20 Psychological Tricks That Always Work

We best memorize what we see first and last. This stratagem is widely used by Hollywood moviemakers. If the beginning of a movie was exciting, and its ending was charming and unexpected, we will like that movie, even if its plot in the middle didn't seem too interesting. The same rule applies to human communication. If you're planning a job interview, try to arrange it so you'll be either the first or the last candidate to be interviewed. Your potential employer will remember you better.

This technique can also be applied in conversations — if you gave a person a good impression at the beginning, and at the end you told them a funny joke or an interesting fact, the interlocutor will keep that good impression they initially had about you, even if things didn't go smoothly in the middle of the conversation.

How can you make sure your interlocutor likes you, even if you barely know them? Try to copy their behavior. When talking to them, try to make similar gestures, facial expressions, or talk using the same speech rate. New York University has conducted extensive research on this "chameleon effect," showing that people are inclined to feel rapport with conversational partners who mirror their behavior.

You can use this technique when you have an important meeting or want to get approval from your interlocutor on some matters.

If you want to charm someone you don't know in a matter of seconds, use this simple life hack — try to determine the color of their eyes. This trick is great for those having eye contact issues. To determine someone's eye color, 3–5 seconds are enough. It can help you build rapport with your conversational partner. Longer eye contact, however, can create tension. Staring into someone's eyes for a prolonged time may make them feel uncomfortable or even afraid.

Despite millennia of evolution, our brains still retain the mechanisms our primitive ancestors developed. When faced with danger, a human being has two options — to fight or to flee. Thousands of years ago, these situations occurred when encountering dangerous animals. Today, suspects under interrogation or teenagers who are persistently questioned by their parents feel the same. In both cases, people experience an adrenaline rush and restless arms and legs. But no one can run away when interrogated, so they're unconsciously trying to release their energy. Before telling a lie, an individual may fidget, rub their hands, touch their hair, or make unnatural gestures. Also, when someone is lying, their body temperature rises. That's why many people, especially men, touch their shirt or T-shirt collar in these moments. They often tug at it, as if to let air in and cool down. Knowing this can help you spot a liar.

When you are in a small space with a person, silence usually causes a feeling of extreme discomfort. You can use it for your benefit to make them tell you the truth. When you ask a question and you want an honest answer, just keep silent after your interlocutor has answered you. It will create tension in them if they lied. They will think that you actually know the truth and expect an honest answer from them. You can also look at their forehead instead of their eyes. Most people will feel extremely uncomfortable at that moment and will want to end the conversation as soon as possible. To do that, they will be forced to tell the truth right away.

How can you quickly connect with a stranger and evoke sympathy from them? You should let them help you! Most people feel more positive emotions when they help someone than when someone helps them. Imagine it's your first day at a new job and you want to connect with a colleague. Ask them for a small favor — for instance, recommending a good place near the office to go for lunch. It costs them nothing, and they get the nice feeling of having helped you. This way, you can make friends very fast.

According to psychologists, we just need 5 seconds to understand whether we like a stranger or not. So if you want to get respect and sympathy from a person you don't know, you should think about some important details beforehand. The first two things your conversational partner will notice are your appearance and your body position. By appearance, we mean clothes first and foremost. The principle of "wearing what everyone wears" is wrong: if you blend in, you can't make enough of an impression in the first 5 seconds of your conversation. It doesn't mean that your clothes have to be too expensive and pretentious. "Forget about the price tag" should be your motto here. The key thing about your style is that your clothes have to look good on you!

Your body position and posture are also very telling — if you stoop or hide your hands, you subconsciously want to be less noticed, which signals insecurity. It will be impossible to make your conversational partners respect you in the first seconds of the meeting. Of course, it is also important what you will talk about, but the first impression can really set the tone of the meeting and lead to your success — or failure.

So remember the three things that are crucial in the first 5 seconds of your meeting:

• Good posture
• No hands in your pockets
• No looking away

This trick is widely used by shop assistants. Imagine you are one of them. You have a $500 camera in your shop, and you want to sell as many of them as you can. If you want your potential customers to buy that specific model, place a $200 camera, the $500 camera, and a $1,000 camera close to each other in your shop window. The vast majority of people will choose the one in the middle. This phenomenon is also called the "compromise effect." Subconsciously, our brain tries to filter out the most extreme options and choose something in between. This technique is used by people working in many fields — from coffee sellers to car dealers.

If your interlocutor touches their chin when listening to you, you can be sure they're not listening. People usually make this gesture when thinking deeply without noticing anything or anyone around them. So if you notice this kind of behavior, stop sharing important information — they're not really listening. The same goes for another posture: when someone leans back in their chair. If a person does this, their body language is loud and clear — they're tired and bored. Maybe it's time for a break?

According to Dale Carnegie, "a person's own name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language." In fact, everyone loves to be called by name! If you have a hard time remembering names, it can cause you problems. People don't like being asked "What is your name again?" But worry not — we have a simple yet effective hack for memorizing names: after someone introduces themselves, use their name several times in conversation. It's a good idea to start questions with their name.

We tend to like people we have something in common with. So if you discover in conversation that someone likes the same food or shares one of your hobbies, use it to your advantage. Share something from your past that connects to the shared interest. For example, if they mention they like superhero movies, say Superman is your favorite, or ask if they enjoyed the latest Iron Man. If you have something in common to discuss, it will help you build an emotional connection with your conversational partner.

Many shop assistants use this trick. They tell you a slightly higher price at first, and when you are ready to say no, they suddenly reduce it. The thing is, that "reduced" price was their actual goal all along — the higher price was just a psychological trick to make you accept the original price dressed up as a "discount."

This technique can help you in other situations too — for instance, if you want a friend to lend you money, ask for a larger sum first. If you need $500, ask for $1,000 first, and if your friend says they can't help you, ask again — this time, for $500. The trick is likely to work, partly because of the guilt of having to say no twice in a row.

If you want someone to do you a favor, the best way to do it is to make them owe you. First, you should help a person you think could be useful to you in the future, and when they thank you, don't answer with a "No worries" or something like that. Say "You're welcome, that's what friends do for each other". Now, that person subconsciously feels they owe you one.

Color is a very powerful tool that influences every person. That is why we highly suggest you pay attention to the colors of your clothes depending on the situation. If you want a job in a serious company, you should avoid bright colors like orange or lime green. It may scare off your potential employer. Take this Lüscher Color Test to find out how your favorite colors influence your personality.

If you have to do something big and important, your brain is probably resisting it so you can't even start doing it. Then you should try starting small. For example, you could say to yourself: "I'm going to work for 20 minutes". Chances are that after 20 minutes you will get so into it that you will decide to keep working. You can also divide something big into many small tasks and do one task a day.

You can apply this technique as an employer, too. To get your employees working productively, divide one big task into several parts and have them start with the first one.

Imagine you're discussing an idea with friends or coworkers. At some point, you start arguing with one of them. When you're out of arguments, you get personal — for example, telling them they have less experience than you, or that their ideas are always bad. In the moment, it may seem like there's nothing wrong with your reasoning, but everyone around you will start to see you negatively. Your mistake was criticizing the person instead of the particular idea they offered. The one making personal attacks always comes across as weak. So avoid this mistake — never criticize the person. If you disagree with an idea, suggest an alternative — you'll come across as confident and credible.

Food has brought humans together for centuries. You can use it to your advantage too. If you have to tell someone a hard truth, do it over lunch or dinner. When people are eating, they are too focused on the process, which is why they usually don't overreact or argue. Places matter too — if you're telling someone bad news in a crowded restaurant, they'll be far less likely to vent their frustration in public. Also, most people are nervous when hungry, so giving them food before sharing something negative with them is a good idea.

Want to make your life more organized? Start with cleaning your room! It might sound surprising, but research conducted in the 1980s in New York showed that this technique really works. If you want to get rid of the mess in your life, get rid of it in your room first!

If you're feeling too nervous, have some food. It's an effective way to calm down and relax. When someone is chewing, their brain is distracted. Also, never try to absorb important information while eating — your brain has a hard time doing both things simultaneously.

For example, suppose you want to ask your friend to help you move. How are you going to ask? With something like "Could you help me?" The truth is, if you frame it as a tentative question, your friend may refuse. But if you ask directly — for instance, "Please help me move this Saturday" — your friend is much more likely to agree.