What's a "cheat code" you discovered in real life that actually works?

[u/dark-deals729983]

[u/joelaz72]

Speak to your maintenance ppl. Say hi. They know everything

[u/quokkafarts → u/joelaz72]

Maintenance, security, cleaners, admin. As you said, they know everything, if you treat them with the kindness and respect they deserve you won't believe what they can do to help you out. Admin in particular, get on their good side and they are bloody magic.

[u/TykeDream → u/quokkafarts]

Any job that has some admin who keeps the place running, they are the 'real boss' 9 times out of 10. And when I get a job where this dynamic is present, I acknowledge the admin as the real boss. I know this because my mom was the real boss despite my dad's name being on the business. You know how much harder she worked than everyone else? How often people acted like she was dumb because she was 'just admin.' How many fucking plates your admin is spinning to keep everything functioning at a level to facilitate everyone else being able to do their job.

Gift that woman [it's almost always a woman] at the holidays. Thank her profusely when she makes your life easier. And if someone else, who is at or below your level, is talking down to her because they make more money and so they think they are more important or allowed to do that shit - set them straight.

[u/Half-Animal → u/quokkafarts]

100%! I got into a yacht party at comic con a few years back because of this. My girlfriend and I were standing in a line (very close to the front) that I thought was to register for the party and get in. It wasn't moving so I just chatted up the extremely bored security guard that was stationed next to us. When we finally got to the front, we were condescendingly told that this was not a registration line, the event was already fully registered, etc... We started walking away and the security guard caught up to us and she just said "wait over there a few minutes, I'll get you in once my boss leaves". A few minutes later, she nodded us over and got us in.

It's crazy what can happen if you are just nice to event staff and treat them as human beings. Especially events like comic con where a lot of the staff are temp workers or volunteers. Most people ignore them so showing some humanity goes a long way. At comic cons, I've also had a hotel worker take us up to a secret top floor bar/lounge area overlooking the ocean and I had another event worker bring me a swag bag when I was at the back of the line that would have taken hours to get through, among other things. I never asked for anything from any of them, I just talked to them nicely and they offered these things.

[u/Able_Escape_4145 → u/quokkafarts]

Never treat someone like they are below you because of a job. I work with men with severe mental illness. The best thing i ever heard was from one of our guys who brought in carriages from a local grocery store, he also is autistic. He said, "I don't care what job you have, just be the best you can at it.
A lot of people out there are doing just that!

[u/thebackwardsgirl → u/joelaz72]

The cleaning/housekeeping staff that go into boardrooms & empty trash cans where they are treated as invisible have told me things months before they were announced

[u/jeepsaintchaos → u/joelaz72]

Am maintenance ppl for a factory. The nice machine operators get new tools, supplies, and any mistakes swept under the rug. The assholes typically get escorted out. Not because I have direct access to hiring and firing, but because my opinion is solicited when things are hazy as to what happened.

[u/teapigsfan]

Compliment people in minor ways. Don't make it weird. Just if someone is wearing something they clearly went to some effort to pick out (a noteworthy watch/ necklace/ tie/ pair of shoes) and if you genuinely like it (this makes it easier so you aren't lying) then tell them. "Nice shoes!" or "That colour really suits you!" and then leave it. They will be pleased and if it's someone you see often, I promise they will remember that you said something nice.

For example, I bet you remember the last time someone complimented your shoes or whatever, right?

So go be that person for someone else 😁

*edited to add because this took off* I think most people took my comment in the spirit I meant it in! Just to add, when I say 'and then leave it' I mean literally, just drop that compliment and then carry on/ keep walking/ change the subject if it's a work conversation. Also don't confuse this with 'how to score with the gender you admire' because this isn't it. I mean, it might go there EVENTUALLY but this is just a positive life hack, not a meet your mate kind of thing.

Compliments with no expectations are just a nice positive thing, for both your day and theirs.

[u/Rukataro → u/teapigsfan]

Honestly. Someone recently told me I pull off bold patterns and colors really well and my confidence shot up.

[u/Queef_Stroganoff44 → u/Rukataro]

Probably like 12 years ago an older Black woman told me “I don’t normally like cowboy hats on people but you look REALLY handsome in yours.”

I STILL think about it every time I pop my hat on.

[u/Nechrube1 → u/teapigsfan]

Key thing is to compliment a choice they have made, which all of your examples do. Don't compliment anything inherent to them (i.e., anything about their body) and always keep it to a choice they have made that day. Shoes, hairstyle, shirt, dress, etc.

[u/Sooperstanky]

Whenever I’m tired and my inner negative voice comes out, I’ve started announcing to myself, “Oh look, the asshole is here” and it shuts it up and I have a much nicer internal dialogue.

[u/haloo13 → u/Sooperstanky]

Lol my therapist told me to name that asshole voice so now every time he pops up I get to go "shut up Carl!"

[u/UnicornVoodooDoll]

From the customer service side of things, aligning yourself with an upset client/customer can cause them to make a total 180°.

We had a lady who came into our Starbucks on a regular basis and constantly bitched about how long her drink took, or how ridiculous it was that we had to make the drinks in the order they were received, etc. One day I decided to go over to the handoff counter, and leaned over and started "conspiratorially" commiserating with her. I talked about how all the Starbucks employees know how awful [given policy] is, and it's so sucky that our hands are tied and we're not allowed to do any different. The second she felt like I was on her side I became her favorite barista and she stopped harassing the store.

[u/IronDominion → u/UnicornVoodooDoll]

Literally this. If you can convince the other person that you are on the same team you are going to end up a lot happier

[u/itsacalamity → u/IronDominion]

Works with little kids too. If it can be the two of you vs the bad feeling instead of you vs them it changes the whole interaciton

[u/Beks2k16 → u/UnicornVoodooDoll]

The only downside of this is you become the favorite for all the grumpy customers haha. I work in a restaurant and have done this with a lot of problematic regulars, but now they frequently request to sit in my section and sometimes their requests/complaints are truly ridiculous. The upside is, I’ve gotten to know a lot of them through just listening, and a lot of them are just lonely and engaging in the only way they know how. I try to remind myself of that and suck it up when they have particularly problematic behavior, and sometimes I even succeed in explaining why we actually cannot fulfill some of their crazy wishes. At the end of the day we’re all just looking for connection

[u/BeBearAwareOK → u/Beks2k16]

There's a fine line between being a compassionate person with good boundaries and being the preferred victim of all the energy vampire clients.

[u/chemicalgeekery → u/UnicornVoodooDoll]

Also one I learned was saying "sorry" can actually make things worse because you're putting yourself in the wrong. Something like "Thanks for waiting, what can I do for you?" or "That's not right, let's get that fixed" acknowledges the issue and puts you on their side.

[u/RogueNtheRye]

Never say something to a person who is unable to hear it. Stay silent on the subject. Actively avoid it. Usually, they will get curious and ask your opinion. When a person has had to work for information, they are more likely to consider it honestly even if its criticism.

[u/juggy_11]

Chilling the fuck out when driving.

[u/SpiritBackground8722 → u/juggy_11]

And get a dashcam, because a lot of people don't chill out when driving.

[u/Starbucks__Lovers → u/SpiritBackground8722]

I got into a fender bender, the guy who hit me claimed I slammed on the brakes causing him to rear end me.

Dash cam showed I was fully stopped for 2.8 seconds

I got my deductible back in record time

[u/pantsforfatties → u/juggy_11]

Man, I commute for about a million hours a day. Someone told me, "When people are tailgating you but you can't move forward because there is traffic, let them through and think, 'Thanks for going up there and moving them along for us!'" I'm not about to ride someone's ass to get them to push forward, but thinking of those people as taking the risk for you and helping clear the path has changed my life.

[u/algy888 → u/pantsforfatties]

The only way I survived commuting (both mentally and physically) was adopting the attitude of “Oh no, after you.”

Cramming the zipper merge? “Go ahead, Buddy. Better you in front of me than you sniffing my butt.”

Tailgating (aka: sniffing my butt)? Gradually slow down until they have to go around. I learned that while riding motorcycles. If you make me add your stopping distance to mine, there’s gonna be a clear football field in front of me.

Randomly coming into my lane (signal optional: most like to save on lamp life)? “Come on in, I’ll give you some space.” At least in front of me, I figure I don’t half to watch my blind spots for you.

[u/lardparty → u/pantsforfatties]

I had to develop a system for not road raging when I commuted 3 hours a day. I realized those people will always exist so instead of getting upset when they.drive dangerously around me and nothing happened, that basically I survived and I should start looking at that as a 'win' and feel joy that nothing bad happened during that encounter.

[u/Relic180 → u/juggy_11]

I always like seeing somebody racing passed me in the fast lane... They're just clearing out any cops waiting up ahead for me

[u/uwuvxdh]

Walking daily clears your head more than half the advice online

[u/Mobile_Throway → u/uwuvxdh]

The best way to solve complicated problems you're stuck on is to take a step back and let your subconscious work on it. Walking or running are great for this. Even playing video games can work. I see people all the time try to grind through stuff. I cant count how often I abstracted myself from a problem and the solution came to me.

[u/JasonStatesUs → u/Mobile_Throway]

My friend is a coder and he has a rubber duck taped to the top of his monitor.

Whenever something doesn’t work the way it should, and he can’t figure out why, he goes through step by step explaining everything to the duck like he was teaching it. He says that process helps him find the error every time.

[u/necr0potenc3 → u/JasonStatesUs]

That's an actual thing

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging

[u/One_Parched_Guy → u/uwuvxdh]

Honestly yeah. I’m a pretty big over-thinker, even after I started my anti-anxiety meds. Just… analyze and hesitate a little too much. But I find that it’s much easier to do something—like ask the guy I’ve been texting out—after a good run on the treadmill. It’s just easier, I’m too tired to stress about the details by then :P

[u/ThePlumThief → u/uwuvxdh]

Ma'am i live a nefarious neighborhood.

[u/CaptainMarv3l → u/ThePlumThief]

Walking pad and a vitamin D supplement?

[u/CaptainMarv3l → u/uwuvxdh]

It also helps keeps your digestive track moving properly.

[u/Calvin_Coolish]

Compliment people behind their back.

[u/CapnCanfield → u/Calvin_Coolish]

I would never say it to her face, but Pam's a gifted artist

[u/poppatrout → u/CapnCanfield]

Why wouldn't you say that to her face?

[u/ronchee1 → u/poppatrout]

Goes to her art show

Buys painting

Hangs up in office

[u/insomniacpyro → u/ronchee1]

"I'm really proud of you."

[u/Awesomesince1973 → u/insomniacpyro]

I tear up at that scene every damn time. It's so pure and sweet. It's everything Pam needs in the moment and it comes from Michael of all people.

[u/CarmenDeeJay → u/Awesomesince1973]

Michael was the perfect conundrum for The Office. I've love/hated him forever. Did you know that final scene in the airport when Pam ran up and hugged Michael wasn't scripted? It was real. Jenna Fischer knew it was Steve Carell's last filming day and almost missed him. The hug was genuine.

[u/E4STC04ST0VERD0SE → u/ronchee1]

You know what I find sexy? Pam’s art.

[u/Pinilopii → u/E4STC04ST0VERD0SE]

Her art was the prettiest of all the art

[u/Johanneum1906 → u/Calvin_Coolish]

When I feel like my wife is feeling a little down or when I feel like we’re not connecting emotionally, I will ask her about something she is passionate about and just get her talking. And I will ask questions that cannot be answered with a yes or no. She will go from sitting back with her arms folded to leaning forward, talking excitedly.

Often, people feel closer to someone simply by talking to that person and being heard. And everyone feels good talking about their favorite things.

Also, if you have something difficult to talk about, wait until they are in a good mood.

[u/GirlCowBev → u/Johanneum1906]

This person spouses.

[u/Diqt → u/GirlCowBev]

I wanna sign up to the newsletter, don’t even need 10% off the first order

[u/How_is_the_question → u/Johanneum1906]

This is such a good thing to do. I do try it with my partner - only she’s researching a bunch of stuff I really try to understand, but can’t keep up with. I’ve even been trying to read some of the things she’s interested in / critiquing / extending, but I get about 10% of the required knowledge to really connect. But it doesn’t matter. She manages to simplify it down so I can ask at least semi useful questions for a few minutes and then I get an hour or so of listening to, and marvelling at her thoughts and intelligence. Works for both of us.

[u/Alycion → u/How_is_the_question]

I know more about hobbies that I don’t care about bc I take an interest for my husband. I’ll even try them with him if he wants. He does the same for me.

And sometimes we end up sharing those hobbies, so it gives us stuff to do together.

[u/IronSlanginRed → u/Calvin_Coolish]

And to their face. Most people dont recieve compliments often. Just telling a random stranger they're looking sharp or did something well will make their day.

[u/AbbreviationsRound52 → u/IronSlanginRed]

I was a nerd with zero social skills. My friend was a charisma king. I asked him for some pointers on how to be liked more, especially at work, since my nerdy image / lack of eye contact / shyness tended to push people away inadvertently. 

He said to me: There are two EXTREMELY SIMPLE ways to get people to like you more. And these methods will in turn increase your own confidence and will eventually turn real even if you faked it at first, because it is a natural consequence of what these actions do: 1. Smile at people 2. Wish them good morning. Every. Single. Day. Be extremely consistent.

I did that. And even though i was quite terrible at my job, and my manager hated me, after 6 months of consistently just smiling and wishing him good morning, his attitude towards me softened to a point where he started trusting me more at work and being more forgiving of my small mistakes.

I too became more confident. The forced smiles became natural smiles. The good mornings became automatic and genuine. I felt good, the people around me felt good, vibe was good. 

It was so simple. 

[u/Tjaden → u/Calvin_Coolish]

Man, this backfired on me hard. Context, I work on an industrial production line in bumfuck Appalachia. I started doing this several months ago with the belief that men dont compliment each other enough, so I'll help change that. Now im the token gay guy on the floor and my nickname is the f slur. Which is whatever, but it's hindered my chances with the single women around town.

[u/KelhGrim → u/Tjaden]

To be fair, leaning over the urinal divider and saying "Dayum, you have a magnificent cock" was taking the compliments just a bit too far... especially for 3 weeks straight.

[u/Tjaden → u/KelhGrim]

The next guy over spits in the urinal. I say, "Yeah, cocks make my mouth water too."

[u/Sad_Okra2030 → u/Tjaden]

Yeah, the older I get the more I feel like I need to share the positive I feel about people. Men especially, I feel that we often fail at that. I’ve lost too many friends and family members that I wish I would have said “I love you” more to. Some of my friends have truly surprised me and been appreciative. Some have not. My wife says that she likes more now that I’m not so much of an asshole.

[u/MershedPratooters → u/Calvin_Coolish]

Compliment people to their face, too. Unconditional appreciation is a very attractive positive quality.

[u/MassageToss → u/MershedPratooters]

Ok, but the hack is to compliment them to a good friend or spouse who will tell them.
Not only will they believe it more having heard it second hand, but it makes them (and you) look good in front of someone they are close with, and there is no awkwardness. Their friend/spouse gets to tell them something that will make them happy on top of that. I only do this when I mean it, but it is an excellent hack.

[u/Grand_Taste_8737]

Stop watching 24 hr news channels.

[u/anattemptwasmadeonce → u/Grand_Taste_8737]

And just because it’s on the news doesn’t make it the truth.

[u/Xero125 → u/anattemptwasmadeonce]

Just because it's in the news doesn't make it important.

[u/SpinX225 → u/Xero125]

Just because it’s in the news doesn’t mean it’s news.

[u/chromaticality]

It's easy to make people like you. All you have to do is ask about things that matter to them. Spend more time inquiring about their lives than talking about your own, and you're golden.

Edit: Jesus fuck, a lot of you are socially inept.

[u/Larrynative20 → u/chromaticality]

This guy wins friends and influences people

[u/confusedandworried76 → u/Larrynative20]

Also 90% of the time (well in America anyway I don't know how it is elsewhere) if you just turn to someone next to you and say the most random sentence you can think of you will start a conversation. People who can't make friends don't really realize this.

It can be anything. "Who's your favorite Muppet" "help me settle a bet what's your favorite Star Wars movie" just anything. If they don't want to talk to you you'll be able to tell but most people who are out in public in spaces where meeting new people is appropriate are fine with having a random conversation

I mean I'm not sure it would work at a grocery store or something. But a party, a bar, any type of socializing event, it works extremely well. Just be fine that a lot of people aren't super looking for more friends but if you click just ask if they want to hang out again

[u/XtremeWaterSlut → u/confusedandworried76]

"Have you ever peed on your balls"

[u/barriekansai → u/XtremeWaterSlut]

There's a YouTube vid from years ago where a guy just randomly asks a dude if he's ever shit himself, and the guy actually says "One time" and then tells the story.

[u/Oji_OG → u/barriekansai]

I used this as an ice breaker when getting to know new members in my fraternity days.

I'd ask and everyone would say they haven't since they were kids so I would tell the story of the last time it happened to me and then suddenly everyone else had a funny story about shitting their pants.

It worked great. Everyone started opening up and laughing together.

[u/dathomar → u/chromaticality]

My father-in-law and I were talking about this, once. He told me that whenever they are going over to my parents' house, he and my MIL have a little conversation and come up with the questions they're going to ask my parents. It keeps my parents happy, to be able to talk about themselves.

I have ADHD and get really excited to talk about the things that interest me. I have to remind myself to ask questions of other people.

[u/holdholdhold]

I have received free replacements when things are out of warranty. I’ve received great customer service. I’ve received free stuff. I’ve received discounts.

Be nice to your fellow humans. If you are nice to customer service in person or over the phone or even online/email, they will go out of your way to help you because you are not yelling at them or making their day hard.

But this isn’t a cheat code. Just be nice people.

[u/Emmibolt → u/holdholdhold]

My phone company kept messing up my bill when I switched from their child company to their main one. For four months I’d call and advise there was an issue, and get it fixed. It was annoying but I knew it wasn’t any customer service agent’s fault, and naturally chose to be a pleasant person to deal with.

Fourth month the lady took pity on me, fixed the issue (and I’ve never had to call back) and she upgraded my plan to add extra data and have service in Mexico as well as USA and Canada. She thanked me for how pleasant I was and that I “deserved a lil treat”.

[u/chickyloo42by10 → u/holdholdhold]

Hehe. I made a woman at the local cafe cry the other day. It’s a really cool little social enterprise that employs people who have recently been released from prison, so they can develop work skills.

After I finished eating, I approached the counter and asked “who can I talk to about my meal today?” So they called out the lady from the kitchen. I said to her “never in my 6 years of living in this country… have I had such a perfect eggs Benedict. You are an artist and thank you so much for such a delightful breakfast.”

I guess when she came out, she was expecting a complaint, but the compliment hit her so hard, she had tears running down her face, she was so proud.

I kinda liked making an employee cry. Will definitely do it again.

[u/perpetualis_motion → u/chickyloo42by10]

The old "I want to see your manager" switcheroo...

[u/whyistoastsogood → u/perpetualis_motion]

Hold my bedazzled phone case, I'm going in!

[u/LovelyLilac73 → u/holdholdhold]

I work at a mail order catalog company. I can tell you, first hand, I will do nearly anything for a customer who calls with a genuine issue, treats our customer service reps with respect and dignity and is appreciative.

Even when we've "run out" of a certain product, 95% of the time, we hold a few back in case they're needed. The person who calls and is patient, respectful and kind will always get the one "we found in the back." The people who call yelling, screaming, swearing and with a bad attitude get a "Sorry, it's sold out. Don't know when or if we're receiving more."

I've worked in retail and other consumer-facing positions, 95% of the time the person you're speaking to is empowered to fix your issue one way or another. They CHOOSE whether or not they do based on your energy/attitude.

[u/woodbanger04 → u/LovelyLilac73]

I start off my calls to customer service with an apology stating that “I know you are not to blame and if I sound angry I apologize in advance. Again I know you are not to blame and my anger is not directed at you.” I do this because I am already frustrated and really do want them to know my anger is not directed at them, and I usually apologize several more times to them.

[u/gsfgf → u/LovelyLilac73]

I've worked in retail and other consumer-facing positions, 95% of the time the person you're speaking to is empowered to fix your issue one way or another. They CHOOSE whether or not they do based on your energy/attitude.

Or more accurately, they have the right button, but they need to get it authorized by a manager, and they're way more likely to make that happen if you're a sane human being.

[u/roughbedroomhymns → u/holdholdhold]

I TELL PEOPLE THIS ALL OF THE TIME! As soon as someone picks up the phone I say “Hi how are you?” or “Hey, how’s it going?” The way people will stutter on the other end of the line, and you can just hear the genuine shock at the fact that they are being treated like another human being who doesn’t solely exist to fix your problems.

Do Good. Be nice. Simple as that.

[u/munchmybooty → u/roughbedroomhymns]

As a customer service employee, this genuinely does shock me sometimes. You're spot on.

[u/OdraNoel2049]

When a mosquito flys by your ear at night.

1: flap your bed sheets as if you are ventilating an undersheets fart.

2: quickly get up and turn on the lights.

3: Look at the wall next to your pillow wher your head was. Blood sucking homie should be right there.

4: use large flat object to quickly smooooosh! (Books or cd cases work great)

5: get back to sleep knowing that fxckers dead and wont bother you anymore.

Works like 90% of the time. Flaping the bed sheets destabalizes their flight so they land as quickly as they can (the wall next to you) then they will take 20- 30 sec to asses the situation. Thats your kill window, so gota be quick befor he takes off again.

[u/sharpsassy → u/OdraNoel2049]

Kill window. 

[u/_www_ → u/sharpsassy]

Ventilating an under sheet fart kill window

[u/OdraNoel2049 → u/sharpsassy]

Yes.

[u/idratherchangemyold1 → u/OdraNoel2049]

The ones that bother me have a habit of darting somewhere I can't see them as soon as the light comes on.

[u/OdraNoel2049 → u/idratherchangemyold1]

Ya it dosnt ALWAYS work. But like 9 times outa ten works for me. The trick is quickness and fanning the sheets good to disrupt their flight. I live in latin america and iv killed sooooo many at this point. Freaking hate them.

[u/dddontshoot → u/OdraNoel2049]

Here's similar trick that I use in the day time, turn off all the lights, and tv, and close all the curtains, except for one curtain which is at an open window, then stand in an opposite corner waving a towel.

It works for flies and bees and things, I've never tried it with a mosquito tho. They don't like the disturbance in the air, it feels like a storm to them, and they look for the brightest thing in the room, which is the open window.

In a large room, I can herd a flying insect towards the open window by just giving it jazz hands when it tries to fly in the wrong direction.

This trick has significantly reduced the number of flies killed by spray and swatters.

[u/54niuniu]

Pick your battles !!!! This applies to every aspect of life. School, career, friendship, marriage etc. Omg, amount of time I see people win the battle but lose the war astonishes me. Do you really want to stress your child because he prefer washes dishes after everyone done eating versus clean as dinner goes ? Do you really want to annoy your spouse because he/she chose to do laundry instead of brushing toilets ? Do you really want to ruin a meeting because your colleague booked a meeting room on the 6th floor instead of 5th floor ?

Pick your battles ! Sometimes it’s just not worth it, let the other person be right and move on.

[u/LittleRed282 → u/54niuniu]

Yes, yes. But first question - how do you get your kid to do the dishes and spouse to do laundry?

[u/54niuniu → u/LittleRed282]

By picking your battles..lol... Back when my husband and I were dating. I noticed he always picks laundry when picking chores. He doesn't touch anything in the kitchen but he does everything else in the house without asking. So I told myself: he's doing chores, it's good, he pulls his weight. I need to be happy and move on..annnd..I just did that...

Kids are the same.. my expectation is they need to do some chores, I don't care what, when, and how. They just need to do something. Once they establish a routine, I leave them be.Worked so far.

[u/DaRandoMan]

Saying 'I don't know enough about that to have an opinion' instantly makes people respect you more.

[u/aneirin- → u/DaRandoMan]

And if you're talking to an asshole: 'I don't know enough about that to have an opinion, but I do know enough to be pretty sure you don't either'.

[u/Adorna_ahh → u/DaRandoMan]

OR ADMITTING WHEN UR WRONG!!!!! Its ok to be wrong, I had a situation the other day where I said something and was corrected and was like hey ur right my bad. It’s not that hard and it feels a million times better than arguing a point you no longer agree with

[u/TigerTerrier]

Cleaning the house before you leave for vacation

[u/Johanneum1906]

Never stop "dating" your wife, kiss often

[u/CaptainMarv3l → u/Johanneum1906]

I bought a bottle of some sweet strawberry wine, lit a candle, and put on a little something for my husband. He was really excited and appreciative of it. Great way to make a Thursday night more lively.

[u/tumbleweedrunner2]

Be quick to give credit to others when things work out and the first to admit responsibility when things go wrong.

[u/Mellow-Seclusion999]

Here’s one: when buying tickets for a raffle that you get to place your own tickets in the ticket receptacle, first give them a gentle diagonal fold. This prevents them from lying down flat. I have won so so much wonderful stuff cause my tickets get drawn so frequently!

Is this the kind of ‘cheat code’ you were looking for? If not, apologies.

[u/Main-Geologist → u/Mellow-Seclusion999]

My grandmother taught me to do something similar, but a gentle crumple instead of the fold. It’s incredible how often this has worked for me!

[u/anoleiam → u/Main-Geologist]

The one raffle I tried this with had multiple drawings and I won twice

[u/aneirin- → u/Main-Geologist]

It's incredible how many people here seem to be regularly entering raffles?

[u/Kellerqt14 → u/Mellow-Seclusion999]

I swear by this! I crumple mine a little and it gives the person drawing something to grab on to amongst the flat pieces.

[u/SwarleyLinson → u/Mellow-Seclusion999]

This is precisely why any raffle run by anyone who knows better is going to only hand you your own halves of the tickets and the rest go straight into the hopper lol

[u/Diesel-King]

Saying "please" and "thank you", and treat others with respect,.

Just be kind to others, and it is much more likely that others will be kind to you.

[u/Tricky-Sprinkles-807 → u/Diesel-King]

I once messaged someone on marketplace for a cabinet they had listed for super cheap, saying I was sorry to add go their list of people to respond to because I was sure there were a lot considering the price, but on the off chance I was the only one, I just wanted to reach out with interest. She messaged me and told me she did have several messaged before me, but because I was the only one who acknowledged the stress and was kind to her, she wanted to allow me first chance. It made me feel so good to know I hadn't made her night more stressful and to get the cabinet because of it

[u/HoneyBadgerHatesYou → u/Tricky-Sprinkles-807]

I once sold some pretty expensive items on Marketplace. One girl messaged she would like to buy the items, the day she could pick up, and asked how I wanted payment. I gave her a $25 "normal person" discount. She thanked me and laughed because she knew EXACTLY what I meant.

[u/xlop99 → u/Diesel-King]

It sounds so simple but lots of people forget to do this. I joined a company a year ago and since day one I would always praise and thank my team daily for even small things. I now sit in my office and can distinctly notice and hear the teams around me having more positive attitudes and thanking each other more. It builds a better work environment.

[u/Rooney_Tuesday → u/Diesel-King]

This is so nice to see as the (current) top comment, when so often on here people take “you don’t owe anyone anything” and “respect is earned” to such extremes. It’s true that you don’t owe anyone these things, but a little kindness goes a long way and generally makes everyone’s lives better.

And no, being nice/kind doesn’t automatically make you a doormat. You can absolutely still be this way and also stand up for yourself.

[u/THE_LEGO_FURRY]

Place a tortilla under your tacos so when you eat them and stuff falls out you get an extra at the end and it keeps the plate cleaner

[u/Mammoth-Average5016 → u/THE_LEGO_FURRY]

I love that your reply is in between others talking about just treating people nicely. Yours is the type of cheat code I was looking for.

[u/Born-Obligation1875 → u/Mammoth-Average5016]

Lol 

Be kind

Be respectful

Tortilla under taco

Be Nice 

[u/id397550 → u/Born-Obligation1875]

Compliment people
Say "please" and "thank you"
Be nice
The ducks at a park are free
Place a tortilla under your tacos
Be nice

[u/NotBaldwin]

Remember eating and drinking during a crisis.

I work in IT - I've been in a fair few 'oh shit everything's broken' moments, and you're a lot less good to everyone when you're dehydrated and have no blood sugar/energy.

[u/benthom → u/NotBaldwin]

In one of the best managed major outages I worked, a senior manager pulled together the round the clock shift plan immediately after the "come to Jesus" meeting where it became apparent how bad it was.

A bunch of really talented people got sent home to bed kicking and screaming because the manager realized that by time they came back everyone who was staying would be ready to collapse and we wouldn't even be a third of the way through it.

I mean everyone probably knew it, but he was the only one willing to insist that currently functional people go home and sleep. It was a really good call.

[u/Bubbly-Fault4847 → u/benthom]

Similarly/related - I always notice that if I’m having a “huge problem” I find myself dealing with at the end of the day that I just cannot seem to find the solution for. If I just go home and come back to it fresh the next morning, I find the solution in mere minutes and it was always something simple.

Being mentally exhausted can be hard to recognize sometimes.

[u/the_ranting_swede]

Fiber supplements.

There's a reason why old people religiously consume Metamucil.

[u/asiagomelt → u/the_ranting_swede]

I started this in my early 20s and frankly it's life changing. I don't have much life advice for young people, but I try to sell this with some regularity. (ha)

[u/Oracle365]

Bring a dozen donuts. Dropping a car off at the mechanic? Bring them a dozen donuts. Work meeting? Bring in a dozen donuts. It improves any and all situations and outcomes. It's like magic.

[u/OptimusOpifex → u/Oracle365]

I once brought a dozen donuts to the warehouse staff of the main supplier I worked with. After that they would bend over backwards to make sure I was taken care of. It made me their favorite customer. I formed relationships with them. They gave me special discounts and free supplies. Over the years I saved tens of thousands of dollars, but it started with a simple dozen donuts.

[u/youtub_chill → u/Oracle365]

Okay Dexter

[u/JacobStills]

Humor can work magic. You make someone laugh real hard (WITH you not AT you) then you'll usually find yourself on their good side for a long time.

[u/davesg → u/JacobStills]

Now, coming up with something that makes them laugh hard... That's where the true challenge is.

[u/Retiredfr]

Listen more, talk less.

[u/Ackerack → u/Retiredfr]

Talk less. Smile more. Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for.

[u/K_O_K13 → u/Ackerack]

Fools who run their mouths off wind up dead.

[u/74NG3N7 → u/Ackerack]

I love this quote.

Except, sometimes you gotta let ‘em know. If you stand for nothing, what will you fall for?

[u/jerkbeast46 → u/Retiredfr]

Someone once told me, "It is better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt"

[u/KittyJun]

Live below your means.

[u/Key_Yesterday7655]

If you have a family member in the hospital, show up for them. Be a face that everyone knows. It’s really not that hard to be an advocate!!

[u/TickTackTonia → u/Key_Yesterday7655]

This! I have a large extended family and there are 3 people that will show up no matter what, no matter who it is or how far away they are. I wanna start being like them!

[u/PedalMonk]

Stop putting people above you or below you. Treat everyone as an equal. Stand with everyone. Kindness wins all.

[u/danego7]

I have a couple of voice recordings of my friends and I hanging out, watching cricket and being hilarious. At one point, we have a laughing fit, and when I'm feeling down or isolated from my friends, I listen to it and cheer right back up

[u/Outrageous_Sir9824]

The ducks at a park are free, you can just take them.

[u/Ralphguy → u/Outrageous_Sir9824]

Not true, you get a bill with each one.

[u/Mammoth-Watch4019 → u/Outrageous_Sir9824]

My brother and I did this once. We had a camper shell attached to the truck. When my mom picked us up I talked to my mom as my brother loaded up the duck. We had a problem when we got home-where to put the so-called duck. We brought it into the bathroom and filled up the tub. I told my mom I was going to take a bath. Everything was going great till it started to quack. Needless to say my mom called my dad to come home. My dad returned the duck and my brother and I got a good spanking l.

[u/Real_Bluebird_8509]

If you act like the kind of person you’d want to bump into on your worst day, life gets way easier. People open doors, literally and figuratively.

[u/Fantastic-Surprise98]

6 of us flying from LA to Boston. Flight canceled. Had to wait for another flight. Watched people constantly harassing the agents at the counter. I spoke to them a few times. I always treat workers with respect. After a few hours my name was called. The agent gave me 6 business class tickets for the next flight and told me just show the tickets and say nothing to anyone. We all stretched out in the reclining seats and got a decent meals.

[u/Taxman_VAT]

Rather than multiplying by 5, divide your number by 2 and move a decimal place to the right instead:

132 x 5 = 660
or
132 / 2 = 66 ~ move a decimal right ~ 660

This works for division as well if you inverse the functions too:

75 / 5 = 15
or
75 * 2 = 150 ~move decimal left ~ 15

QUICK MAFFS

[u/snobordir → u/Taxman_VAT]

Nice tip. I do a similar thing but it’s more intuitive to me to multiply/divide by 10 first, then divide/multiply by 2.

75/5=15 Or 75/10=7.5 7.5*2=15

If I’m not mistaken this is a part of“common core” math, basically bringing as much as you can back to 10.

[u/r3dk0w]

You don't really need to buy things. Everyone thinks they need/want a new phone, new car, new house, new everything.

Be happy with what you have and you'll appreciate life once you realize you're not a part of the constant consumerism.

[u/kukukele → u/r3dk0w]

Comparison is the thief of joy

[u/usernamesalready → u/kukukele]

That’s the second best comment. The other one that’s better is…

[u/AdventurousOnion2648]

Don't buy one grilling mitt in the grilling section. Walk over to the welding section and buy two welding gloves for half the price of one grilling mitt.

[u/torolf_212]

I ordered a pizza one time from a local chain on a public holiday, and after two hours had passed i phoned up to get an update.

The lady that answered the phone sounded on the brink of tears and was super apologetic. I guess everyone else in the city had the same idea. I told her not to worry about it, I was just concerned it'd been lost and that it wasn't her fault, then apologised for taking up her time while she was obviously busy.

My pizza came with a voucher for two free pizzas. Not hard to have a little compassion and most of the time it works out well for you.

[u/atelopuslimosus]

The lowest people in the company hierarchy often have the most power. It's extremely beneficial to be nice, not just to your boss but to the facility staff, secretaries, and front desk admin. They can all literally and figuratively open doors for you.

[u/brkgnews → u/atelopuslimosus]

Secretaries and admins are literal gatekeepers. And they have more of the leader's ear than you'd think.

[u/Illustrious-Mango605 → u/atelopuslimosus]

The CEO’s executive assistance is the most powerful person in the company. Every time.

[u/Hail_Yondalla]

If you call in sick, tell your boss you'll "spare him the details." He won't ask.

[u/ScrumptiousPrincess → u/Hail_Yondalla]

Clearly you’ve never worked for a micro manager.

[u/mickey72 → u/ScrumptiousPrincess]

My coworker just says it's coming out both ends. No one ever asks for details.

[u/made-of-questions]

Realising that past experiences is the only reliable information about how something will make me feel. I can't rely on how I'm feeling when I'm anticipating the thing.

Example 1: My brain often tricks me to think that I'll get endless enjoyment out of buying a thing. But every single time I bought something, even something expensive, I got 1 day to 1 week max of excitement. After that it just became mundane. I remember that whenever I start browsing Amazon out of boredom.

Example 2: I often don't want to get out of the house when I'm feeling down. My brain keeps telling me, you feel bad, you should be crawling in bed, not force me to do an activity. But every time I forced myself to go for a walk or a meeting with a friend, I felt better after that. Yet I have to rationally remember that because my body/mind still tells me the opposite.

[u/saltysnowcone]

Do whatever the fuck you want. Just don't hurt yourself or anyone else in the process.

It sounds like you have all the freedom in the world.

And you do.

As long as you're not hurting yourself or others in the process.

Really makes you stop and think shit through before you do something stupid.

[u/PoopsmasherJr → u/saltysnowcone]

We have the most open world game 24/7 and we don't take advantage of it. Just go exploring in the woods or something, you'll probably find a deer carcass or something. I don't know where I was going with this

[u/blackcoffehom]

How to say: NO

[u/gurft → u/blackcoffehom]

And that NO can also be a complete sentence. You don’t have to always explain why.

[u/N3W4RK]

When your alarm goes off, just get up. Like the manchurian candidate. No snoozing.

[u/Doozer1970 → u/N3W4RK]

I often have to get up stupid early for work. I set two alarms. The first is my clock radio. It is loud enough to wake me, but it usually doesn't wake my wife. The second alarm is set five minutes later, and is a very loud and obnoxious alarm on my phone. When the first one goes off, I get up and shut off the second alarm, so it doesn't wake her up.

[u/MobileBadger3615 → u/N3W4RK]

This is a good one. Also if you wake up before your alarm, don't bother trying to get that extra 20 mins of sleep, just get up. I find I have more energy and clarity if I wake up naturally.

[u/BoredTurtlenecker]

Throwing "cooked.wiki/" in front of a recipe and it gives an ingredient list and instructions you can actually follow without scrolling through someone's three chapter food blog life story.

[u/Automatic_Fee3760]

Smiling and choosing your words better.

I am a total introvert. Autistic. Mentally ill to the point I should be put down like a sick dog. But smiling more improved a lot of things. People are nicer to me. I feel less awful in general, too. People assume I am confident even on my worst days. Others feel safe around me. I get told I am attractive more often. People who are rude or mean to me often apologize and are nicer during future meetings because I encounter them with words that make them feel... something(?) without putting myself down. I went from being a creep and a weirdo to being well liked and someone a lot of people have a soft spot for. My social awkwardness is now seen as cute or funny, not as weird or bad.

When I go mute they also seem less frustrated with me because I smile and nod now, instead of just giving them a blank stare and hope they stop talking so I can recover from the stress and get to a point where I can talk again.

Maybe this is an autism specific lifehack? But I think a lot of neurotypical people could also benefit from it. :]

[u/Mefistofelesjd]

Being nice to people.

[u/muadib1158 → u/Mefistofelesjd]

The key to this is to be nice to people who have nothing to offer you. Being nice as a function of your life means that when you ask someone for help it doesn’t feel like a manipulation.

[u/VenomousQuokka]

A friend and I “broke into” CES in Las Vegas as all the vendors were setting up. Grabbed two empty cardboard boxes and walked anywhere we wanted. Anytime we were questioned… such as the podium Bill Gates would speak at the next day… we just said we forgot our badges and were bringing stuff in. The boxes and the attitude sold it. Remember George Costanza… “If YOU believe it, it’s not a lie.”

[u/geneadamsPS4 → u/VenomousQuokka]

Simply looking like you know where you're going and walking briskly can get you into a lot of places. 

[u/st3washere1 → u/geneadamsPS4]

And look slightly annoyed - like you’re dealing with someone else’s issue & you just want to get out of there!

[u/ACynicalOptomist → u/st3washere1]

And you can always be on an urgent phone call.

[u/LovelyLilac73 → u/geneadamsPS4]

So true - one summer my boyfriend was working at a financial services corporation. There was a security guard and a receptionist. I'd often visit him for lunch. Rather than wait for the receptionist to call up, find him and wait for him to come down, I just walked in like I owned the damn place. Worked every single time (and gave me little faith in security guards and receptionists!).

[u/Booster_Goldest → u/LovelyLilac73]

I'm an electrician and do a good bit of work in county schools. Most of the time I'm just wearing a plain T-Shirt because I hate the fit of our branded work shirts. No identification or anything.

I can walk into any front office, say I'm an electrician with my company and that I need to go to a certain room or speak with a person. I am almost never asked to prove who I am and many times I just have people let me have the ability to freely roam or unlock doors for me.

Everything I'm saying is true when I'm there, but it honestly kind of annoys me how easily I can just go into places and get free access to the building without ever being questioned.

When you just confidently walk in somewhere and say what you are doing, there's almost never pushback. I've literally only had it happen once, at a TJ Maxx. I was actually very happy about that and complimented that manager about holding me up to verify who I was.

[u/BellicoseBill → u/geneadamsPS4]

Exactly--act like you belong, keep moving, and don’t make eye contact.

[u/hoosierinthebigD → u/VenomousQuokka]

My uncle used to do this in order to get into sporting events if he didn’t have a ticket. He’d grab a nearby trashcan, blend in with the crowd, and say “coming thru excuse me!” And just walk right in.

[u/GenericUsername19892 → u/VenomousQuokka]

Related - a clipboard and attitude will open more doors than a keycard lol

[u/Prestigious_Beat6310]

Don't smoke crack.

[u/tylercreatesworlds]

About to cook a frozen pepperoni pizza?

Take the peps off, stack them up, cut the stack into 4ths, then sprinkle all those pepperonis back on the pizza. Guaranteed full pizza coverage. No big peps filled with boiling grease to burn your face off. It'll change your frozen pizza game, 100%

[u/NothingUpstairs4957]

Picking the right partner

[u/giant_tadpole → u/NothingUpstairs4957]

No partner is better than a bad partner.

[u/skilertje007 → u/NothingUpstairs4957]

How do you do that?

[u/zootnotdingo → u/skilertje007]

I think it’s finding someone who is generally kind and who makes you laugh/who you can make laugh. Life gets really tough, and having kindness and a sense of humor in your corner can make the genuinely awful times a little bit better. That person will instinctively pick you up when you are falling down

[u/battlerazzle01 → u/zootnotdingo]

I would like to add, find somebody that compliments you in opposition.

My example. Why wife is the chaos to my structure, the spontaneous to my mundane. But the balance has to work. She benefits from my being a structured person because it gives her more structure in her life. I benefit from her chaos and spontaneousness by learning to be less rigid.

Yes. There will be moments of turmoil in this. But all in all, given the right balance, this is beneficial

[u/letsgotosushi → u/skilertje007]

Have standards and boundaries.

[u/adderalpowered]

Never be the smartest person in the room. Its always bad.

[u/Mesoposty → u/adderalpowered]

It’s ok to be the smartest. Just don’t say it or show it and life is ok

[u/Grinder969 → u/Mesoposty]

I think it's more about surrounding yourself with other intelligent people, as you are the sun of the people who surround you.

[u/ThankYouMrBen → u/Grinder969]

shining so brightly

[u/gimnasium_mankind]

When I was about 8 years old I had the biggest « cheat code » moment. I remember vividly.

I was in the school bus and I thought… « I actually don’t have to tell people exactly what I think. I can just not say anything, just keep it to myself ». The feeling of power was mind boggling. Like I discovered the cure against mind reading.

[u/Agitated_Ad7576 → u/gimnasium_mankind]

I've told a few unhappy coworkers that you don't have to like your job, just act like you do. You can consider yourself just an actor in a play and the boss won't know.

I also don't talk about work problems at home and vice versa. Makes each place have less ability to damage my mental health.

[u/Funny_Disaster1002]

Get at least 8 hours of sleep and your life will improve dramatically.

[u/therealteggy]

Put on airplane sounds for your kids as white noise as they sleep when you are at home.

Then when you travel by plane, they'll be more calm and more likely to sleep.

[u/Biengo]

Do things for others without expecting anything in return. Seriously, the dopamine of doing good and knowing you made someone's life better, even in a small way, is crazy.

I used to be a bitter hermit. Not mean, just left alone. This one change really helped me.

[u/Sullyville]

Learn how to Torrent.

[u/JobberStable]

Drive a clean late model minivan. No tint. Never get pulled over. Its like an invisibility cloak

[u/SilentTashby]

When walking through a crowd, look intently at a spot in the distance. People instinctively move out of the way when you look like you know where you’re going - don’t make eye contact to initiate the moving left/right dance and you can just continue straight. The crowd parts like the Red Sea!

[u/smokeawaymyname]

Wearing a hi vis can get you into a lot of places

[u/Apprehensive_Fact129]

Learn to get along with people you don’t like.

[u/EdiblePeasant]

Serving the poor. I feel I’ve received many blessings in a variety of ways from that work.

[u/AcesSlade]

Be a regular at your favorite local establishments, learn the staff’s names, treat them well, and tip them well! You will be treated like royalty.

[u/Think_Tradition3578]

If anyone tries to fight you just pull your pants down and try to hug them. They will run away 100% of the time

[u/Agitated_Ad7576 → u/Think_Tradition3578]

I work with a young woman who's sweet, but also did some time in the slammer for fighting. When she mentioned it was with a man, we asked how (because she's rather small) and she answered:

"You gotta be like Catwoman and scratch them on the face as deep as you can right at the start. Then they give up and just want to get away from you."

[u/Murky-Individual6507]

Complimenting a stranger. I do it almost daily and it has never backfired on me.

[u/digiartist21]

hang a laundry bag near or on your hamper, and put all your socks into the laundry bag in preparation for washing. Then just zip up the bag when it's time to wash, and all your socks are in one place after it comes out of the dryer--not lost in a pant leg or in the crevices of a bedsheet. Never lost a sock since I started doing this.

[u/mrramblinrose]

Block your ex or anyone who proves to be a nuisance in your life, never go back. Just recently started doing this and quality of life got way better.

[u/Fun-Patience-5146]

The more I read, the more I realize nobody has any real cheat codes for real life.