In order to see the whole picture, first the speed has to slow down. You want to have a wide range of understanding about your circumstances or your surroundings before acting. Usually, the people who are not very perceptive are the one who cannot have perspective on both sides, and they sometimes tend to get into this bias, protective bias.

Try to build your ability to read others’ faces. Most people are good liars, but not great ones. With practice, you may find that you’re able to notice when the emotion on a person’s face doesn’t match with what he or she is saying. [3] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/8/81/Be-Cunning-Step-2Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Be-Cunning-Step-2Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/8/81/Be-Cunning-Step-2Bullet1. jpg/aid3021566-v4-728px-Be-Cunning-Step-2Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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Paying attention to details isn’t only useful for grim, serious purposes. If you’re in a prank war with friends, for example, pay attention to your surroundings when you enter your room - if you see any small detail that’s out of the ordinary, you have reason to be suspicious. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/3/33/Be-Cunning-Step-3Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Be-Cunning-Step-3Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/3/33/Be-Cunning-Step-3Bullet1. jpg/aid3021566-v4-728px-Be-Cunning-Step-3Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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If you’re running on fumes, you may want to use a moderate amount of caffeine in the form of coffee, tea, or an energy drink to perk yourself up. However, use caution - some people find it harder to focus on a caffeine high. Also, be sure to control your level of use, as becoming a caffeine addict will eventually rob your caffeine source of most of its alertness-boosting benefits. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/6/68/Be-Cunning-Step-4Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Be-Cunning-Step-4Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/6/68/Be-Cunning-Step-4Bullet1. jpg/aid3021566-v4-728px-Be-Cunning-Step-4Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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Let’s use an example. Say that you’re trying to convince a reluctant friend to buy a ticket to a fundraiser you’re throwing. You know your friend is normally pretty stubborn, but you also know he’s got a tremendous sweet tooth and that he also likes to be thought of as a gracious guest. You might casually invite him over to hang out, making sure there’s a tray of warm cookies on the counter as he walks in. Let him eat as many as he wants, then ask him to buy a ticket. He’s just enjoyed your hospitality and he doesn’t want to appear rude, so he’s much more likely to agree. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/6/69/Be-Cunning-Step-6Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Be-Cunning-Step-6Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/6/69/Be-Cunning-Step-6Bullet1. jpg/aid3021566-v4-728px-Be-Cunning-Step-6Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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Try to find low-stakes opportunities for practice so that you’re well-prepared when the time comes to be cunning in a serious situation. Performing good-natured pranks and practical jokes are a good way to build many of the skills you’ll need to be cunning without exposing yourself to much risk. For example, many pranks require you to act, lie, suppress your emotions, and ascertain others’ true motives if you want the prank to go off without a hitch. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/f/fa/Be-Cunning-Step-7Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Be-Cunning-Step-7Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/f/fa/Be-Cunning-Step-7Bullet1. jpg/aid3021566-v4-728px-Be-Cunning-Step-7Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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Investigative journalists routinely cut through mountains of lies and pretense to get to the truth. If you’re looking to sharpen your skeptic’s eye, you probably don’t need to go to journalism school, but you may benefit from researching and watching how journalists coax facts from their subjects in one-on-one interviews. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/c/c1/Be-Cunning-Step-8Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Be-Cunning-Step-8Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/c/c1/Be-Cunning-Step-8Bullet1. jpg/aid3021566-v4-728px-Be-Cunning-Step-8Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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The worst case scenario with this approach is that things will turn out in a way you didn’t anticipate. However, in the rare occasion that this happens, you won’t be any worse off than if you hadn’t considered any outcomes at all.

Appropriately, the actual game of poker is a great place to practice your poker face. In poker, if you want to win, you’ll need to keep your external façade completely calm when you have winning hands. You’ll also need to appear confident when you have awful hands. Practicing both of these skills will help you hone your cunning. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/2/2c/Be-Cunning-Step-12Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Be-Cunning-Step-12Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/2/2c/Be-Cunning-Step-12Bullet1. jpg/aid3021566-v4-728px-Be-Cunning-Step-12Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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Basic confidence-building tips include: Pay attention to your physical appearance - dress well and groom yourself Have friendly body language - stand up straight, smile, and look people in the eye Feed your interests - pick hobbies you’re good at and excel at them Be gracious - strive for politeness and friendliness, but never pretend to agree with someone just to appease him or her.

Not only can a cunning person lie to other people - she can also lie to herself. This may seem minor, but it’s an important ability for a cunning person to have at her disposal, as it allows her to mentally convince herself that she’s confident, that she’s not likely to be caught, etc. , which in turn makes her appear externally calm and relaxed. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/9/96/Be-Cunning-Step-14Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Be-Cunning-Step-14Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/9/96/Be-Cunning-Step-14Bullet1. jpg/aid3021566-v4-728px-Be-Cunning-Step-14Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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Let’s say you’re competing with a coworker you hate for a promotion. If, for instance, you know that this person is bad at giving presentations, you might try to volunteer to give an important joint presentation with him so that he’ll look bad in comparison to you.

Though it can be tempting to gloat after you’ve successfully deceived someone, don’t. You gain nothing other than a momentary feeling of superiority and you risk starting a long-term grudge with the person you lord your victory over. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/a/ad/Be-Cunning-Step-16Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Be-Cunning-Step-16Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/a/ad/Be-Cunning-Step-16Bullet1. jpg/aid3021566-v4-728px-Be-Cunning-Step-16Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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Let’s say you’re sneaking around backstage at a concert without backstage passes when a security guard stops you and asks what you’re doing. To avoid trouble, you’ve planned beforehand to play dumb. Pretend that you’re lost and that you’re looking for the bathroom, or that your friend told you that the best place to watch the show was from back here. Pretend to be surprised at the news that you’ve broken a rule - you probably won’t get in any serious trouble if it seems like you stumbled backstage by accident.