Gaining the Advantage
Whats going on in the mind of another person can only be guessed at and the only way to determine the exact truth is for that person to openly admit when asked if they are thinking about a certain subject, this is rarely the case if the subject in question holds an answer that may be possibly unfavourable towards he or she on the receiving end of an unexpected question.in this example of urban pschology i will try to illustrate that as an example, would be that almost certainly, when faced with an inquiry someone would answer that inquiry with an inquiry, something as simple as ''excuse me,could you retreive your wallet from your pocket and give me twenty pounds''?
Reading the Signs
99 times out of 100 the answer would be ''WHAT''? even though this question may only be asked by a beggar or mugger the answer would always be the same but at very least the person asking the question would gain a small advantage in that how that answer is perceived, if someone answered ''what?'' with eyebrows raised and voice tone slightly higher than usual,then it would suggest to a would be mugger/robber that he should ask the question again but in a more intimidatory way because the signal being received would be that he or she is apprehensive and scared to give the wrong answer, and maybe face possible violence, also by answering in this manner the intended victim in turn buys themselves precious seconds on which to respond by fleeing the scene before being asked again.
So Little Speaks So Much
On the other hand, if someone were to answer ''WHAT?'' loudly and clearly with a furrowed brow then the inquisitor would almost certainly,sheepishly grin and make a hasty retreat because the manner in which the answer was given would suggest that he was dealing with someone that is formidible and isn't going to part with his money so easily.The same applies in the animal world, in Lions,Hyenas,Cheetahs,Monkeys etc, submissive behaviour showing of teeth in a "sheepish grin" sort of way followed by retreat, human beings subconsciously display these signs and most of the time no-one takes any notice. but in the enviroment of URBAN psychology, these signs are picked up on by predators,people searching for an advantage for financial reward, whether it be a door to door salesman ,used car salesman or shop in the High street, they're are all asking questions and picking up what they can from the answers to gain the advantage and potential reward.
In the next chapter of urban psychology I will write about pitfalls & pendulums.
