How do I learn to verbally intimidate people?

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Now why didn't I think of that.....

Once you've totally alienated yourself from others, you may regret it.

I spent most of my life being on the losing side in language games. I improved a lot after I did a degree because I learnt how to argue a case in a logical manner that others could follow.

Apart from that, yeah act crazy, it scares them.

I'm not really a big fan of intimidation. If you're trying to intimidate a low-life or a bully who's been picking on you, chances are that will only add fuel to his fire, and he/she will become even more abusive to you. The best thing to do is just ignore people like that. They'll leave you alone eventually if they find out they're not getting what they expected from you.

As an alternative to everything mentioned so far, you could try speaking in a high British accent.

there is one useful thing people may not know. it only applies in the case of people accusing you or pointing the finger at you in some kind of unreasonable criticism. it can often be a form of 'projection' the things that people hate about themselves they project on to others as others faults, so they can really be telling you all their faults and all the things they hate about themselves, but it comes in the form of accusations, criticism or slander aimed at you.

Well, who has mentioned anything about being totally self-alienated in this topic?

It seems as if these posters are talking about making comebacks at only those few people that abuse them. Please clarify the point you are trying to make. If you can, write a paragraph listing in great detail exactly what you mean, using straightforward and direct language. Name names if you have to.

I would find that extremely helpful to understanding your contribution to this entire topic.

slowmutant's contributions are a bit like that, yeah.

Verbal Self Defense? If someone humiliates you tell them to f**k off, you don't appreciate it and you won't let them get away with it. If it's at work, you can tell a supervisor.
Just remember, if you attack someone verbally and they got an aggressive personality they will pull stuff behind your back and resort to more devious tactics instead of confrontation, like defaming you to people at work so they are afraid of you and don't want to socialize with you, avoid you. They can ruin your reputation and make your life crap. If they don't have an aggressive personality they might turn it around and act like you have said the most horrid thing to them when they have done nothing to you. That's when you got to tell everyone how they humiliated you in the first place and hope they listen and care.
If all else fails: be a diplomat.

Last edited by ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo on 14 Feb 2009, 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Absolutely. Never ever use the technique I mentioned at work or with someone who can harm you or your reputation. Only with people who are trying to guilt-trip you or otherwise trying to demean you and don't have an important card that could be used against you.

You gotta be real careful with "verbal intimidation". Some people will take you for your word, and thats not always a good thing. It can lead to physical altercations, or as others have said, the ruining of your reputation.

But if you want to IMPOSE RESPECT, which is what you seem to be asking, you need not look farther than posture. The way you hold yourself is the gateway to acceptance, as well as armageddon. Simply holding your chest out, shoulders back, chin up and walking with conviction/confidence can usually keep MOST "bullies" at bay. See most bullies like to get a reaction out of you like others have stated before. Others, are just trying to stir the pot, to be a catalyst of cataclysmic proportions. They just want to set the world on fire(like the joker in the dark knight).

If you're dealing with the latter, your best bet is to keep your nose out of it. Ignore them, hold your pain inside and allow no one to realize behind your real eyes you cry tears of sorrow. They need not know your emotional side, only the one who shows no fear in the face of destruction. You can go the crazy route but understand you will be labled as the crazy one. Id rather go the silent but deadly route, if they dont know your intentions, they dont know what you're willing to do...

It's been said in these forums here and there that ignoring bullies is bad advice that is also last-century and not encouraged anymore.

Inspiring respect and intimidating are 2 completely different things. We've been answering the literal question about intimidation here. If the OP meant commanding respect, then they should clarify.

I'd echo what was recently said about posture. A lot of aspies have problems with bad posture because of poor muscle tone and that can be a big factor in people selecting you out as a victim or a 'weak' person, because physically bad posture is read as weak.

I have a couple of .5 kilo handweights and I only need to do about 5 minutes of floor exercises (a physiotherapist showed me which ones to do) and it helps me a lot with posture and it's amazing how different you feel when you do have good posture.

The other problem a lot of aspies have is a weak or thin or flat voice tone, so it doesn't matter how clever you are with words, if it's said in a 'weedy' voice tone it's ineffective so some people might need to consider some form of speech therapy.

I've learned that if you ask questions, it causes some unusual reactions. Not sure if it intimidates though. Perhaps it does.

That one thing works the least, at least in Yorkshire.

Many regional English dialects give the impression of a mild stroke or some form of oral cancer or even mental retardation. That mush-mouth grates on the nerves, doesn't?

I mean like how Lara Croft speaks. Very upper-class and uppity.