A classic example: Bobby has a homework assignment due, and friends and family coming to town expecting to party. Ex-girlfriend Sharon offers to do it for him. Bobby says no, but that he will accept help on the assignment. Sharon shows up at 2 am, project completed, looking like the hero of the night. Bobby is grateful, offers to reciprocate the favor for a future project of Sharon’s. Sharon leaves in a fit of tears.

How is this tricksy you may ask? Bobby didn’t ask Sharon to do the assignment. Sharon did it under the guise of it being a “favor”, to demonstrate how much she cares for Bobby. However, Sharon had a set idea in mind of what she expected Bobby to reciprocate. Sharon wanted Bobby to declare her as indispensable to his life. Sharon has, in her mind, made the ultimate sacrifice, and for Bobby to offer the exact same sacrifice, her martyrdom is not as impressive. Sharon set an impossible standard that Bobby could never attain. Bobby is left feeling guilty for accepting the project from her in the first place, and doubting his decency as a human being (what more could he have offered? She IS dispensable from his life, after all). The icing on the cake is the tears. Seriously. Tears are so 80s. We C’s have better tricks in our arsenal.

This trick has been marked a C+.

Now playing: Coheed And Cambria – Welcome Home
via FoxyTunes