9 Psychological Tricks to Help You Get the Upper Hand in Any Situation

Saleeha Som
ILLUMINATION
Published in
4 min readOct 13, 2022
Photo by The Lazy Artist Gallery:

There is a reason why writers of classical literature paid such close attention to how their characters’ brows and eyelashes moved. According to recent studies, humans can communicate up to 93% of our information nonverbally. In addition to body language and mimicry, nonverbal communication also includes things like fragrances and the things we use to surround ourselves.

We have examined countless techniques that allow us to persuade someone without using words. We made the choice to share with you the nine most unique tricks we’ve discovered.

1. To win someone over, check the eye color of the other person.

This will enable you to connect well with someone you don’t know. You should make good eye contact at the precise moment when you need to see their eye color. Psychologists say it should take three to five seconds. They might feel uncomfortable if you don’t stare into their eyes at all or if you look for more than nine seconds.

Additionally, grin while focusing on their nasal bridge. The focal point of the region for social contact is here. It could be interpreted as an incursion into their personal space if you gaze below the nose, and as an effort to exert pressure if you glance above the nose.

2. Don’t start a conversation with a new person right away — give them some time.

Don’t get into the conversation as soon as you make eye contact. Spend a few seconds hanging your coat, getting your bag open, and shifting your chair. This will give the other individual a few extra seconds to form a judgment about you. Additionally, because they have already had enough time to take a thorough look at you, they won’t become distracted during the talk while taking in new details about you.

3. Touching the stem of glass can indicate attraction.

According to psychological studies, touching cylindrical objects appears to be a sign of attraction. A girl only needs to touch the stem of her glass to indicate to a guy that she is interested in him. A pen or even a playable ring on her finger will have the same effect.

4. Pointing your foot toward someone helps to decrease social distance.

When sitting, cross your legs and use your foot to indicate to the person you are interested in. The social distance is shortened by this gesture since it appears to be an effort to approach someone. This position can even be employed in professional settings because it respects other people’s personal space.

5. The “OK” gesture helps to show authority without any aggression.

Here’s a quick strategy to use if you need to grab an audience’s attention but don’t want to be overly pushy. As if you were giving the “OK” sign, picture holding a needle between your thumb and pointer finger. Try to demonstrate the needle to others during the talk. In doing so, you will not only make the gestures seem natural but also call attention to the crucial details.

6. If you are bored, use your hands to show it.

Use your body language to let the person you’re talking to know that you’re not interested in a discussion but aren’t trying to be impolite. Touching your cheek will indicate that you are not really interested. Put your head on your hand in the event that they don’t catch the hint. Put your fist over your head if it doesn’t work. Of course, this is not very nice, but if the other person still doesn’t get that you’re bored, they are also not being courteous.

7. If someone says unpleasant things to you, stare at their forehead.

Just stare at the forehead of the toxic person if you want to avoid having a conversation with them about how bad they think your new haircut looks. This gaze exudes strength. Even if you lack confidence, using this fast life tip can give you the upper hand right away.

8. In order to take a break during a conversation, do a mechanical gesture.

Start cleaning your glasses if you need some time to think before making a decision that was required of you. This gesture seems robotic, and the person will probably assume you are deliberating the response and patiently await it. If you don’t use glasses, you can use any other common motion instead, like checking an earring or a button on your shirt.

9. Stay on the left side if you want to be a leader.

This intriguing pattern was discovered by political scientists who were examining the presidential candidates’ public relations operations. They discovered that candidates on the photographer’s left (so they wound up on the right side of the picture) made a stronger impression on viewers. Naturally, this approach only applies when all other factors are equal; if someone dominates due to their charisma or body position, their location in relation to the camera won’t help.

Do you know of any other non-verbal psychological tricks? How have they helped you in everyday life?

--

--