Unusual psychological tricks that actually work on people.

40 Want to almost always win at rock, paper, scissors? Before playing against someone, ask them what color shirt are they wearing. After they answer quickly start the game of rock, paper, scissors. The question will leave them very confused and it will make them pick scissors almost every time. 6 years old

34 If you ask a question, and receive only a partial answer, respond with polite silence. Simply wait. A more complete answer will usually follow. 6 years old

33 When talking to someone, if you copy their posture, they will subconsciously perceive you as a friendlier person. 6 years old

25 Isn't it odd that the the human mind doesn't register the the fact that "the" was used twice each time in this sentence? 6 years old

24 If you're with a group of people and everyone starts laughing, people will loook first at the person they like the most. It's interesting to note where everyone else is looking. 6 years old

20 People tend to notice things they're looking for and once they don't find it (or even better, they do find it) they ignore everything else. So if you want to slip something by someone, make sure they catch you on something that doesn't matter, and they wont focus on what you're hiding. An old joke was based on this effect: In Berlin while the wall was up, there was this smuggler who used to ride, every day, from east Berlin into West Berlin (or perhaps it was vice versa, I don't remember) with a bag of sand on the back of his bicycle. Every time, the checkpoint guards would cut open the bag of sand, search through it, find nothing, and let him go on his way. And every night he would return. They never realized that he was smuggling bicycles. 6 years old

18 Proofread documents backwards. You'll catch more misspelled words. 6 years old

11 A: "I can make you turn your hands over without touching them" B: "No, you can't" A: "Hold your hands out then" B: Holds out hands A: [Acting frustrated] "No, the other way" 6 years old

10 If you are trying to see something in the dark, don't look directly at it. Either move your eyes back and forth to scan, or look to one side of the object. The reason this works is because your color receptors are in the center of your eye and don't work well in the dark. Your black and white receptors are toward the outer edge. 6 years old

10 My favorite works best in sports. It's more of a way to get into other peoples mind and screw them up Say you're playing against a guy/girl who is just on fire. Completely in the zone and dominating. Casually ask "Hey what'd you change to X better". Or something to that affect. I've done it in volleyball where I ask a guy who's been hitting amazing "I've never seen you jump so high before, what'd you change". More often than not it throws them off their game. Done it in hockey too "Hey, your shot looks amazing, what foot are you leading with?" You can also ask someone what they do with their non-dominant hand when they bowl. The results are always hilarious. 6 years old

10 When trying to get away with something sketchy, not illegal per se, but frowned upon walk into the place like you own it. Don't glance around, don't even stop for a second or look confused. 9 times out of 10 nobody will question you. You can get away with lots of things that way. "Nobody questions a man with a clipboard who looks like he belongs there." 6 years old

9 They teach this technique to trial attorneys: If you want to jury to look at the witness, then look at the witness. Glance to the jury to see if someone is looking at you. If someone is, make eye contact with that person, then look to the witness. The juror will follow. 6 years old

9 If you want to make a good first impression you should make eye contact and copy the other persons actions. For example if you see the other person fold his/her arms then do it also. just don't be obvious about it. After a while the person will feel more comfortable around you. 6 years old

8 Self defence tip: Act crazier than the person attacking you. Like really crazy, crab walk, wide-eyed, screaming about aliens sort of stuff. 6 years old

7 Whenever you are negotiating take long...very long pauses before you ask questions. It makes people vomit the truth. 6 years old

7 If you're trying to find something, try looking right to left as opposed to left to right. Your eyes tend to skim over things if you search in the direction you are used to reading in, so skim the opposite way. It takes me a bit more effort to do this, but I notice more details. 6 years old

7 There's something in sales called the Sullivan Nod. Basically when you're asking someone something, nod up and down while you're asking. Their mirror neurons start firing and they begin nodding and agreeing with you subconsciously. 60% of the time it works every time. 6 years old

6 If you're in a crowded social group, restaurant, bar, party etc... and you want to know if someone is checking you out try this: Turn sideways from them (they will be either 90 degrees right or left of you), then very obviously, look at your watch (even if you don't wear one, lift your wrist) then point at your watch and nod thoughtfully. Over acting is perfectly acceptable. If they are keeping tabs on you, even peripherally, they will have a sudden urge to know the time and will either look at their own watch, cell phone, or casually look at the various obvious places where someone would put a clock. 6 years old

6 The door-in-the-face technique. The general idea is that you ask someone for a huge favor which you're relatively confident they'll say no to. Then you ask them for a small favor. 6 years old

6 When a patient is possibly faking unconsciousness we have 2 tricks to determine if they're really unconscious or not. First, you can lightly brush their eyelashes with your finger. Their eyes will flutter if they're faking it. Alternatively, if they're on their back you can lift their arm over their face and let it go. A conscious person will drop their arm away from their face. A trick to see if someone is faking a neck injury or neck pain. Put a thermometer in their mouth while checking their vitals, then ask them a yes or no question while looking them in the eyes. If you aren't looking directly at them they tend to answer with a strained "uh-huh" or "unh-uh", but if you're looking directly at them they will usually nod their head. Someone who is faking the pain can do this with ease. 6 years old

6 If you want to keep the seat next to you free on a crowded train/bus/etc. Look at the people walking towards you and tap the seat with your hand. (Courtesy of Derren Brown) 6 years old

5 If someone is angry or rude to you, realize that:

1. Anger is a secondary emotion. People only express anger because they are feeling a different underlying emotion such as sadness, frustration, or disappointment.

2. It is their choice to be rude or express anger. They are choosing to be immature. It is your choice whether or not you react. When you are dealing with an angry or rude person, try to interact with them based on the underlying emotions, not the nastiness that lies on the surface. 6 years old

5 If I want something done really quickly or properly I whisper to my employee what it is that I need doing and they always do it right away and don't talk to or interact with anybody else while doing it until it is done and done properly at that. 6 years old

5 If you have two friends/people that don't really like each other (doesn't work when there is a very specific cause for dislike) tell each of them separately, and "in confidence" when the other is brought up, "ohh, that's too bad they're (obviously, the other person) always telling me how much they like you!" and leave it at that. 9/10 times within a couple weeks to a month they'll usually start talking to each-other at gatherings and soon become friends. 6 years old

5 You will this read wrong 6 years old

5 If you're having trouble falling asleep, keep thinking "I have to stay up." Try to stay awake as though you're waiting for something important. You will likely fall asleep... I know it works for me. 6 years old

5 Ask someone a list of these types of questions: 1+1 then 2+2 then 4+4, 8+8, 16+16, 32+32, 64+64, and so on. When you are done, ask them to name a vegetable. They will almost all the time say carrot, no matter what. This will only usually only work once. 3 years old

4 I was at the front row of a concert and needed to get out mid-show, no one was letting me by. I decided to fake like I was about to throw up. The crowded parted for me like I was moses. Worked all the way through the crowd. Not one person stood in my way for more than a second. When I got out, I just walked normally. 6 years old

4 When trying to convince somebody to do something, offer them two options - either of which is OK with you. Example: So, did you want me to pick you up at 7:00 or 7:30? Did you want me to pick up the $50 one or the $35 one? 6 years old

4 When high-fiving, look at their elbow and you'll never miss. 6 years old

4 If an employee is exceptionally poor at a certain task, I tell them they are doing great and have improved quite a bit. Typically they will actually improve and once they have learned this new improved method they maintain it for seemingly the rest of their employment with me. 6 years old

4 The Benjamin Franklin effect: A person who has done someone a favor is more likely to do that person another favor than they would be if they had received a favor from that person. 6 years old

4 At a concert, if you want to get to the floor or somewhere better than the ticket you have, go buy two beers, put your ticket stub in your mouth, and just kind of dance past the security guards, holding up your two beers and your head, as if to say "take the ticket, brah." Hasn't failed me yet! 6 years old

3 If you smell awful, wearing a T-Shirt with Home Renovation-type stains (paint, plaster, dust, etc) causes people's minds to interpret less awful scents from your odor, essentially making you smell better. 6 years old

3 Tighten the muscles around your eyes and people will think you're ridiculously tired, even if you've been getting 8+ hours of sleep a day. (Great for getting the boss off your case when you ask for a deadline extension.) 6 years old

3 If you say "Shhhh" to a fairly drunk person, they will always say "shhhh" back. 6 years old

3 Have someone lay on their back on the ground and hold their legs straight up, so their body is making a 90 degree angle. Have them close their eyes and relax their body completely. Hold that position for about 60 seconds, then very slowly start lowering their legs towards the ground. It's critical they keep their eyes closed and ask them to tell you to stop when they feel their legs are about to hit the ground. They will always say stop way before it hits the ground, and then you say "well now I'm going to drop your legs through the floor" and keep lowering their legs down onto the ground slowly. 6 years old

3 If you have to hold eye contact to someone, for example while listening to a long speech which you find hard to focus on or during a "last one to laugh" game - look at the opposite's nose. You don't have actual eye contact, but it seems like - thus you can avoid feelings you may have while staring into someone's eyes. 6 years old

3 Have confidence in what you are saying and most people will believe it. 6 years old

3 If you are at a bar and need a table for you and your friends, go find a table with girls only, sit down and try flirting with them. They usually leave and you have a table. 6 years old

3 Do you have a song stuck in your head that you'd like to forget? Think of the end of the song. According to the Zeignark effect, your mind tends to think of things left unfinished, so thinking of the end of the song will close the loop and allow you to get the song out of your head. 2 years old

2 Spinning really quickly in the dark and then having someone shine a flashlight in your eyes. It's nuts. 6 years old

2 In managing and sales we're taught to use specific wording. If I want a customer to go get two more movies to get the sale discount (and me commission) we say "Why don't you go grab two more?" Instead of, "Do you want to grab two more?" The difference between it being an open ended, and a yes/no question is money in my pocket. 6 years old

2 In a job interview, or tense first meeting, don't cover up your chest (just don't) and imagine that the stranger is someone you know really well, and after practicing this a few times, you will be able to hotwire people in to instant rapport. Works 90% of the time. 6 years old

2 If you have to exert authority, act as though your orders would never be questioned, and you'll be fine. If you have to throw someone out of a place, just keep advancing on them until they're out the door. 6 years old

2 If you start singing or humming a well-known song very quietly, you can often get other people in the room to start singing it without knowing why. The trick is to sing softly enough so that it is only audible at the very edge of their hearing. It works best with children. Their total lack of shame means that they tend to just belt out whatever is running through their heads. Results are usually both instant and hilarious. 6 years old

2 Using genuine kindness in a heated argument will throw off your opponent and make them more likely to accept your point of view. As an added bonus, you'll avoid making the other person resent you. 6 years old

2 while presenting in front of a large group say something absolutely ridiculous like "did I ever tell you guys how much I love putting a spoon into a potato and then into the mouth of my pet dog." this will make sure that you have everyone's attention and that you aren't as nervous while presenting because you already made them laugh. 1 year old

1 In class, if it's a presentation where someone has to present without looking at notes or anything like that, and while they're up in front of classroom presenting, some people forget what they're talking about, space out, freak out, and lose their train of thought. To counter this, nod your head at the end of each sentence they say, confirming what they're saying. They will somehow use this as a motivator and 9 times out of 10 will keep presenting without fault. 6 years old

1 Answer these questions fast:

What is 1 + 5?

What is 2 + 4?

What is 3 + 3?

What is 4 + 2?

What is 5 + 1?

Now say the number 'six' ten times as fast as you can.

Name any vegetable.

Chances are your vegetable was the one that bugs bunny eats. 6 years old

1 If you whisper something to someone, they will always whisper back. 6 years old

1 Look me in the eyes. Do not break my gaze. Tell me what you had for lunch yesterday. The person probably can't remember. It's a lot harder to access that memory without moving the eyes. 6 years old

1 If you're out and about and come across hooligans or other n'ere-do-wells (that might be up to something, such as smashing things up) who might well become confrontational, you need to approach them and ask for a light, or the time. As you walk up, they'll be ready for a fight. When they realise that you, as a sole person has approached them as a group and asked something innocuous and unrelated to their activities, they will very likely give you the time/light that you asked for. Then shuffle off with a bemused feeling. 6 years old

1 It's not what you say, but how you say it. 6 years old

1 To tell who somebody is focusing on at any given time, look at their feet; they'll be pointed towards the subject of their focus. Might reveal who they like, but it's gender neutral; they might just be focusing on whoever is giving a speech or something similar. 6 years old

0 I think this one is pretty well known by now, but when high-fiving, look at their elbow and you'll never miss. 6 years old

-1 Go up to someone in a restaurant and tell them to close their eyes and picture a playing card. While they are doing this, eat as much of their food as you can and run away. 6 years old

-1 Start off by calmly removing your shirt, make it seem like you're preparing for the fight of your life.. but don't stop there, keep removing other articles of clothing. Don't laugh or smile, and with any luck they'll be gone before you're completely nude. 6 years old

-1 if you start listening to that little voice in your head, the what ifs in your life will slowly decrease. 5 years old

-2 If you have confidence in what you are saying and can back it up with false facts, you can get people to do almost anything. 6 years old

-3 Bruh 8 months old

-6 If you imagine a salt shaker in your hand, tilt your head back and act like you're shaking salt into your mouth, you will actually taste salt if you concentrate on it hard enough. 6 years old

-8 Yhehe 2 years old

-8 oh

2 years old

-8 Singer mind trick 1 year old

-9 oh 2 years old

-9 oh

2 years old

-9 1 year old

-9 Carrot

1 year old

-11 Use assumptive closes. I.e. Add 'ok' to the end of your sentences. People will do what you tell them to. Ok? 6 years old

-11 t\\tttttttttt 2 years old

-11 pfgib l 1 year old

-12 Denmark is the only country that people can think of that stars with D. 6 years old

-12 Tell your girlfriend that you hate the silent treatment 6 years old

-13 5 years old

-13 Mum and dad Whitchurch won

3 years old

-13 cdi

cj

v

v 2 years old

-14 If a plane crashes at the Mexican American border where do you bury the survivors 3 years old

-14 talk to pepole in eyes mode thean poop something out it well be?bick poop eye 2 years old