What can I learn right now in just 10 minutes that could be useful for the rest of my life?

Any trait, or small trick, or life-hack, anything, other than some trivia or fact. Something one can learn in 10 minutes or so  (and perhaps with a bit of practice every day, can excel at it), but it must be useful for the person for the remainder of his or her life.

Please note that while someone's response may not be useful in your life, it can be very important to another's.

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Votes by Quora User, Ben Young, Akshay Suri, Uddhaw Gadagkar, and 9724 more.

1. Primacy and recency : People most remember the first and last things to occur, and barely the middle.

When scheduling an interview, ask what times the employer is interviewing and try to be first or last.

2. If you work in a bar or in customer service of any kind...

...Put a mirror behind you at the counter. This way angry customers who approach you will have to see themselves in the mirror behind you and the chances of them behaving irrationally lowers significantly.

3. Once you make the sales pitch, don't say anything else.

This works in sales, but it can also be applied in other ways. My boss at an old job was training me and just giving me pointers. I was working at a gym trying to sell memberships. He told me that once I got all the small talk out of the way and presented the prices, that the first person to talk will lose. It didn't seem like a big deal but it actually worked. Often there were long periods of awkward silence as the person tried to come up with some excuse, but usually they bought.

4. If you ask someone a question and they only partially answer, just wait.

If you stay silent and keep eye contact they will usually continue talking.

5. Chew gum when you're approaching a situation that would make you nervous like public speaking or bungee jumping.

If we are eating , something in our brain reasons 'I would not be eating if I were danger. So I'm not in danger'. It has helped me to stay calm a few times.

6. People will always remember not what you said but how you made them feel.

Also most people like talking about themselves so ask lots of questions about them.

7. When you're learning something new, teach it to a friend . Let them ask questions to you related to it.

If you're able to teach something well, you can be sure that you've understood it very well.

8. If you get yourself to be really happy and excited to see other people, they will react the same to you.

It doesn't always happen the first time, but it will definitely happen next time.

9. The physical effects of stress - breathing rate and heart rate - are almost identical to the physical effects of courage.

When your feeling stressed from any situation immediately reframe it : Your body is getting ready to be courageous, it will NOT feeling stressed.

10. Pay attention to people's feet.

If you approach two people in the middle of a conversation, and they only turn their torsos and not their feet, they don't want you to join in the conversation. Similarly if you are in a conversation with a coworker who you think is paying attention to you and their torso is turned towards you but their feet are facing in another direction, they want the conversation to end.

11. Fake it till you make it ; confidence is more important than knowledge.

Don't be intimidated by anyone, everyone is playing a role and wearing a mask.

12. If you pretend to be something for long enough, you will eventually become it.

13. Not to be creepy, but if you want to stare at someone unashamedly, look directly past them and wait for them to try and meet your eyes.

When they fail to do that, they'll look around (usually nervously for a second) they won't look at you again for some time. This is your chance to straight up stare at this person for at least 45 seconds.

14. Build a network.

Become their information source, and let them be yours. Even grabbing a beer with a former colleague once a year will keep you in the loop at the old office. Former coworkers might have gotten a new position in that office you always wanted to work in, great! Go to them for a beer, and ask about the office. It's all about connections and information.

15. If you are angry at the person in front of you driving like a grandmother...

Pretend it is your grandmother, it will significantly reduce your road rage

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