Reverse Psychology Quotes

People think, 'If I could only get motivated, then I'll act.' Nope. In actuality, it's the opposite.

It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.

I flee who chases me and chase who flees me.

Over emphatic negatives always suggest that what is being denied may be what is really being asserted.

When somebody tells you they're not very smart, they're saying exactly the opposite.

I would tell anyone who wants something from someone else to feign not wanting it. People are perverse. If you show great affection to them, they'll run the other way.

It's odd to look out there and see a bunch of Mini-Mes," says Williams. "You're wondering what possessed them to do such a thing . . . It sort of does a reverse psychology on you. You'd think you'd be like 'Hey, all these people want to look like me. I feel pretty cool.' But actually it makes you feel more self aware and I'm not really fond of that.

I mean the opposite of what I say./You've got it now? No, it's the other way.

Your enemies hate you more than they hate your ideas. Should you want a project to be undone propose it. Even if it were as useful as a bishop's mire it would be rejected. Once you are defeated let the humblest-looking among you sponsor it and your enemies to humble you will approve it.

Prohibitions create the desire they were intended to cure.

Sometimes they do things to make me do the opposite of what they think, I think, they think, I am going to do.

The best way to motivate me is to tell me no.

I try to lie as much as I can when I'm interviewed. It's reverse psychology. I figure if you lie, they'll print the truth.

I got a lot of motivation from my character of people-watching. And if they do something that annoys me, I steal it and do it because I know it annoys other people. If it annoys me, it's going to annoy you.

Funny how someone telling you not to do something can talk you into it.

Now he found out a new thing--namely, that to promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thing.

If you know a little bit the psychology of human beings, you have to understand that if you say something you should not do, then everybody wants to do it.

I printed a list of Irish names from the Internet and my husband, Dave, saw Finley on the list. I really liked it but didn't want to scare Dave off with my enthusiasm. So I used a little reverse psychology and let him think it was his idea.

If you tell kids they can't have something, that's what they want.

You gain power by pretending to be weak. By contrast, you make people feel strong. You save people by letting them save you.

I want to do the reverse of what people would think.

My parents' concern has been one of my greatest assets - I needed something to kick against. If they'd supported me every step of the way I might not have had enough fire in my belly to get where I have. Then I think: was this whole thing reverse psychology, did you really go to those lengths?

I was in a pharmacy and I saw the warnings on the backs of poisonous substances, and I thought, "Well, that's what I can do." So I wrote a list of ingredients in the book, and warnings that they shouldn't consume those ingredients. The editor and the publisher thought that it was a great way to go in terms of reverse psychology, but it honestly hadn't occurred to me that it was reverse psychology. I just thought that it was sort of an honest assessment making clear that if you were timid or easily disturbed, you could turn away.

Lose no time to contradict her, Nor endeavor to convict her; Only take this rule along, Always to advise her wrong, And reprove her when she's right; She may then grow wise for spite.