15 clever psychological tricks that everyone should know

The following psychological tricks will make your life easier and help you cope with stressful situations. They’re well worth reading.

1. When a group of people laughs, people instinctively look toward the group members they feel closest to (or want to feel closest to).
2. Chew gum or eat food if you’re doing something that would normally make you feel nervous. It tricks a primal part of your brain into thinking you couldn’t be in danger because you’re eating.
3. If somebody is angry at you and you stay calm, they’ll probably get angrier, but they’ll be ashamed at themselves later.
4. If you ask someone a question and they only give you a partial answer, maintain eye-contact and stay silent. The person answering will usually assume that the original answer wasn’t good enough, and they’ll keep talking.
5. Emotional expressions are one way to cause emotions. If you want to feel happy, smile as wide as you can.
6. Don’t say or write, «I think» or «I believe». It’s implied anyway, and it sounds like you lack confidence.
7. Before interviews, imagine you’re old friends with your interviewers. You’re in charge of the way you perceive your situation, and your comfort will be infectious.
8. If you make yourself be really happy and excited to see other people, the next time they see you, they’ll probably be a lot happier and more excited about it. (Dogs do this trick to us all the time!)
9. People are more likely to agree to a smaller favour if they deny a larger one or two first.
10. Many physical effects of stress are the same as those of exhilaration (e.g. heavy breathing, speeding heart, etc.) If you reframe your threatening situation as a challenging one, your stress will become exhilaration.
11. Most people can’t tell the difference between brilliance and confidence. If you seem like you know what you’re doing, people tend to rally around you.
12. If you work in customer service, put a mirror behind you. Customers will be nicer because nobody wants to see themselves being a jerk.
13. If you’re in a group meeting and expect someone to take you to task, sit right next to them. They’ll lose the pack mentality that makes them feel safe to attack you. At the very least, they’ll mitigate their meanness.
14. When you’re on a first date, take your date somewhere exciting. They’ll associate you with that thrilling feeling.
15. Try to notice someone’s eye colour when you meet them. People like you more for the slightly increased eye contact.

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