Here is a concise summary of the 19 simple psychological tricks that actually work:
**Tricks for Interacting with Others**
1. **Avoid "Could You"**: Rephrase requests to ensure action.
2. **Forehead Gaze**: Make someone feel uncomfortable by looking at their forehead.
3. **Pause for Truth**: Use silence to encourage honesty.
4. **Ask for Help**: Boost someone's attitude towards you by asking for explanations.
5. **Subtle Nod**: Encourage affirmative answers with a subtle nod.
6. **Distract and Take/Give**: Swap items with someone while distracted.
7. **Challenge Capability**: Motivate someone by doubting their ability.
8. **Nod for Attention**: Keep someone engaged with subtle nodding.
**Productivity and Negotiation**
9. **Feign Disappointment**: Negotiate better conditions by showing mild disappointment.
10. **Victory Pose**: Boost energy with a morning fist-pump.
11. **Absurd Memory Aid**: Associate absurd phrases with routine tasks to improve memory.
12. **Diffuse Arguments**: Use kindness or silence to calm confrontations.
**Communication and Perception**
13. **"Start With"**: Motivate lazy team members with psychologically smaller tasks.
14. **Public Speaking Tips**: Bring water, pause to collect thoughts, and admit nervousness.
15. **Shoe Stare**: Deter subway stare-downs by looking at their shoes.
16. **Emotional Contagion**: Be aware that your worry can be contagious.
17. **Constructive Criticism**: Focus on the issue, not the person.
18. **Positive Self-Talk**: Improve functioning with genuine beliefs of being well-rested.
**Interview Strategy**
19. **Schedule for Remembering**: Book job interviews at the start or end of the workday for better recall.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, excluding opinions, with each fact numbered and in brief sentences:
1. **Request phrasing**: Starting a request with "Could you" can lead to a theoretical agreement rather than a commitment.
2. **Eye contact**: Looking at the middle of someone's forehead during conversation can make them feel uncomfortable.
3. **Conversation pausing**: Pausing in a conversation while maintaining eye contact can encourage the other person to provide more details.
4. **Building rapport**: Asking someone to explain something to you can improve their attitude towards you, even if you already know the answer.
5. **Nodding for affirmation**: Subtly nodding while asking a question can increase the likelihood of an affirmative response.
6. **Distraction technique**: Extending your hand to someone while they're concentrated on a task can lead to them handing over an item without realizing it.
7. **Challenging abilities**: Casually expressing doubt in someone's ability to do something can motivate them to prove you wrong.
8. **Nodding for attention**: Nodding slightly during a conversation can make the other person more attentive to your words.
9. **Negotiation tactic**: Appearing slightly disappointed with an offer can help in negotiating better conditions.
10. **Morning motivation**: Sitting up and making a fist upon waking can help increase energy and motivation.
11. **Memory aid**: Saying an absurd phrase while performing a routine task (e.g., locking the door) can help remember if the task was completed.
12. **De-escalation technique**: Responding with kindness or silence can effectively diffuse arguments.
13. **Task assignment phrasing**: Saying "Start with this" instead of "Do this" can make a task seem less daunting.
14. **Public speaking tip**: Bringing water during a speech can provide a pause to collect thoughts, and admitting nervousness can lighten the mood.
15. **Deflecting stares**: Looking at someone's shoes if they're staring at you can deter them from continuing to stare.
16. **Emotional contagion**: Displaying worry around others can transfer the emotion to them.
17. **Constructive criticism**: Framing sentences to focus on the action rather than the person can reduce defensiveness.
18. **Self-perception and rest**: Believing you're well-rested can improve cognitive function, even if you're not (according to a Colorado College study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology).
19. **Memory and scheduling**: People tend to remember the beginning and end of the day best; scheduling job interviews at these times can improve memorability.