How to Smooth Talk Your Way out of Trouble

Act honest and sincere., Avoid stress signals., Start sentences with “Yes, I agree that….” This method of speaking will show that you are interested in learning and cooperation, not defensiveness., Do not lie., Put your feelings into words., Speak...

10 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Act honest and sincere.

    This will go along way to getting on your parents’ good side.

    Someone with an honest-looking demeanor can go a long way in convincing someone you are innocent, or, at the very least, remorseful.Arguing or whining will just prolong the conversation and will not work in your favor. , These are verbal and nonverbal signals that many people associate with lying.Look the person in the eyes.

    Do not glance around furtively.

    Even though eye movement has been proven to not be associated with lying, many people still make the correlations.

    Do not fidget.

    This could be playing with your hands, gesturing, putting your hair behind your ears, or other nervous tics.

    Try sitting on your hands or grasping your hands together to avoid fidgeting.

    Power prime.

    Power priming is when you think back to a time when you were in control or had power.

    Calling upon these memories can affect how other people perceive you.

    By putting yourself back where you were when you were successful and/or cunning, people will perceive you that way, too. , Finish the sentence with something specific, not something general.

    This tactic will show them you are listening and that they are being heard., Lying will end up being more costly in the end.

    You will feel trapped by the lie you set up or caught in a contradiction., Instead of letting your feelings come out in a passive-aggressive way, or not at all, say them in a sentence.

    For example, say “Mom, I’m ashamed about what I did” or “I feel guilty about what I did.”, Understanding your parents’ point of view will open up a lot of possibilities., and then you can begin speaking to what they are upset about.

    For example, let’s say you broke a window.

    They may not be upset about the broken window—they may actually be upset that you did not tell them about it immediately, or perhaps money is tight and the unforeseen cost is causing them stress.

    Figure out what they are truly upset about, which might be different than what you see as important.

    What they are upset about may be different than your point of view, but it is key to becoming empathetic with your words.For the window example above, instead of saying "I'm sorry I broke the window," or "I didn't mean to break the window," speak to their concerns. say "I should have told you about the window immediately" or "I know things are tight right now, and I'll pay you back with my allowance."

    Be kind, respectful, and complimentary.

    Go so far as to recognize the work they do and flatter them.

    They probably do not hear it enough, so coming at an opportune time like now will work in your favor.You could say, "I know that this is probably the last thing you want to deal with after a long day at work" or "You do so much for me and this was unacceptable behavior."

    This is a good idea because it shows that you are taking initiative.

    And it is one less thing that they have to do.

    This is a good way to mend the situation and show you are sorry.In the window example, you could offer to pay for it, or clean the windows for a month.
  2. Step 2: Avoid stress signals.

  3. Step 3: Start sentences with “Yes

  4. Step 4: I agree that….” This method of speaking will show that you are interested in learning and cooperation

  5. Step 5: not defensiveness.

  6. Step 6: Do not lie.

  7. Step 7: Put your feelings into words.

  8. Step 8: Speak empathetically.

  9. Step 9: Compliment them.

  10. Step 10: Offer something you can do to make up for it.

Detailed Guide

This will go along way to getting on your parents’ good side.

Someone with an honest-looking demeanor can go a long way in convincing someone you are innocent, or, at the very least, remorseful.Arguing or whining will just prolong the conversation and will not work in your favor. , These are verbal and nonverbal signals that many people associate with lying.Look the person in the eyes.

Do not glance around furtively.

Even though eye movement has been proven to not be associated with lying, many people still make the correlations.

Do not fidget.

This could be playing with your hands, gesturing, putting your hair behind your ears, or other nervous tics.

Try sitting on your hands or grasping your hands together to avoid fidgeting.

Power prime.

Power priming is when you think back to a time when you were in control or had power.

Calling upon these memories can affect how other people perceive you.

By putting yourself back where you were when you were successful and/or cunning, people will perceive you that way, too. , Finish the sentence with something specific, not something general.

This tactic will show them you are listening and that they are being heard., Lying will end up being more costly in the end.

You will feel trapped by the lie you set up or caught in a contradiction., Instead of letting your feelings come out in a passive-aggressive way, or not at all, say them in a sentence.

For example, say “Mom, I’m ashamed about what I did” or “I feel guilty about what I did.”, Understanding your parents’ point of view will open up a lot of possibilities., and then you can begin speaking to what they are upset about.

For example, let’s say you broke a window.

They may not be upset about the broken window—they may actually be upset that you did not tell them about it immediately, or perhaps money is tight and the unforeseen cost is causing them stress.

Figure out what they are truly upset about, which might be different than what you see as important.

What they are upset about may be different than your point of view, but it is key to becoming empathetic with your words.For the window example above, instead of saying "I'm sorry I broke the window," or "I didn't mean to break the window," speak to their concerns. say "I should have told you about the window immediately" or "I know things are tight right now, and I'll pay you back with my allowance."

Be kind, respectful, and complimentary.

Go so far as to recognize the work they do and flatter them.

They probably do not hear it enough, so coming at an opportune time like now will work in your favor.You could say, "I know that this is probably the last thing you want to deal with after a long day at work" or "You do so much for me and this was unacceptable behavior."

This is a good idea because it shows that you are taking initiative.

And it is one less thing that they have to do.

This is a good way to mend the situation and show you are sorry.In the window example, you could offer to pay for it, or clean the windows for a month.

About the Author

C

Christopher Martin

Experienced content creator specializing in crafts guides and tutorials.

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