An NPR podcast this week explored what happens when people flip the script, and respond to situations in ways that are completely unexpected.
Particularly interesting was the notion that a 180-degree change in attitude could shift a tense armed robbery in progress, and lead to a complete turnaround in the mind of the assailant.
A mellow Washington, D.C., backyard dinner party was suddenly confronted by a man with a gun pointed at the hostess’s head saying, ”Give me your money, or I’ll f*’ing start shooting.”
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Suddenly one of the women did something extraordinary—she offered him a glass of French wine… and that changed everything.
The concept of upending a situation— responding to confrontation with kindness, for instance—is called non-complementarity.
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Psychologist Christopher J. Hopwood says non-complementarity is also great for bettering relationships in your own life.
Alix Spiegel, host the “Invisibilia” podcast, explored the concept on the air in season two, episode five and, later, Manual Cinema brought the excerpted discussion to life with a shadow puppet performance.
(WATCH the video below)
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The armed robber probably was not expecting an offer of a glass of wine during his crime attempt.