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15+ People Reveal The Psychological Tricks They Use To Get Their Way

The older you get and the more social interactions you have throughout your life, the more you develop a pretty decent understanding of how to shape conversations in a way that benefits you.

This isn't the kind of manipulation that is necessarily bad or harmful, but instead, the kind that deescalates dangerous situations, shortens lengthy conversations, and leaves every party feeling as though they've gotten what they wanted.

These 'tricksters' took to Reddit to teach the general population their most effective methods, and trust me, they will change your life.

Compliment people behind their back.

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Yep, you heard that right. A former office worker advises complimenting people behind their back rather than insulting them.

If you get caught, they end up being flattered rather than offended.

Tell your employees that you 'need their help'.

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"I currently manage around 240 people between 6 restaurants. It is often hard to get them to do what is needed," explains one Redditer, "I have found saying “I need your help” is sufficient to get them on board. People want to feel needed and like they are making a difference. Expressing to them as much makes all the difference in the world."

Google's doing it!

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A former creative director explained that a lot of her co-workers had a "If it's not my idea, it's not a good idea" mentality.

To solve this, she would tell them that an idea was something Google, Tesla, Amazon, Samsung, Etc. was doing, when the ideas were actually hers or her teams'.

Ask questions instead of making accusations.

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"When I’m doing back country hiking patrol in a wilderness area I’m supposed to keep an eye out for people with dogs, which are not allowed," one man writes, "The ranger taught me to ask any dog walkers, 'Are you looking for somewhere to walk your dog?' That gives them the chance to pretend they didn’t know about the rule (signs posted of course) so they don’t lose face."

When arguing, agree before making your point.

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A married woman explained that if you find something to agree on during an argument before you push your main point, it makes the other party more agreeable.

Pair something you need to remember with something unusual.

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This combination apparently prevents you from forgetting things. The commenter used the example of "I need to take out the garbage before going to bed, so I put my pillow at the foot of my bed."

If you hand something to someone, they will take it.

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Redditers explained that the most lucrative form of this is when you have to give somebody change after a transaction.

It has apparently been proven that simply handing them a blank piece of paper the same size as a bill works almost every single time for some reason.

If you need to deescalate a situation, ask personal questions.

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"I work in emergency services, " one Redditer explained, "If someone is totally distraught and shut down, asking their phone number/address/ssn/birthdate can pull them out of the emotional place and bring them back to a headspace where they can talk about what happened more easily."

Nod and smile while people are talking.

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One woman explains that this trick is especially useful during conversations with people who are shy or prone to anxiety.

Apparently, if you nod and smile while someone is speaking, it subconsciously encourages them to keep talking because they've gotten reassurance that you're listening.

Never learn how to do everything, because then they’ll want you to do everything.

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One former retail employee explained that slight mediocrity can be handy when working in retail.

"If you show your manager you can do everything," she explains, "You'll be the only one doing all that extra work. Always leave yourself a little room to learn."

Thank someone for doing something before they do it.

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"Instead of telling a customer you’re sorry for their wait," writes one customer service employee, "tell them 'thank you for your patience or understanding'. Works wonders."

Don’t say 'it’s okay' when someone apologizes. Say something like, 'thank you for apologizing.'

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"If someone needs to apologize to you, then it was something that isn’t okay," a commenter explained, "My mom teaches this to her kindergartners and it really does make a difference."

Be direct and personal when you need things.

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"Instead of asking IF anyone has an EpiPen ask WHO has an EpiPen," one man writes, "Instead of saying someone call 911 point to someone say you in the blue jacket what's your name. Tom ok Tom go call 911 and come tell me when they are in the way."

Stay silent when you know someone is lying.

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"No nodding, no acknowledging , just looking," one Redditer explains, "The silence usually brings out the truth or extra detail. If they squirm around a bit you know there's something they have exaggerated."

If you're looking for an answer to something on the internet, write it as an incorrect response.

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The commenter gave this example:

Don't ask "What does 2+2 equal?" because no one will bother to respond. Instead, say with confidence that 2+2=5. You'll get hundreds of comments correcting you, the highest upvote likely the best answer.

Say important things quietly.

One mother had interesting advice when it came to getting her point across: "When I had something important to say to my kids, I would say it very quietly so that they would listen. They were immune to my yelling but whispering got their attention."

When someone starts making fun of you, make fun of yourself in a more clever way.

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"If the person is doing it for attention, it wrestles the attention away from them," one woman explains, "If you're more funny then they are and gives them negative feedback towards making fun of you going forward."

Watch who people look at when they laugh.

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"When you are standing in a group and somebody tells a joke or something funny happens, people tend to look towards the person they like the most while laughing," a former psychologist writes, "The trick is watching for it. Information is power."

If someone says they have the hiccups, ask them to prove it.

"9/10 times, someone's hiccups will disappear if they have to try and hiccup on command," one comment reads, "Having to summon a hiccup in order to demonstrate will trick your diaphragm into just not hiccuping."

Say "you're correct" more often.

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"I work with a bunch of lawyers, " one man writes, "And I use the phrase 'you’re correct' all the time - even if it’s one teeny tiny thing they’re correct about, it makes them feel smart and they instantly soften. It also keeps them listening because they’re hoping more flattery will come down the pipe."

When someone is upset, tell them that the issue is "completely understandable."

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"This gives them a victory and shifts their emotions away from being directed at you," this woman explains, "Because you understand and might be on their side."

When you need information from someone, feed them an incorrect guess.

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"When you need to find out a name for a lead, you say ‘Oh is John still managing up there?’ They go ‘no it’s Mark," this Redditer shares, "Works with anything, just use a fake. ‘Is that your focus outside?’ ‘What? No mines the Ferrari.’"

If you need children to do something, tell them they CAN'T to do that exact thing.

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This is something that I've personally used in my years as a camp counselor.

"I wouldn't use this with my own kids," one woman explains, "but in a classroom setting, saying things like 'I'll bet you can't clean up in less than five minutes, there's no point, you can't clean that fast' makes the kids see it as a game and a challenge and they'll likely clean the whole room."

If you look happy to see someone eveytime you see them, they will eventually be happy to see you.

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This one's a pretty well-known trick of association, but it works every single time without fail.

"If you associate a person with smiling, you'll smile when you see them," one man comments, "It's a spooky mirroring effect."

Instead of asking "Do you have any questions?" ask "What questions do you have?"

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"This makes people less nervous," a high school teacher writes, "they feel more comfortable asking the questions they actually have."

Always give kids two choices.

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"You end up controlling the outcome, without an option to say no," a mom reveals, "You could give options of 'now' or 'in 10 minutes', but either way that task is getting done. They feel in control, but have absolutely no control. This can work with some adults too."

When someone is being rude, flicker your gaze between different areas of their face.

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"When someone is being rude during a conversation with me, I consistently flick my gaze toward their forehead or chin," one Redditer explains, " Watch the confidence seep from their face after about 10 seconds."

Start a request by asking for something more extreme.

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"My grandpa asked for an airplane, knowing my grandma would not be okay with it," this teen writes, "What the crafty dude really wanted was a motorcycle. She said yes because it wasn’t as expensive as a plane. Sneaky."

Respond to questions with another question.

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"My youngest got into the 'why' phase a little while back," one mother writes, "Read an article that said the best way to get them to stop was to ask them 'I'm not sure, what do you think?'...It is a godsend. They answer their own question, you provide some feedback they immediately move on. Flipping awesome."

When people won't stop bothering you, walk them back to where they need to be.

This one may just be the cleverest thing I've ever heard.

"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," this man explains, "Instead of walking back to my desk, I walk them to theirs. They instinctively will sit down. Then I just sever the convo and get back to work."

h/t: Ask Reddit