18 psychological tricks that you can use to your advantage to read people instantly –

This is very common when we suddenly find ourselves in a job interview and we want to know if they will give us that job, or if we are chatting with the person we like and we want to know if they feel the same way.

Next, we will tell you 18 psychological tricks that you can use to read people and obtain more information than their words and gestures show. In this way, you will be able to have a more assertive and empathetic attitude, considerably improving your relationship with others.

1. Relax your mind and don’t let yourself be carried away by prejudices

The first trick to learning to read people is to keep our mind open to objectively receive everything that others show us. This implies that we should not judge right off the bat without thoroughly knowing the person or the situation they are in.

One of the big mistakes we make in the task of interpreting others is assuming things based on past experiences. So it is always best to relax our thoughts and face each new situation or interaction objectively to avoid misinterpretations.

Therefore, we must avoid judgments such as “my friend is upset”, because then everything she says to you will be perceived with a tinge of anger, when surely, deep down, that is not the case.

2. Learn to interpret your eye contact

It will sound trite, but the look is one of the personal elements that most reveals us (for better or worse).

Interpreting looks goes far beyond going with the mistaken thought that if they look up and to the right they are lying to us. Is not always that way. Depending on the context of the interaction, there will be other signals that can tell you that the person is trying to remember something or doing some mental calculations.

If you encounter someone who has trouble making eye contact (lowers their gaze, for example), that person is probably uncomfortable, shy or insecure and seeking to protect themselves.

But unfortunately a person who does not stare at you under any circumstances is not being honest with you. So be careful with these types of people.

On the other hand, through your eyes you can perceive energies. Hasn’t it happened to you that you look at someone and feel tenderness? Or, on the contrary, do you feel fear or suspicion? Never doubt what a look can convey to you. This also goes hand in hand with your intuition.

3. Observe body posture

Extralinguistic features always tell us much more than words and the position a person adopts in the interaction can indicate feelings or emotions they are experiencing at that moment.

For example, if you are with the girl you like and she places one of her hands on her chin as if tilting her face for you to admire, well that is exactly what she wants: for you to observe her beauty, she is flirting with you!

On the other hand, you will know if a person feels comfortable with you because they will unconsciously lean towards you seeking closeness. Proximity is also a clear sign of attraction or liking. Otherwise, if you notice that someone is leaning, but backwards, it undoubtedly shows distance, rejection and even the erection of an imaginary wall that separates them.

Have you noticed that there are people who tend to cross their arms or legs a lot? Without hesitation, they are unconsciously suggesting an attitude of self-protection, defense or even (depending on the context) anger.

4. Look at the way you walk

Have you noticed people who always walk with their heads held high? Well, they really are beings with a lot of self-confidence. When they walk they do so safely, with quick, rhythmic movements and always with their face to the world.

Have you seen how there are others who always walk around with their shoulders shrugged and their heads down? That they walk slowly, shuffling their feet, like clumsy movements? This is an obvious sign of lack of self-esteem or insecurity.

If you are a born leader and you notice that one of your team shows a way of walking like this, it is time to dedicate a little attention to them so that you inject confidence and better projects are consolidated.

5. Pay attention to his words

Undoubtedly, words are words. They are always going to tell us something. However, sometimes we have to stop being so literal and look for more meaning to what they may be telling us.

To begin with, words are the real test of the way we think. If you come across someone who uses phrases like “Guess what?”, it means that she needs the approval or praise of others to feel confident.

For example, if in a meeting, your boss begins his presentation with the word “I decided”, it means that he is a person who thinks things through very carefully before acting, who does not take situations lightly.

On the other hand, the use of sarcasm can be a personality characteristic, but you have to learn to distinguish when a person is really essentially sarcastic and when they use this resource to humiliate others.

A person who is sarcastic by nature, believe me, will know where and with whom to be sarcastic. A person who seeks to hurt, hurt or humiliate others will not measure the extent of their sarcastic phrases. With this you can now interpret and anticipate future behaviors in other contexts.

6. Notice certain facial expressions

It is difficult for us to hide facial expressions that show what we think or how we feel at a given moment. We can contain words, but a gesture is almost impossible!

If in an everyday conversation, someone smiles and you see that the crow’s feet do indeed come out, that person is comfortable, cheerful or happy.

Now, if you notice that someone is frowning, they may be upset. If this is also accompanied by the appearance of expression lines, it may indicate that she is very thoughtful or that something is causing her concern.

As for raising eyebrows, undoubtedly if you see someone raise them and also widen their eyes a little, it could be a sign of astonishment or surprise. If he arches them and raises one more than the other, it may indicate that he is questioning or doubting what is being said to him; shows some skepticism.

And the lips… the lips also send us signals about whether someone may be angry or bitter, when they are a little pursed. We can also tell if a person is tense by observing their clenched jaw and grinding of their teeth.

7. A strong voice is always impressive

It is one thing to shout or raise your voice and quite another to have a strong voice. People who possess it generally do not seek to be noticed by wearing extravagant outfits or occupying symbolic seats at a meeting. It will be enough for them to speak for their strong voice to impose its presence.

A strong voice indicates that the person has self-confidence and is able to project it on others.

8. Pay attention to paralinguistic features

Paralinguistic features have to do with changes in the way you speak: tone of voice, speed, intonation, throat clearing, fluency…

It is said that people who do not vary their tone of voice tend to be introverted and monotonous (boring).

On the other hand, when people are nervous they tend to speak very quickly and clumsily. They also clear their throats.

So if you come across someone who has a friendly tone of voice, which varies from low to high, is fluent, has a normal speaking speed, respects the time of his intervention and that of the other, you are in the presence of an extroverted person. and very sure of herself.

9. Ask direct questions

This is a simple, but effective resource. If you want to know if someone is direct, then ask a direct question that requires a direct answer. If, faced with this scenario, the person in question rambles, do not interrupt them. Instead, focus on observing her gaze and her gestures.

Gradually building someone’s profile by asking direct questions can give you clear signs of whether they are trustworthy or not.

10. Observe the behavior of different people

Carefully observing the behavior of different people at the same time will let you know what successfully interpreted signals are common among them or how good you are at “reading people.”

This becomes a form of practice so that little by little you become more precise in your assessments.

You can exercise by watching an interview on TV and putting it on silent mode. Observe carefully and try to interpret looks, gestures, grimaces. Then play the interview again, but now with audio, and check your successes.

11. Observe someone’s general behavior

You must establish a general pattern of behavior for the person in order to more quickly detect when something is not right or when that person is sending signals of something else in their behavior and words.

Of course, you can do this with people with whom you share daily and have common interaction environments. Surely you will have a friend or family member who does not look you in the eyes when they speak and it is not necessarily because they are being dishonest with you.

Or maybe you have a friend who always walks around with his arms crossed and it is not because he is trying to protect himself or appear inaccessible to others, but rather a simple personal habit of crossing his arms.

12. Mentally record habitual behaviors

It creates a kind of database on people’s regular behaviors. This will allow you to quickly detect when some behavior is out of the ordinary and may be affecting them.

With this mental record it is easier to compare and know how someone may react to a given situation.

13. Identify personality

Undoubtedly, personality traits must be established so that we become experts in reading others. So to make this task easier, answer these questions about the person you are analyzing:

Is she an introvert? Is she an egomaniac? If so, what nourishes this attitude? How does she respond to uncertainty? How does she respond to situations of pressure or stress? Do she get depressed easily? How does she behave when she is relaxed?

14. Make comparisons of attitudes and responses

In various situations, compare how the same person reacts and responds. That is, you have been observing for long enough and have created a record of their habits. You know when he stops looking into the eyes, when some body movements betray nervousness, among others.

For example, you have already deduced that someone is nervous and clears their throat when they are, so if in a context where you require their full support you notice their throat clearing, it is time to reconsider some things.

15. Take note of gestures together

We have already mentioned several body gestures and postures that can give you clues about people’s attitudes. But it is always good that you do not draw your conclusions with isolated gestures or behaviors.

Try to observe carefully and you will be more precise to the extent that you analyze gestures together and not separately.

For example, an isolated clearing of the throat will not indicate that the person is nervous (they may have some health problem). But if this throat clearing is accompanied by an unusual movement of the feet or legs (even hands), you can effectively determine that the person is nervous.

16. Make room for small talk

A simple chat at the bus stop can…