[One Sip of a Book] Why Confessing on a Shaky Bridge Increases Your Chances of Success

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The psychology of people, which is relative and variable, is greatly influenced by their environment and by words. If you see a crowd gathered around a sales counter, you might feel that you should buy something too, so as not to miss out. When you hear about a last-minute time-limited sale, your heart races, worried you might miss an important opportunity. Interestingly, even when there is no difference in product quality or price, consumers can be swayed by these psychological techniques alone. This article introduces practical psychological knowledge useful for selling products or content, job hunting, dating, and other aspects of human relationships.

Just as the saying goes, "A good listener is also a good storyteller," people who listen well to others are loved by everyone. Who wouldn't be happy to be recognized and praised? Even people you dislike or feel uncomfortable around are just human, like anyone else. If you make an effort to learn about the other person's strengths, likes, interests, and areas of high curiosity, it will help you find topics to talk about in various situations. - From [Psychological Technique 002: Melting the Frozen Heart of the Other Person (Aronson's Law of Negativity)]

This is because people perceive those who are similar to themselves as being on the same side. This phenomenon is called the principle of common denominator·similarity. When you discover something in common with someone, you feel as if you share the same values, which brings immediate relief and a sense of closeness. Whether you like the same TV programs, enjoy similar music, played the same sports in school, have the same favorite comedian, your parents work in the same industry, have the same number of siblings, or share the same birthday... the more commonalities or similarities you find, regardless of the topic, the happier you feel. - From [Psychological Technique 050: Forming Closeness by Sharing Values with Others (Principle of Common Denominator·Similarity)]

When you cross a shaky bridge with someone of the opposite sex, your heart races with anxiety or fear. You might mistake this pounding heart for feelings of love toward the person you are with. This is an excellent way to leave a strong impression as a romantic interest and attract the attention of someone you have a crush on. ... Of course, just because you've experienced a racing heart doesn't mean things will always turn out this way, so it's important to keep creating such experiences appropriately. At the same time, it's best to take the next step, such as confessing your feelings, before the effect fades, since this illusion doesn't last long. - From [Psychological Technique 054: Turning the Thrill of Fear into Excitement (Shaky Bridge Effect)]

There is a psychological technique called the Pique Technique. "Pique" means to arouse curiosity, and this method is especially effective when the other person is indifferent to you. ... For example, instead of saying "The reason I was accepted to the University of Tokyo" at a cram school, you say "How did I get into the University of Tokyo?" Or, instead of a job consulting company saying "Job counseling here," they ask, "Are you satisfied with your current salary?" Or, instead of a life insurance company advertising "Medical insurance for seniors," they say, "Even at 60, you can get medical insurance for just 30,000 won per month!" - From [Psychological Technique 068: Persuading Others by Arousing Curiosity (Pique Technique)]

When a salesperson doesn't simply agree with a customer's requests and instead says, "That would be difficult," "That's not possible," or "If you don't need it, you don't have to buy it," the customer is often surprised by the salesperson's confident attitude. The customer feels that the salesperson is sincere enough to be honest and upfront. Customers want to buy valuable and popular products from honest and competent people. - From [Psychological Technique 075: Sometimes You Need to Gain the Upper Hand by Refusing (Refusal Signal)]

If you analyze further the mindset of people who buy lottery tickets because "if you don't buy, you have no chance of winning," you'll find something interesting. Most people don't win, but they rationalize that they might be the lucky one. People tend to think in ways that are favorable to themselves in order to avoid the stress that comes from unpleasant thoughts. For example, "I won't get into a car accident," or "Luck is always on my side." In psychology, this is called cognitive bias. - From [Psychological Technique 098: "You Will Definitely Profit." Beware of Clingy People (Cognitive Bias)]

Essential Psychological Techniques You Must Know | Written by Shinji Kamioka | Translated by Jung Hyunwook | Dongyang Books | 272 pages | 17,800 won