24.
“This is entirely anecdotal, but it’s worked for me for years: While walking through bad neighborhoods, people seem less likely to bother you if you’re eating something. I think a lot of it has to do with appearing calm, but I’ve never had anyone give me a hard time while I’m munching on an apple or banana or whatever. Much safer than fiddling with one’s smartphone, anyway.”
—u/Delia_Dunn
“Animals/humans only eat when they feel safe or unthreatened. When someone observes you eating, they infer that you are not a threat either.”
—u/uselessartist
“Hi, psychologist here! So, basically, your nervous system has different sub-systems. Two of which control the four F’s. The sympathetic is for fight or flight, the autonomic is for food and fucking.
These two are opposites; they can’t really be active at the same time. Think of it like diverting energy from one grid to another. So, if you’re scared, your brain diverts energy from your digestive system to your muscles and adrenal glands, which is why you can lose your appetite under extreme stress. However, the brain is also easily fooled, so by chewing gum or eating, the body will automatically start producing saliva if something is in your mouth. This makes your brain think, ‘Oh, I must be alright, lol,’ and energy is diverted back to the autonomic system. Thus, your body language is relaxed, less tense, and you look like less of a target that way.”
—u/probablyapsychopath
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahmarder/mind-tricks-that-work