Liars in cardistry?

Apr 9, 2017
28
4
So I just wanted to tell you guys something and I would like to know what you think about it.

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So I've been doing cardistry for some time now, and sometimes I would perform to laymen in groups. Their reaction were usually really great and they were impressed. And after I performed to them, I'd talk about cardistry to them to inform them about the art.

One time after I finished performing, one person went up to me and say that he has been doing cardistry for half a year; since I am basically alone doing cardistry (with no friends), I'm really excited hearing that someone flourish cards too.

So I hand him a deck of cards, and he just did nothing other than dribbling it very clumpy. And when I wanna talk about the cardistry community to him - like who's your favourite cardists, favourite flourish, etc - he cannot answer ANY SINGLE ONE of them. Obviously I know he's lying about saying he can do cardistry.

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Another case I had, someone told me he has been doing magic and cardistry for 3 years. I was happy hearing about someone who has experience with cards. So I asked him to show me few tricks. And he showed me the duck change, a variation of the erdnase change (I think that's what it's called, I'm not a magician), and few other very basic colour changes.

I asked him if he has any other tricks and he said no. I asked him if he knew what a classic pass is. He said no. 3 YEARS OF HANDLING CARDS AND HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT A CLASSIC PASS IS?!?! I'm not trying to brag and stuff, but 3 years is a pretty dang long time.

He also doesn't have any magic routines and stuff, so the only thing he performed was basic colour changes. His handling skill with a deck of cards is really bad too. And when I asked him about the magic community and stuff, he always said he forgot, etc; basically making excuses.
And obviously, I know he hasn't been learning magic for 3 years, from my prediction, it was maybe just a month.

-----------------------------------------------

Anyway, that is all about what I experienced with my friends (actually not friends, just acquaintances) who said they do cardistry and magic. And shockingly, they're the only people who said they can do cardistry and magic to me.

The question I want to know is: why would they lie so badly?

They know I've impressed a lot of people with cardistry (especially girls), so could that be a reason why they would lie?

Please tell me what you think about it, or if you have ever experienced things similar to this!! I'd love to hear from you guys, thanks!
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
People lie for any number of reasons, and in any number of ways.

Your second example, for example - maybe he has been "learning" for 3 years. But by "learning" he means he watches a YouTube Tutorial every now and then, and hasn't ever performed in front of someone else. Maybe his interest is really more in watching magic than performing it. As I've pointed out before, this lack of foundation skills is often due to learning from poor sources like YouTube tutorials.

The first example, could be that he just forgot everything he'd learned because he wasn't expecting to be put on the spot and hasn't done anything for anyone else. Could be that he's not a performer and didn't have any intention for someone to watch him do these skills.

In my experience (and this is in no way meant to sound universal) people tend to lie or exaggerate their skills for two main reasons. Either A) They're trying to defend their social position (ie: this guy has a skill I don't, so I'm going to pretend I do so he doesn't have any advantages over me), or B) They're trying to make friends by showing a common interest (ie: If there's something to talk about I don't have to feel awkward).

Personally, if someone shows interest in one of my interests, and they don't seem like an annoying person or a jerk, I will happily include them. Sometimes that's all they need to really push them into the new hobby full tilt, or maybe give them a community to belong to.
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
So I just wanted to tell you guys something and I would like to know what you think about it.

-----------------------------------------------

So I've been doing cardistry for some time now, and sometimes I would perform to laymen in groups. Their reaction were usually really great and they were impressed. And after I performed to them, I'd talk about cardistry to them to inform them about the art.

One time after I finished performing, one person went up to me and say that he has been doing cardistry for half a year; since I am basically alone doing cardistry (with no friends), I'm really excited hearing that someone flourish cards too.

So I hand him a deck of cards, and he just did nothing other than dribbling it very clumpy. And when I wanna talk about the cardistry community to him - like who's your favourite cardists, favourite flourish, etc - he cannot answer ANY SINGLE ONE of them. Obviously I know he's lying about saying he can do cardistry.

-----------------------------------------------

Another case I had, someone told me he has been doing magic and cardistry for 3 years. I was happy hearing about someone who has experience with cards. So I asked him to show me few tricks. And he showed me the duck change, a variation of the erdnase change (I think that's what it's called, I'm not a magician), and few other very basic colour changes.

I asked him if he has any other tricks and he said no. I asked him if he knew what a classic pass is. He said no. 3 YEARS OF HANDLING CARDS AND HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT A CLASSIC PASS IS?!?! I'm not trying to brag and stuff, but 3 years is a pretty dang long time.

He also doesn't have any magic routines and stuff, so the only thing he performed was basic colour changes. His handling skill with a deck of cards is really bad too. And when I asked him about the magic community and stuff, he always said he forgot, etc; basically making excuses.
And obviously, I know he hasn't been learning magic for 3 years, from my prediction, it was maybe just a month.

-----------------------------------------------

Anyway, that is all about what I experienced with my friends (actually not friends, just acquaintances) who said they do cardistry and magic. And shockingly, they're the only people who said they can do cardistry and magic to me.

The question I want to know is: why would they lie so badly?

They know I've impressed a lot of people with cardistry (especially girls), so could that be a reason why they would lie?

Please tell me what you think about it, or if you have ever experienced things similar to this!! I'd love to hear from you guys, thanks!
Hmmm...

I guess they are just insecure. Why? Maybe your style offended them?

See, I frankly LOVE cardistry. I am not an AMAZING GOD-LEVEL cardist, but I can do stuff (and I know abt the community and have a few fave flourishes, yay :D). However, what I also know is that, cardistry is not really something you perform one-on-one with someone. Maybe I am wrong but...Cardistry is more about the aesthetics and stuff and a media-based art form. You MAY perform it to someone but then, you are only TAKING stuff. You are taking their time,their appreciation, their compliments, without GIVING them anything really, like an experience to remember.

All that, ALL THAT being said...some people are naturally insecure. They just wanna be the best and stuff and no matter how humbly you perform for them, they just don't get the concept of a performance, where they are supposed to be the audience. So maybe it isn't your fault at all, but just, you know, some facts to ponder upon...

Also, cardistry is a really young bloke in the list of art forms. So if people mistake "Being great in cardistry" as being able to do a sloppy dribble then, well, what can we do as a community but sigh in harmony?

They know I've impressed a lot of people with cardistry (especially girls)

THAT is bound to get you hecklers :D

Anyways, srsly speaking, don't make that your goal when you perform cardistry. Not only for girls but, ANY one. Reason being that when one performs something to impress anyone at all, that performance ceases to be an art-form and is no longer a mode of self-expression for the artist (that's what I feel. I may be SO wrong, but still)...

PS:- I have seen almost all my female friends and my sister see someone performing stuff and appreciate them on-spot, but then come and rant about how that performer kept showing off. So take everything you see in this world with a whole pithos of salt. :)
 
Apr 9, 2017
28
4
Anyways, srsly speaking, don't make that your goal when you perform cardistry. Not only for girls but, ANY one. Reason being that when one performs something to impress anyone at all, that performance ceases to be an art-form and is no longer a mode of self-expression for the artist (that's what I feel. I may be SO wrong, but still)...

Yes I know what you mean, but impressing people isn't even the first reason why I started cardistry. Honestly, when I first started cardistry, I thought people would make fun or laugh at me for practicing flourishes for hours and hours each day, plus you can't even use these flourishes to evenly "shuffle" a deck. What I think a laymen would think is that: no magic = lame.

But after trying to perform to people - basically just to boost up my confidence - I found out that they really liked it. I was kinda shocked, because their reaction would be the complete opposite of what I would predict.

But if they are really impressed with cardistry, why not perform to them? In that way, I think "showing off" your skill to laymen is a great way to spread the artform. I don't mean "showing off" as in "HEY GUYS I'M THE BEST CARDIST IN THE WORLD, I CAN DO THE HARDEST FLOURISHES NO ONE CAN EVER PERFORM". But I think
" showing off" is to greatly mesmerize or transfix (hehe, see what I did there?) someone.

And if I can impress some girls in the meantime, why not? Again, that's not the reason why I even started cardistry, and also not the reason why I still continue doing it to this day.
 

C J

Nov 29, 2017
179
197
I thought people would make fun or laugh at me for practicing flourishes for hours and hours each day, plus you can't even use these flourishes to evenly "shuffle" a deck. What I think a laymen would think is that: no magic = lame.

*me

I have had these things happen a few times not for cardestry though just magic. One time I had this guy grab the deck out of my hand and explain to everyone the pass (note this is not the controle I used) but in the middle of executing the move IDK what happened it looked like the deck blew up in his hands it had me dying for like 5 minuets. That story aside with cardestry if I do something like lets say the werm for they have no idea what is going on and there normally pretty happy.

If I don’t mess up:p
 
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Aug 15, 2017
651
413
Yes I know what you mean, but impressing people isn't even the first reason why I started cardistry.
I know :) The fact that you actually love cardistry as an art was actually evident from the fact that you actually made it clear in your question that yoiu abhor the legitimate show-offs.

And if I can impress some girls in the meantime, why not? Again, that's not the reason why I even started cardistry, and also not the reason why I still continue doing it to this day.
It's fine...it's just that you stated it in your question which made it seem as if it was, at least, ONE of the main reasons, and not just the by-product of doing something visually cool (other than eating your own hand, that is, or taking off fingers from your ha---oh, wait...). Sorry, my bad I couldn't catch the meaning :)

One time I had this guy grab the deck out of my hand and explain to everyone the pass (note this is not the controle I used) but in the middle of executing the move IDK what happened it looked like the deck blew up in his hands
If I was there, I might have shouted out gleefully,
"TAKE THAT YA HECKLER!!!!!"
But you know what we do...pretend as if it was the greatest pass in the world. *sigh*
Being a polite human being is hard. Being a polite magician is God-Level (or warlock-level 60, take your pick) hard.
 
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Jan 26, 2017
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Virginia
This might just be me, but I have noticed that magicians especially tend to have a form of an inferiority complex (not everyone, it is generally beginner magicians, but it even goes as far as some professionals). If someone is better than them at something, a lot of magicians and cardists try and one up them by showing how good they are. I don't know why it is so common, and it might be because many of use meet other magicians/cardists mainly through the internet, but it seems to occur way to often.

I've found (and imo) that many of the best magicians/cardists don't care too much if someone is better than them because they understand how personal a performance has to be for it to be good.

Again, all IMO.
 
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