Have you ever wanted to get more people to like you? Increase your chances of getting a promotion? Make a lasting impression on your first date? Read someone’s mind?
If so, here is a list of 8 insanely powerful hacks from the wonderful world of psychology. *Disclaimer* as with any psychological hacks, you must be responsible with your newly acquired powers. Read on to learn how you too can harness the magic!
1. Get Anyone to Say Yes.
This is my favorite mind hack, I use it all the time just because it is so entertaining. If you want someone to say yes to one of your requests, simply ask them two questions as primers before you pop the real question. You must format the priming questions in such a way that you know the recipient will answer with the word “yes.” This is called priming, and by asking “yes questions” it will cause their brain to fire the circuits that respond with “yes,” thus greatly increasing your chances for getting a “yes” response for your request.
For example, here is a scenario you could use this hack in:
You got a C on your last homework assignment and need your professor to let you redo it for a better grade. You have studied the syllabus and know exactly when the next test is and what it covers. Use the following questions to increase your chances of getting a “yes” response.
Primer 1: Hi professor, it’s good to see you. Our next exam will be Friday, correct? (Yes Response #1)
Primer 2: The test will include information from the three articles we read in class, right? (Yes Response #2)
Intended Question: Do you think I could redo my last assignment to try to get a better grade? I am really concerned with my GPA and believe redoing it would help me better prepare for the test.
In short, get someone to answer two of your questions with “yes,” before you ask your real question. This works so effectively that it is actually quite mind blowing. Try it!
2. Easily Acquire Trust and Friendship
Acquiring trust from people is actually quite simple. It begins by learning their name and using it. Calling people by their names will give them all kinds of warm feelings. This psychological hack was even mentioned in the book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Simply calling someone by their name and using it in conversation will instantly build trust and friendship. This simple gesture was even attributed to many political leader’s successes. Remember and use people’s names!
3. Get Someone to Like you.
We all love talking about ourselves, and there is no greater feeling than knowing that someone is actually listening to us. If you want someone to like you more, simply listen intently to what they are saying. A famous psychologist named Sigmund Freud was said to have mastered the art of listening. His patients would be so astonished at his intensive listening skills that they would share its miraculousness with their friends, which could perhaps be one of the major reasons for his tremendous successes!
If you want to impress a date, or a boss, (or any human), just ask them open ended questions about themselves and listen closely to what they have to say. Nod your head and maintain 15-30 second intervals of eye contact. This will help them continue on with their speech. Don’t be scared of silent moment’s either, just keep looking at them, and they will briefly resume talking. The simple act of listening will nourish someone’s feelings of comfort around you. This is great!
4. Be the Coolest Guy/Gal in the Room.
Apparently my great grandpa was a really cool guy. Everyone in my family loves telling me stories about him. He had a way of making people feel important and special. I was never able to meet him, but I still learn from his wisdom to this day.
One of my favorite stories about him was told to me by my grandma. When he would visit her in the hospital, nurses would often say “good morning doctor, I hope you’re having a good day” and ask him questions regarding their patients! He was not a doctor, and not even an employee at the hospital, he was an engineer at a different company!
My grandma said he was able to do this by embodying the feeling of being the most important man in the hospital, as doctors typically are. This mental setting would alter his body language, which would in turn cause nurses to value his importance to the utmost level. It’s not magic, it’s just psychology!
If you want to be the coolest guy/gal in the room, just imagine you already are! But be careful not to emit arrogance, if you do this, people will be very off-put by your presence. This trick doesn’t always work like it did for my great grandpa, but it will surely set you apart from the crowd. The power of the mind is miraculous.
6. Hack People’s Behavior with a Pair of Eyes
If you own a store, or often have unannounced visitors in your home, there is a trick to ensure that your occupants will behave in a trustworthy manner. There was a study conducted on the effects of “watching eyes” and their relationship with littering rates. Subjects who were in the presences of these “watching eyes” littered far less than those who weren’t. These “watching eyes” can be in the form of a poster, banner, billboard or any other media that can show them. There’s even one on US currency!
If you want to create an atmosphere of trust, simply use this subliminal method of behavioral modification. Install a poster or banner with human eyes on it, this will cause your guests to subconsciously feel like they are being watched, thus instilling in them better behavior. This phenomena has been proven in many studies. Fake security cameras also have the same effect as well, it’s just a more modern spin on this ancient phenomena.
7. Create an Environment Ripe for Conversation
If you ever have guests over, or host a party, this trick will give you great results! There is a field in psychology called “Environmental Psychology” which looks at the relationship between the human mind and its immediate environment. An example of one of these relationships is why good restaurants dim their lights. This dimming causes people to feel less self-conscious, thus allowing for better conversations and more enjoyment of the food.
You can harness this super power as well, just make sure you dim the lights (wherever you happen to be). This will lead to more conversation, better emotions, more positivity, more creativity and many other positive things. Dim the lights!
8. Use your Mind to Become More Beautiful
This is a very similar mind hack to number 4. If you are able to convince yourself that you are beautiful, this thought will transfer to your body language, skin tone and gestures. This trick will also cause you to emit confidence and peace, which is also highly attractive! This mental hack will put you more in touch with your divine masculine/feminine energy as well. Once you truly embrace your newfound beauty, other people will begin seeing you in this new light. These effects are always very interesting to watch manifest. It’s not magic, it’s just psychology!
Try this tomorrow morning, tell yourself that you’re beautiful repeatedly. Believe it, embrace it and let it become a apart of you. You will then notice how people begin treating you a little differently. This is also a very fun hack!
If you tried any of these hacks and saw results, please share them with us below! I would love to hear your stories, and I’m sure many other readers would love to as well. Have fun!
