do so. Try it with bullies, it's magic. Treat them like they are nice people and they will be."
"I use reverse psychology on my one dog when she refuses to come inside. We say 'Ok, bye Lucy' and slowly close the door, and then she comes running."
"Smiling when I am on the phone makes you sound happier."
This one is absolutely true. Make the facial expression, very exaggerated, for the emotion you're trying to convey in what you're saying. This worked well in my decades of working at my family's business, which is a housecleaning service. I spent a lot of time on the phone with customers. And let's be honest, I rarely FELT the genuine emotions I was trying to convey, but customer service is expected to convey them anyway. So if I was apologizing to a customer for an employee's mistake etc., I'd wrinkle up my forehead in a sorrowful manner. If I was thanking a customer calling in with a compliment, I'd smile all huge. It sounds shady and manipulative, but it works.
"If you are talking to someone and just hand them something they will generally automatically take it and hold it."
"Whenever someone is showing you around or demonstrating something to you, open your mouth ever so slightly. Doesn't have to be much, barely a centimeter is enough. It makes you look intrigued and fascinated by whatever it is you're been shown. Bill Clinton is an absolute master at this."
"When dealing with an irrational customer who is angry I smile and sound chipper and happy. Kill them with kindness."
That's fine as long as you're also offering a solution. Otherwise it sounds like you're just patronizing or humoring an upset person and has the opposite effect.
"People are more likely to agree to do what you ask if you provide a reason, regardless of the validity of that reason. So if you say, 'Can you take out the trash because I don't feel like it right now' still better than just, 'Can you take out the trash.'"
This one is tricky, isn't it? To me, this seems to contradict the notion of "no is a complete sentence".
"Under-promising and over-delivering at work. I also work at a mental hospital and it works with the people I work with."
"Tell people to fake laugh for a photo. Then wait for the real laugh because they feel silly fake laughing."
"Telling kids not to laugh to get them to laugh."
"Replace 'have to' with 'get to' in a sentence. Not 'I have to go to the store', but 'I get to go to the store.' Puts a positive outlook on different things."
"Say someone's name in that first conversation when you meet them. People really like hearing their name, so it leaves a good impression, and it helps you remember their name."
"I request things in writing. You want me to do what? Yeah, let me get that written down in an e-mail for scoping purposes and to loop in my managers. Once I see your e-mail I'll be in touch with any questions/challenges and then I'll get started. The e-mail never comes."
"Always when someone says something weird, mean, or offending, I pretend like I didn’t hear it. So they have to consciously repeat the thing they said. Often they will never repeat it because they’re all of the sudden aware of what they said, if they do repeat it, I immediately know the person in front of me is actually mean."
different version of #17. again, why would u intentionally try to elicit a better response from someone by having them repeat the negative over and over. it sounds like a childish move. if you want a better response from someone, TEACH them a better way. expecting a better result thru the same act only humiliates them and makes them look bad.
"If a customer is angry I just agree with them until they calm down."
Once they calm down I always use this phrase "well I'm very sorry you feel that way but if you give me a minute we can fix this situation"
"Usually if someone asks me to decide between two choices they actually want to do the first one."
If someone provides me with two choices, they'd best be OK with either of them.
"If you’re leading the meeting on a project, you tend to want to fill every moment of silence, even if people from other subject areas should be answering for certain things (obstacles to a deadline being met, etc.) Sometimes you just have to let it be awkward for a minute and wait for the right person to speak up."
"If you forget someone's name, say 'What's your name again?' They'll look insulted and say their name. Then you say, 'No, I meant your last name.' Awkward, but not as awkward as calling someone 'Hey, man' forever."
I say, "Please help me to remember your name." People are very forgiving when you ask instead of trying to bluff your way through, because we've all forgotten names.
"When I want my boss or someone else to like me and I've got time, I get them a warm beverage. Holding something warm in your hands gives you the fuzzies, and I like people thinking of me that way. Coffee meetings are the best setup for this. This was how I trained a belligerent supervisor to be nicer to me - by buying her a coffee at the start of my shift. It was $3 of my paycheck for 7 hours of peace and I regularly got shifts on the roster. Worth it."
"Nodding your head while speaking (slightly, don't overdo it) will get people to subconsciously agree with what you're saying, or at least think of you as a friendly, agreeable person."
"Creating value through absence. There are days when I just don't give any advice, and keep my mouth shut and speak when spoken to. That often leads people into thinking I provide valuable info whenever I open my mouth. Other days, they just come to me for problem-solving because they suddenly remember I can help them out too! That means I'm the person who they can always rely on, and I create my value!"
"Subtly hinting about things I'd like people to do until they come up with the idea by themselves. Works like a charm."
Oooh! Passive aggressive at its finest. Just be up front. Then no one feels manipulated.
"Confidence posing. Taking a strong, confident pose can do wonders for you if you're feeling a bit nervous or insecure."
"Positive reinforcement. Once you start telling people that you like something about them (obviously in a respectful and honest way) you can't stop. I don't go full obnoxious with it but at least it helps establish that if you want to have a negative conversation about stuff you hate, you're not the best crowd for it."
"Always pretend to be really happy to see someone and they'll always be happy to see you."
Unless they’re the ones making you unhappy, in that case get out of that relationship
"People engaged in conversation will tend to follow the other party if they start walking. I wrap up unwanted conversations at work by literally leading people either back to their desk or to another person in a common area."
"I talk to strangers like they're a friend I haven't seen in a while. It's mostly a tonality thing and gets instant rapport, especially with people that aren't used to it in their environment - store cashiers, waitresses, etc."
"Basically, let's say I'm a kid who wants to play iPad, but my parent doesn't want me to, so I would say 'Can I play iPad for 10 mins', instead of 'Can I play iPad.' Works surprisingly well in some scenarios."
"When people are yelling and I need them to listen I speak in a softer tone. People will always try and shout over you if you shout. If you start speaking calmly and softly the other person tends to quiet to listen."
"If you want somebody to stop talking, just say their name and they will stop in their tracks. This gives you the opportunity to wrap it up 'I'd love to hear the rest of this story but I'm late for a meeting, can we pick up later?'"
"Not being always available increases your perceived value among people, and they tend to miss you a lot more, than if you were there all the time."
"I always smile when I see/approach/get approached by anyone so they immediately think I’m happy to see them - makes me a lot of friends and helps conversations start better too!"
Nurse here. I do this at work at the hospital because it means that quieter/hesitant people might actually tell me what's wrong instead of trying not to bother me. And the grumpy ones don't yell at the friendly nurse very often!
"I tell my toddler that I really want to eat her dinner myself."
I tried this with mine and it didn't work. But he eats mostly healthy stuff outside of dinner time, so eventually, I just gave up. He eats when he's hungry 🤷♀️
"Extreme neutrality, non-committal, and poker face when someone is clearly looking for excuses to be upset/offended/angry/etc."
This was my self-defense mechanism as a child when my mom was in one of her full-blown screaming rampages. Blank face, no movements, no speaking, answer questions with the bare minimum of monotonous words, etc. I found out it also works well with angry, irrational managers and angry, irrational customers!
"If I don't want to talk to people I turn my feet and hips away from them. Sometimes they get the hint. Checking my phone as if I'm expecting a call is usually my cue for 'got to run!' and head off."
"When I am trying to convince someone of an idea, I like to make them think it's theirs. This is especially effective for people who like getting their ego stroked."
"Externally, at work with new hires - try to work in a joke that pokes fun at myself. It helps the new folks feel that they can relax and talk more freely."
"Body language, don't cross your arms to seem more friendly to people!"
Crossed arms indicate discomfort and the desire to conceal or defend oneself.
"If you’re always late for work, and your supervisor is anal about it start thanking them for being patient and complimenting them on how accommodating and understanding they are. They’ll start going out of their way to accommodate you more."
And will get you fired if you keep being late. No amount of flattery will save your a*s when some one higher up comes down on him for you being late.
"Lower the volume of your voice when other people are getting upset. They will need to be quieter to listen to you, and will feel awkward yelling if you aren't yelling back."
This does not work at all on Karens, entitled people, irrational people, s****y managers, or my mother.
"If you're talking to somebody, mimic their facial reactions to the conversation. Smile when they do, crease your brow when they do, etc. You have to work to make it seem natural and not like you're purposefully imitating them, but if you pull it off they'll walk away thinking better of you than otherwise."
"Instead of asking 'Do you want to buy this?', I ask 'What would stop you from agreeing to purchase this today?' Giving a reason for the 'no' is a lot harder than just saying 'no' straightaway."
"When people laugh, they look at the person they have a crush on."
Yeah right. This only works for allosexuals. As an aroace person, I look at my best friend or the person who told the joke. That doesn’t mean I have a crush on them
"I like to do nice things for people so they do nice things for me."
I just like doing nice things for people, period. I'm not looking for reciprocity.
"I really like asking people the time right after they have checked it... most of them will check again."
Of course. Human beings forget what they saw on their watch/phone/clock approximately 0.2 milliseconds after checking it. XD
"When I'm having a deep/intense conversation with someone, and they're divulging things to me, I make sure my face doesn't react and just listen. I ask questions based on the information, many of them leading questions, and let them come to their own conclusions as to what to do about the situation."
So... just actually listen to the other person when you're in a conversation, and ... have a normal conversation?
"Walking towards someone, look where you want to go and they'll move away. But more likely they will move to their right."
"When you're talking to someone but don't want to keep talking, randomly look at the middle of their forehead, as if they have something. That will unconsciously make him feel uncomfortable and it may end the conversation. I use it all the time with people with whom I am not necessarily excited about their existence."
"Why are you looking at me like that?" "I'm imagining shooting lasers from my eyes through your brain."
"When you're annoyed with someone just agree. Doesn't matter what they're saying, just agree. They run out of steam quickly when you don't fuel the fire."
"When people want me to do them a favor that includes a lot of work, I ask them to do a small part to get it started. They always just give up and leave me alone."
"If you want to leave an awkward conversation tell the person something such as, 'I wouldn’t want to use up any more of your time.'"
"Using quantitative data rather than a vague adjective to convince people. Even if you're making up a number or percentage, they're 83% more likely to believe you."
"Asking if anyone has chapstick and then watching everyone around me lick their lips."
Funny, but also mean...bc even if I have chapstick, I'm not letting just anyone use it lol
"Asking someone to do me some small trivial favor before asking them for a major favor."
If someone did that to me, I’d feel like they were just using me
"Insert an embarrassing story when you tell a lie. People will have the tendency to believe your lie more."
"No, Mom, I didn't break the computer. I did poop on the kitchen floor, though."
"Match people’s poses and postures. People tend to do this automatically when they are in agreement. It makes conversations more amiable, just a smidge. Similarly, look at their body language to see if that person is vibing with you."
"I came to a job interview in flip flops and a 'Rick and Morty' shirt the other day fully expecting to be turned away. I was brutally honest about my skills and demands. I'm starting Monday. Not exactly a psych trick but having an aura of this is what I am like, and this is exactly who you are hiring disarms people."
"If I ask a question and the person answers but blinks then looks away, or touches the back of their neck, I know they’re lying."
"Do small easy inexpensive favors for people around, so when you need a big favor they'll feel obligated to help you."
"If someone asks you to do something and you don’t want to do it, do a bad job first time and you won’t get asked to do it again. I’ve used that trick the past 10 years and works every time."
"Treating people the way they treat me and seeing how they respond to that. Some people don't realize how they sound, so you have to be a mirror for them, so they'll see firsthand how they act."
So if I'm rude back to a rude person, they'll think "oh, I was rude"? No, they just get upset because I was rude. People seldom recognize their own bad behavior.
"I like pretending to be bad at stuff I'm pretty good at to mess with people."
Some were fun, some were useful. Some were downright manipulative. Coming up on BP: Have you tried gaslighting? You have. Last week. You really enjoyed it.
Dang Scag$y, every time I read your posts you make me crack a smile. You'd be wicked fun to spend time with (had to avoid "hang out with" in case you're British)
Load More Replies... Some were fun, some were useful. Some were downright manipulative. Coming up on BP: Have you tried gaslighting? You have. Last week. You really enjoyed it.
Dang Scag$y, every time I read your posts you make me crack a smile. You'd be wicked fun to spend time with (had to avoid "hang out with" in case you're British)
Load More Replies...