How to Eavesdrop
Hover around closed doors., Listen through the keyhole., Use a thin glass., Sit quietly in the next room., Crack the window., Eliminate other sounds.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Hover around closed doors.
Maybe you want to know how mad your parents really are about your D in Chemistry, or what your son is saying to his friend on the phone, or what your roommate really thinks about you.
Sneak quietly to the door and listen.
If someone walks by and sees you, don’t act suspicious.
Instead of running off in a hurry, seem like you have a reason to be there, such as picking up something you just happened to drop outside of the door.
If one of the people you are eavesdropping on comes out of the door, you could pretend you were about to knock and say something like, “Oh, I was just coming to find you.
I needed to ask you a question.” Then come up quickly with a question to ask! -
Step 2: Listen through the keyhole.
You may be able to hear more if you crouch down and put your ear to the door.
It would be a good idea to drop something very obvious on the floor (such as a pile of papers) so that if anyone comes by they will just think you are kneeling on the floor to pick up what you have dropped. , If you are trying to hear through a wall, you can use a thin drinking glass to amplify the sound.Place the rim of the glass to the wall and position your ear on the other end.
It’s best to use this method in a place where you won’t be seen, such as your bedroom.
You will have a harder time pretending not to be eavesdropping if someone sees you listening through a drinking glass! , You can position yourself in a good location to eavesdrop after a conversation you want to hear has already begun.
Just be quiet about it, and be sure to pretend to have a good reason to be there.
For instance, maybe your competition at work has a meeting with the boss, and the boss’s office is next to the supply closet.
Pretend you desperately need some paperclips.
In fact, you seem to be out of everything at the moment so you need to spend a while stocking up—long enough, at least, to eavesdrop just a tiny bit.
If you’re at home, your parents might be having a discussion in the kitchen that you want to overhear.
Go into the living room (or whichever room is near the kitchen) and sit quietly, but have an excuse ready if they ask you what you are doing.
Maybe you left something in the living room and you need to look under all the couch cushions… repeatedly. , You can catch a conversation going on outside your room by opening your window.
Don’t be too obvious, though.
Instead of opening the window all the way, just slowly open it an inch or two.
Sit down with your ear near the window so that the people you are eavesdropping on don’t see you.
You could also listen to a conversation happening inside your house from the outside via an open window, but you’ll have to do some pre-planning.
In this instance, you should crack the window prior to the conversation you want to overhear and position yourself outside.
Crouch down by the window on the outside of the house so no one inside sees you. , Wherever you are trying to eavesdrop, it’s important to cancel out any noise other than the conversation you are trying to overhear.
In addition to turning off the T.V. and stereo or MP3 player, be sure to turn off overhead fans and any devices, such as a computer or printer, that make less obvious noises.
Even small sounds can interfere with your attempt to overhear! -
Step 3: Use a thin glass.
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Step 4: Sit quietly in the next room.
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Step 5: Crack the window.
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Step 6: Eliminate other sounds.
Detailed Guide
Maybe you want to know how mad your parents really are about your D in Chemistry, or what your son is saying to his friend on the phone, or what your roommate really thinks about you.
Sneak quietly to the door and listen.
If someone walks by and sees you, don’t act suspicious.
Instead of running off in a hurry, seem like you have a reason to be there, such as picking up something you just happened to drop outside of the door.
If one of the people you are eavesdropping on comes out of the door, you could pretend you were about to knock and say something like, “Oh, I was just coming to find you.
I needed to ask you a question.” Then come up quickly with a question to ask!
You may be able to hear more if you crouch down and put your ear to the door.
It would be a good idea to drop something very obvious on the floor (such as a pile of papers) so that if anyone comes by they will just think you are kneeling on the floor to pick up what you have dropped. , If you are trying to hear through a wall, you can use a thin drinking glass to amplify the sound.Place the rim of the glass to the wall and position your ear on the other end.
It’s best to use this method in a place where you won’t be seen, such as your bedroom.
You will have a harder time pretending not to be eavesdropping if someone sees you listening through a drinking glass! , You can position yourself in a good location to eavesdrop after a conversation you want to hear has already begun.
Just be quiet about it, and be sure to pretend to have a good reason to be there.
For instance, maybe your competition at work has a meeting with the boss, and the boss’s office is next to the supply closet.
Pretend you desperately need some paperclips.
In fact, you seem to be out of everything at the moment so you need to spend a while stocking up—long enough, at least, to eavesdrop just a tiny bit.
If you’re at home, your parents might be having a discussion in the kitchen that you want to overhear.
Go into the living room (or whichever room is near the kitchen) and sit quietly, but have an excuse ready if they ask you what you are doing.
Maybe you left something in the living room and you need to look under all the couch cushions… repeatedly. , You can catch a conversation going on outside your room by opening your window.
Don’t be too obvious, though.
Instead of opening the window all the way, just slowly open it an inch or two.
Sit down with your ear near the window so that the people you are eavesdropping on don’t see you.
You could also listen to a conversation happening inside your house from the outside via an open window, but you’ll have to do some pre-planning.
In this instance, you should crack the window prior to the conversation you want to overhear and position yourself outside.
Crouch down by the window on the outside of the house so no one inside sees you. , Wherever you are trying to eavesdrop, it’s important to cancel out any noise other than the conversation you are trying to overhear.
In addition to turning off the T.V. and stereo or MP3 player, be sure to turn off overhead fans and any devices, such as a computer or printer, that make less obvious noises.
Even small sounds can interfere with your attempt to overhear!
About the Author
Samantha Gordon
Enthusiastic about teaching cooking techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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