Reddit is home to a delicious subreddit called Random Acts of Pizza, where redditors try to convince others to send them a pizza by using tactics which range from “me hungry” to “won’t you take pity on a poor, starving student?”.
Tim Althoff, a researcher from Stanford University, compiled data from the over 21,000 posts on the subreddit and discovered some constants to the whole idea of asking for something, a discovery about the best way to ask strangers for a favor, according to factors such as need and your station in life.
They discovered that about 70% of the time the best requests had these factors in common:
- Demonstrated a strong need for the pizza (job or money issues, helping a family)
- Said they'd pay the favor back or pay it forward
- Had a high status in the community (Reddit Karma points and previous posts in Random Acts of Pizza)
So the next time you need a favor from a stranger keep these factors in mind and you may just come out with a slice of the pie!
-Via Lifehacker