Stealth is a great feature to have at your disposal even if you're not a casual spy traveling the globe! Moments like surprise parties and pranks are easier and funnier if you can be a little elusive. For the more sinister individuals, stealth can also be used to get what you want when you can't get it through honest means, whether it's access to an exclusive club or just to walk into a movie theater showing a banned movie. minors. Cultivate your stealth skills for a life filled with excitement, thrills and, of course, occasional awkwardness too!
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Acting Like a Real Stealth Person
Step 1. You lie well
Being stealthy isn't just about moving silently without being seen. Equally important is having "social" stealth skills, skills that will help you get what you want from people and that will get you out of trouble if caught red-handed. Chief among these skills is to tell convincing lies. You will always need to be able to give a logical and benevolent explanation for your behavior.
One way to become a good liar is to take an acting class or sign up to participate in a theatrical production. Actors are, in a sense, professional liars: good actors use their faces, voices and bodies to convey a compelling story
Step 2. Hide your true emotions
A simple poker face can get you surprisingly far! When you are being sneaky, it is essential to appear serious about whatever lie you are producing, even if it is a big one! Sell your lies: Your voice, your face and your body should all support the certainty that you are telling the truth. This does not mean simply holding on to a rigid expression all the time; to support your lie, you may need to practice appearing cheerful, sad, worried and so on and expressing many other emotions, all that are possible!
There is a reason it is called a "poker face"; To help you develop stone-cold control over your facial expressions, sometimes join friends to play Texas Hold'Em or another variation of poker, most of which encourage players to hide their emotions
Step 3. Work out an excuse in advance
When you act stealthily, you bond with the possibility of being caught sooner or later: how you handle this situation can make the difference between being able to continue being stealthy and being caught. Create an upfront excuse as to why you are acting this way, it should be logical for where you are. For example, if you are caught red-handed on the second floor of a house while the party you were invited to is taking place on the first floor, you say you were looking for the bathroom.
If you're sneaking around people who don't know you, you can plan your excuse by even making up a fake name and / or supporting story. Support your story with your choice of clothing and behavior: if you are pretending to be a religious missionary, for example, you may want to wear clean pants, a fully buttoned white shirt and tie (if you are a man) and carry a religious text with you
Step 4. Be charming
Naturally agreeable people are more likely to get what they want; if you are particularly charming, you will have the option of working your way through people with just words instead of having to slip between them trying not to be seen. Maintain a friendly and interested attitude. Look people in the eye. Joke around with others, for example about the busyness of your profession if you're trying to build contact quickly. Pretend to support their opinions. Make sure you hit them. Remember, you don't have to be friends with them after getting past them in your path to continue with your stealth purposes, so use every opportunity at your disposal.
Don't be afraid to flirt! If you think you've gotten this person's attention, take the opportunity! A few well chosen words from an attractive woman can, for example, convince a bouncer to open the doors of an already full club
Step 5. Use your appearance as a social lever
People are superficial; sadly, they will often judge you based on how you look. When acting stealthily, use it to your advantage! You could wear starched pants and a polo shirt to look as clean and non-threatening as possible so people don't get suspicious. Instead, you should shave your head, wear a nose ring, and wear a dirty leather jacket if you want to look intimidating. Use common sense; ask yourself "What kind of person will have the best chance of overcoming obstacles in this situation?".
If you are really brave, you might even create a disguise and pretend to be someone you are not; However, remember that passing yourself off as a police officer and other such figures is a serious crime
Step 6. Use the element of surprise
When you want to reveal the fruits of your stealth to someone, make sure they don't expect this move from you. Make your behavior and environment appear as normal as possible until the last second. For example, if you are planning a surprise birthday party at someone's home, keep the house exactly as it was before, except for the room where the guests will be hiding. As you escort the birthday boy to the designated room, use the poker face you practiced to show your nonchalance as much as possible.
In the example above, be sure to keep your facade until this person is surprised! If you only give in to the giggles a few seconds too soon, you might miss out on the surprise
Part 2 of 3: Being Sneaky
Step 1. Observe your surroundings and the people around you
A truly stealthy person is aware of their surroundings. Listen and look for obstacles, whether they are animated (for example, a person or a dog) or inanimate (for example, a wire mesh). When acting stealthily, keep your eyes open and ears pricked!
- If you have the opportunity, study where you will be stealthy and who you will meet. Take notes. Even consider making simple sketches with maps - they will help you plan a strategy to be stealthy in this place and to get past these people.
- Look for patterns in people's behavior. For example, if you see your friend coming home from work every day at 6pm, you know your joke needs to be ready before this time.
Step 2. Overhear important conversations
You can gain information that shouldn't have been heard if you are looking for opportunities to eavesdrop on private conversations. If you are at a friend's house with a couple of other friends and you think they are making a joke behind your back, sneak up to the door when they are talking in another room, then listen through the keyhole or quietly place a glass on the door. to hear.
If someone is talking on the landline phone, try picking up the handset of another phone on the same line to secretly and easily listen to the conversation from elsewhere in the house. Just make sure you do it very, very quietly, don't breathe in direct contact with the handset
Step 3. Stay out of the line of sight of the viewers
The idea that most distinguishes stealth and that determines its success is that of not being seen doing something bad! When you steal some fries from a friend's lunch or come home after you get past the curfew, you won't want to be seen. Always keep something between you and other people who might see you. If you need to, bend or twist to hide behind counters, trees, pieces of wall, or any other environmental element that you can use to block other people's gaze lines.
- Avoid large open areas. You can't look in every direction at once, so in these areas it is difficult to keep track of people and, therefore, easier to be spotted. Stay Close to Walls Whenever Possible: You know you can't be seen through the wall, so you can focus your attention to get away from the angles you are most likely to be seen from.
- If you can, learn the building map in advance. Even a general understanding of where most rooms, windows and doors are located can help you make good decisions about which areas to avoid and where to hide in case the need arises.
Step 4. Minimize the noise you make when moving
People can hear you even if they can't see you, so one of your first concerns when sneaking around the house should be to make as little noise as possible. Use the following techniques as much as possible to soften your audio profile and to decrease the chances of being heard by people, even if you are only a few meters away!
- Walk with gentle steps. Keep your knees slightly bent as you slowly shift your weight from foot to foot. Take a gentle step by placing your heel first and then your toe.
- Wear "silent" clothes. Don't wear pieces of clothing that make noise when bending or moving. Soft fabrics are best - sports pants and many types of exercise clothing work well.
- Wear soft shoes. If you need to wear shoes, wear a pair with soft soles that won't squeak on wet surfaces. Slippers are better. Going barefoot is undoubtedly preferable!
- Do not touch the surfaces that emit noise. Most carpets make less noise than hardwood floors, which can creak and amplify the sound of your footsteps. Also avoid tripping over any glass or metal objects or stepping on branches if you are outdoors.
- If possible, only make large movements when another noise can cover them (for example, when a plane flies over your head).
Step 5. Go unnoticed in crowds
If you have to stealth somewhere where there are already dozens of people, you may be seen and heard. Instead of avoiding being detected, you should focus on creating an unmemorable impression on the people who will see you. Dress up and act inconspicuously for the situation. You appear affable and open, but don't talk to people unless necessary - the fewer people remember you, the better.
When trying to avoid a conversation, try to make it seem like you have something to do. Walk like you have a purpose, like you're on the path to heading towards something important, and you can't waste time talking
Step 6. Try to move your hands as if you were a magician
If you want to be stealthy, you will often have to grab or grab something from someone without being seen. Good professionals with excellent manual skills have steady, quick, and silent hands. Practicing simple magic tricks to improve basic gear techniques will help you steal without showing your new prize.
Step 7. Try to give misleading directions
Learning to create distractions to shift people's attention would otherwise be difficult or impossible when you want to be stealthy. If you're trying to get out of your house after curfew and your dad is watching TV in the living room, with your only exit in front of him, you should look for a reason to get him up! For example, drop a shovel in the place where she does DIY, making as much noise as possible. Quickly run to a place to hide (perhaps one you chose in advance), then wait for him to go and see where the noise is coming from. When it does, get out the door quickly!
Pickpockets draw attention to something else to steal wallets - you can use the same principle to confuse your friends! Keep a friend's attention focused on one thing, a funny video or a card trick for example, as you reach out of the line of their gaze to grab what you want
Step 8. Improve your strength and flexibility
Experienced stealth people benefit from a good workout; good physical condition can make a big difference when trying to climb a fence to hide quickly. Similarly, a flexible body can shrink into tiny hiding places much more easily than a clumsy and inflexible one. There is also a benefit for improving cardiovascular endurance: if they catch you red-handed and you need to escape, you'll need it!
If you haven't already, start an exercise routine to get on the right path of personal fitness
Part 3 of 3: Hone Your Stealth Skills
Step 1. Practice basic stealth skills
When you're just starting out, try to be stealthy in a subtle and barely noticeable way. When you are in a small place, for example in a car, you can focus on improving your stealth without having to consider too many things around you.
Try this stealth exercise. While sitting in the passenger seat, see if there are any coins in the cup holder. Quickly, but safely (while the machine is moving), take out the coins all at once. Make sure the driver is not seeing you and try not to make noise. Afterward, try putting all the coins back into the cup holder. This exercise will improve the firmness of your hands, your ability to move silently, and your ability to read the body language of the people you are trying to cheat
Step 2. Expand your stealth practice
When you become confident that you can sneak into small, controlled environments, it's time to practice in larger, more active ones. Each additional person in the neighborhood is a variable that you will need to keep in mind; being able to know what other people's position and line of gaze is even when you're not looking at them using clues like footsteps and so on is a vital stealth ability.
- Try this exercise at a social event; observe someone having a drink out of the corner of their eye. Wait until the glass is out of sight and move it to another room. Once you have moved it, go back and observe this person as they try to remember where they put it. Make sure you keep your expression normal, don't let it slip that you have something to do with it. This exercise improves your ability not to be perceived in crowded areas as well as your ability to control your emotions in front of a person you have cheated.
- For a good test of your ability to move silently, stay up late at night and try sneaking around your house when everyone is asleep; choose a point of the house to arrive at and then go back to your room, entering as many rooms as possible. In the quiet of the night, you will be able to hear even the most subtle movements.
Step 3. Keep your social skills sharp
You want to be able to pack lies, excuses and personal information at any moment to convince people with your words that they might interfere in your stealth mission, and then go further to achieve your purpose. Practice your ability to lie and charm others; often, it is as important as your ability to move without being seen or heard.
- Some people have a visceral negative reaction when they tell a lie that can be detected by others. To begin to overcome this problem, start telling lies that have no consequences and will do no harm. When someone asks you the time, add one minute more than the real time. Eventually you will overtake your reluctance, and if you gradually increase the scope of your lies, you will soon be able to convincingly tell real lies that will have consequences.
- If you are not socially picky, try to convince with words that you can enter an exclusive gym or country club - it will be a good test of your social stealth skills. Pack up a good excuse in advance, maybe you left your wallet in a locker or maybe your friends are waiting inside but they can't come and greet you because they're in the pool, away from their phones!
Advice
- If you get caught in the act in the middle of the night, you say you were going to the bathroom or drinking a glass of water (unless you are out). If you went out, then you claim you heard something and then you say you didn't want to wake anyone up or that they thought you were crazy.
- If you get caught red-handed after stealing someone else's things, think of a quick excuse and say “Oh! Excuse me! I thought this was my tea (or whatever else you had)”. Make sure you look surprised and sorry.
- When you find yourself in the middle of the act of stealth, you also do many activities at a time, to distract the person from whom you do not want to be seen.
- Always have an excuse at hand when you are being stealthy.
- Be quiet and don't draw attention to yourself unless you are sure that what you stole is hidden in your pocket, cuff or sleeve. Talking might help you sometimes (many people don't walk into a room and then leave without saying a word).
- When walking on a wooden floor, make sure you stay close to the walls because that's where it has its most support, so it won't creak at all (or not that much).
- If you are going to the bathroom, try peeing where there is no water so you don't make splashing noises.
- Remember, if you can see someone, that person can probably see you too.
Warnings
- If you get caught in the act in any of the steps described, you could make a bad impression.
- Never sneak into a job at night unless you know there's little chance of being seen or getting into trouble.
- If they catch you, you could get in trouble.
- Never, ever sneak up on government, military, police or corporate posts of high importance. This is job for professionally trained spies. You don't want to go cold to play James Bond!
