The Whys - Kletische

The reasons for seldom mentioned facets of human influence. Learn the reasons behind the actions, thoughts, and understanding of those you influence.

Read full articles from your inbox:

All the Whys:

Why and When You Should Expose Ulterior Motives for Others’ Anger
Why You Shouldn’t Complain About Being Busy
Why You Should Recognize and Retreat From Blank Arguments
Why To Avoid Asking Leading Questions in Everyday Life
Why You Will Never Fully Know and Understand Anyone
Why You Should Be Careful Around Others’ Self-Deprecating Jokes
Why You Shouldn’t Ask Onlookers to Back Up Your Opinion
Why You Shouldn’t Make People Characters in the Examples You Use to Teach Them
Why You Shouldn’t Throw Your Phone on Your Bed or Couch
Why You Should Ask Yourself Two Things Before Exposing Secrets
Why It’s Best to Own the Embarrassing Things Others Use Against You
Why You Should Encourage Others to Own Your Good Ideas
Why You Shouldn’t Argue With Final Decisions at Work
Why It’s Better If Others Defend You
Why You Should Be Careful on Your Quest for Influence
Why Your Partner’s Cooking Always Tastes Good
Why You Should Remember One Thing Before Showing Off
Why You Should Master the Art of Baiting Others
Why Saying Things Implicitly Is Better Than Speaking Explicitly
Why the Well-Being of Your Team Members Matters Most
Why Mutual Struggle Is a Great Bonding Tool
Why You Shouldn’t Be Too Quick in Dismissing Obviously Dismissible Notions
Why You Should Cancel Out Others’ Intuition
Why Foreign Terms and Acronyms Repel Rather Than Attract
Why You Should Label People to Be Early Fans of Good Things
Why People Will Slander Trivial Aspects of Those They Compete Against
Why Communication Can Only Be Artistic If It Is Useful First
Why Your Known Opponents Will Salivate When Others Criticize You
Why You Should Speak Clearly and Directly
Why You Should Treat Subordinates As Peers
Why You Should Switch Seats With People Who Want to Sit Together
Why You Should Be Careful Being in First Place
Why You Shouldn’t Be Too Enthusiastic About Your Good Ideas
Why You Shouldn’t Brag About Your Big Numbers
Why You Should Beware of Praise at Work
Why You Should Never Take the Bait – (Scams, Frauds, Rackets, & Tricks)
Why You Should Talk About Dreams With Strangers
Why Compliments Directed at Others Aren’t Criticisms Directed at You
Why You Should Encourage Others to Give Out Compliments
Why Those Who Warn You Aren’t Wishing You Bad Luck
Why You Shouldn’t Benefit off Vulnerable People
Why You Should Let Others Play Music in the Car
Why You Should Tell Them They’re Ahead of Others Their Age
Why You Should Treat Superiority as a Privilege
Why You Should Know, but Not Say, What Others Want to Hear
Why You Should Accept Apologies Without Added Commentary
Why You Should Allow, and Encourage, Others to Be Resilient
Why You Should Take a Chance on Hiring an Inexperienced Employee
Why You Shouldn’t Be Quick to Use Commanding Statements
Why You Should Cater to Cultural Norms
Why the Waves of Life Will Wash Over Every Hole You Dig
Why You Should Deal With Deception in a Subtle Way
Why You Should Be Careful Bringing Up People’s Past
Why You Should Let Go of Your Ideas
Why You Shouldn’t Refute Online Criticism of Your Work
Why Your Kind Help Is Bound to Get Rejected
Why You Should Notice, but Not Expose, Others’ Mental Weaknesses
Why We’re Irked by People Who Embellish an Accent (Posers)
Why You Shouldn’t Brag About Taking a More Difficult Path
Why Giving Nicknames Is an Effective Method of Control
Why You Should Practice Not Having an Opinion
Why It’s Sometimes Best to Not React to Others’ Deception
Why We Instinctively Fear People with No Core Beliefs
Why You Shouldn’t React to Hate From a Select Few
Why Your Quest to Find Meaning Will Turn Up Short
Why No One Cares How Hard You Work (Until You Achieve Your Goals)
Why You Shouldn’t One-Up Recommendations You Receive
Why You Shouldn’t Over-Advertise Your Credentials
Why You Should Let Acceptance Simmer by Itself
Why You Shouldn’t Let People Label You
How to Handle the Compulsion to Correct Others
Why You Should Quickly Act on Motivation
Why You Should Be Gentle With Naive People
Why You Should Admit to the Unfair Advantages You Possess
Why Magicians Who Admit to Magic Not Being Real, Are More Interesting
Why You Should Seek the Most Painful Information
Why Teasing Is a Crucial Part of Teaching
Why You Shouldn’t Be Cynical When Others Are Entertained
Why Your Weaknesses Will Be Exploited
Why You Shouldn’t Compliment Difficult Questions Before Answering
Why You Shouldn’t Exploit Every Rule That’s in Your Favor
Why You Should Be Careful Making Friends at Work
Why Common Courtesy Is Powerful
Why Silence / Ghosting Is a Powerful Psychological Warfare Tool
Why Those Who You Distract Will Hate You
Why It’s Useful to Be in Tune With Others’ Problems
Why You Shouldn’t Explain Why You’re Helping Someone
Why You Hate When People Show You Videos on Their Phones (and How to Use This Knowledge to Manage People)
Why You Shouldn’t Vary in Your Show of Attention
Why You Should Be Charitable With Your Knowledge
Why a Divine Connection Is a Powerful, but Cheap, Method in Maintaining Influence
Why You Can’t Force Others to Listen
Why They’ll Listen Less the More You Sing
Why It’s Important to Miss Out on Some Social Events
Why People Like You When You Learn From Them
Why You Should Embrace the Lonely Facets of Leadership
Why You Should Be Very Careful Labeling Anything As Right or True
Why You Should Say Which One You Like More, Not Which One You Dislike
Why Complimenting Yourself Does Not Count
Why You Should Look for the Good in Others
Why It’s Better to Leave Earlier Than Later
Why Your Reactions to Others’ Bluffs Are More Important Than You Think
Why Being Average Is Good
Why You Need to Be Capable of Destroying What You Care for Most (Letting Go)
Why It Is Important to Be Vocal About Whom You Respect
Why You Shouldn’t Announce That It’s Raining When You Feel a Drop
Why Marketing Should Not Hold Power Over Truth
Why You Should Label Your Statements As Opinions, Not Truth
Why There Is No Winning When on a Quest for Peace
Why You Hate Your Neighbor / Roommate… And How To Stop
Why You Can’t Be Picky When Receiving Favors
Why People Over-Complicate What They’re Good At
Why It’s Good to Be Inclusive to Outsiders as a Group
Why You Shouldn’t Shame the Owners of Bad Ideas
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Employees’ Displeasure
Why You Should Support Those Who Are Struggling to Learn
Why You Should Be Careful Giving Unsolicited Advice
Why You Should Stop Ignoring the Small Stuff
Why Narcissists Tend to Complain a Lot
Why You Should Be Careful Publicly Correcting Members of Your Team
Why Predicting Others’ Behavior Starts With You
Why You Should Be Careful Talking About A Streak of Failures
Why You Should Analyze Live Performances
Why You Should Stop Interrupting People Immediately
Why Online Anonymity Should Make You More Positive
Why Being Respected is Better Than Being Well-Liked
Why Some Millionaires Drive Cheap Cars
Why Your Reminders Should Be Subtle
Why It’s Beneficial to Confirm Others’ Observations of You
Why You Win When You Forgive
Why Conflict Can Be a Good Thing for Your Growth
Why You Should Hear People Out in Full
Why Damaging Remarks Are More Painful When Shrouded in Kindness
Why You Shouldn’t Win Now at the Risk of Losing Later
Why There Is a Case for Keeping Certain People You Know Separated
Why You’re Talking to Yourself Right Now
Why Altruism and Self-Importance Do Not Mix
Why Attacking the Person Behind an Opinion Is an Automatic Loss
Why Social Retaliation Is Always a Bad Idea
Why You Should (Sometimes) Publicize Your Failures
Why You Should Remind People of Their Past Victories
Why You Shouldn’t Ask Friends for Special Treatment While They’re at Work
Why You Should Pick Your Competition Wisely
Why You Should Race Toward the Details
Why You Shouldn’t Describe Subordinates / Employees Like You Own Them
Why You Should Want to Lead a Pack
Why You Should Give the Little Guys a Voice
Why You Should Fill the Kettle With More Water Than You’ll Drink
Why You Should Study the Mechanics of Productive Action
Why You Shouldn’t Smile in Every Photo
Why the Square Watermelon Will Make You a Better Person
Why Loneliness Is the Final Boss in Your Journey Toward Your Goals
Why You Need to be Tuned Into the Reactions of Others
Why You Should Fear the Unknown Parts of Others’ Stories
Why You Should Give People Time to Admit Their Wrongs
Why You Should Confront Every Doubt (in Yourself and Others)
Why False Accusations Are Interesting to Onlookers
Why Your Mom Hates It When You Refer to Her As “She”
Why You Should Thoroughly Analyze Your Own Interests
Why You’re Not a Chef If You Simply Like Cooking
Why Your Tone Matters
Why You Should Reward Others’ Effort
Why “Yes Men” Are Dangerous, and How to Easily Spot Them
Why Having the Right “Enemies” Can Benefit You
Why You Should Agree With Excuses for Your Success
Why You Should Not Exploit Favors Others Do for You
Why You’re Vulnerable When Receiving Favors From Others
Why You Should Recognize Verbal Jabs but Not React
Why You Should Be Careful Establishing Someone’s Excellent Reputation
Why It Is Weak to Be Predictable
Why You Should Love Who / What They Already Love
Why You Should Be Low-key While Giving Gifts
Why You Should Be Open to Receiving Kindness
Why You Shouldn’t Stare at a Speaker’s Hand Gestures
Why It’s Strategic to Downplay Your Experience
Why Others’ Suspicion of You Can Be a Good Thing
Why You Shouldn’t Alienate People When You Criticize Them