Clever People Use Reverse Psychology — Lessons From the Past You Can Use on Your Family Today

You don’t really want to try these experiments on your friends and family do you?

In 1756, King Frederick II of Prussia wanted to end the famine his people were suffering.

A new crop from South America seemed to be the answer. He ordered every town to plant fields of potatoes. However, it didn’t go to plan. His people didn’t like the look of the potato, and the bland taste didn’t appeal to them. They continued to go hungry.

The King came up with a plan. He sent his soldiers to protect the potato fields and ordered them to make a show of their presence.

The townsfolk became curious. What nutritious food were the guards hiding?

The people didn’t know the soldiers were told to turn a blind eye to any thieves. Stealing the potato crop was easy. Starving people are experimental innovators. They learned to peel the potatoes and cook them with salt. Soon everyone was secretly planting their own crop.

The King’s reverse psychology worked.

Captain Cook also used reverse psychology on his crew. In the 17th century, scurvy was the scourge of seafarers — we now know a lack of vitamin C causes it.

Cook heard that a mysterious fermented cabbage from Germany could prevent the worst symptoms: bleeding gums, teeth falling out, black skin, tiredness, sore limbs, death.

In 1768, Captain Cook set sail with barrel loads of sauerkraut loaded onto his ship. But the crew didn’t like the taste. Most tossed their ration overboard.

Instead of ordering his crew to eat the strange new food, he posted a guard on the hold to stop anyone from stealing the Sauerkraut and made it a punishable offence if they caught anyone.

At every meal, with grand ceremony, they served Captain Cook and his officers with the Sauerkraut. The crew soon hankered after the fermented food. They bribed the guard or stole it for themselves.

Within a few days, the crew pleaded with Captain Cook for a daily ration. Cook relented, and the ship returned from its lengthy voyage without a single case of scurvy.

Reverse psychology

• Reverse psychology is a manipulation technique that involves getting people to do something by advocating for a behaviour that is different from the desired outcome.

Calling it a manipulation technique implies a nefarious intention. If it does some good or helps someone, then it isn’t so much manipulation as a skill.

Here is how it works in the home:

Experiment №1

Parents often clock on to the benefits of reverse psychology.

For example, a mum or dad might use reverse psychology at the dinner table by telling their offspring “You’re just a child, so you probably won’t be able to eat all the vegetables on your plate,” in order to get their kid to eat the healthy stuff.

The child takes it as a challenge and gobbles up all his peas and carrots, cabbage and kale, beans and Brussel sprouts, well maybe not the Brussel sprouts — only monsters eat those.

The problem is, will reverse psychology work every time? I’ll wager kids soon suspect something is going on and as soon as they do, they are back to screaming the house down for pizza and ice cream.

Science tells us we don’t need to use manipulative methods to get kids to eat fruit and veg.

Experimental studies found evidence that health messages and descriptive social norm-based messages increased children’s fruit and vegetable consumption.

So it might take a little reverse psychology to get the child to eat the good stuff the first time but backing it up with positive health messages and confirming their favourite pop star loves to eat fruit and veg is the best way to encourage their long term buy-in.

Experiment №2

Children can be experts at manipulating their parents. And naturally, say stuff contrary to what their evil little minds really want.

“Dad, you don’t have to come to watch me at my ballet class if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll be there, Billy Elliot Junior.”

Then there are the teenage years when your child and does not want you anywhere near them. This is where double-reverse psychology takes place.

“Susan, would you like me to pick you up from the school disco so you can introduce me to all your friends?”

“No, Dad. Muuuuum, can you pick me up, puhlease?”

Experiment №3

Getting someone to listen to you can be as simple as:

“Oh, I just thought of something. Wait, you won’t want to hear it, sorry.”

Their curiosity takes over.

What if the other person won’t shut up long enough to get that in?

A little trick I use is to nod and mumble a few words as they speak. In your mumble, include words that will make them curious: sex, orgy, fortune, banned, secret.

For example:

“Yeah, something like that happened to me. I didn’t know it was an orgy until I got the bill.”

Experiment №4

Watch what you want on TV.

If your partner is anything like mine, your tastes might be like penguins and polar bears — opposite ends of the planet.

I like the skill and excitement of sport, clever dialogue, tight plots, anything that makes me laugh and uplifting stories that feed the soul. She likes drivel and guff.

Let’s say there is a film you want to watch. Try this:

“I see Police Academy 54 is on tonight. Didn’t your [best friend] say it was superb? I bet it isn’t. You don’t want to see it, do you?”

Boom! Drop that mike.

Experiment №5

Do what King Frederick and Captain Cook did.

Pick a food/drink and put a label on it, E.g., “Malky’s Marmalade — Do Not Touch!”

Make a ceremony of eating it. That’s it.

See how long your next jar lasts.

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