As a magic hobbyist, I've started to go to Misdirections Magic Shop in San Francisco for my tricks and advice. I got to meet Joe Pon, great guy and very willing to coach on the tricks that you get from him during the lulls in the store.
I joked about how the only people I normally perform magic to are children, whom I teach on weekends, and my friends, who are engineers, the two demographics magicians have the most trouble with! As I said this, Joe said that children are definitely harder to fool, because it can be harder to misdirect them or manage them or even make them pay attention to the premise of the trick. However, he said that engineers are easier to fool than most people!
Unfortunately, he was managing customers and other clients at the time, and I had to leave then, so I'm curious and I'd like to hear people's opinions when dealing with engineering-type people who love puzzles and love to solve them. Are engineers easier to fool than most other people? Either by certain misdirections or other methods?
NOTE: By "engineers", I don't mean "hecklers". I graduated as a mechanical engineer, and it's part of the reason why I got into magic, sending me down the rabbit hole into a Wonderland. Most engineers understand etiquette, letting the magician "do his thing" (though some like to test edge cases by picking the top or bottom card when you spread it out). They'll burn your hands and ignore the presentation and story. They'll shut down their "tells" for mentalism better than most people. When the trick is done, they often don't react; instead, they replay everything in their minds. And if they smell anything suspicious with your hands, they'll be sure to note it.
Here's what I believe. I firmly believe that this doesn't make them a bad audience to perform to. They also love magic tricks, just differently. They engage with it not to prove you wrong, but because they zero in on the puzzle and sometimes forget the performer; that's just who they are (my friends, anyway). Some of my magic tricks they get suspicious of very easily, but for my tricks that require only a bit of sleight of hand and a very simple and clear performance, they get blown away by it and love it, but then they REALLY insist on seeing it a second time (which I dare not tempt, but they will see it, since they're my friends and I'll be performing it to different people each time). Is this what Joe means when engineers are easier to fool, when the sleight of hand and routines are minimal?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I joked about how the only people I normally perform magic to are children, whom I teach on weekends, and my friends, who are engineers, the two demographics magicians have the most trouble with! As I said this, Joe said that children are definitely harder to fool, because it can be harder to misdirect them or manage them or even make them pay attention to the premise of the trick. However, he said that engineers are easier to fool than most people!
Unfortunately, he was managing customers and other clients at the time, and I had to leave then, so I'm curious and I'd like to hear people's opinions when dealing with engineering-type people who love puzzles and love to solve them. Are engineers easier to fool than most other people? Either by certain misdirections or other methods?
NOTE: By "engineers", I don't mean "hecklers". I graduated as a mechanical engineer, and it's part of the reason why I got into magic, sending me down the rabbit hole into a Wonderland. Most engineers understand etiquette, letting the magician "do his thing" (though some like to test edge cases by picking the top or bottom card when you spread it out). They'll burn your hands and ignore the presentation and story. They'll shut down their "tells" for mentalism better than most people. When the trick is done, they often don't react; instead, they replay everything in their minds. And if they smell anything suspicious with your hands, they'll be sure to note it.
Here's what I believe. I firmly believe that this doesn't make them a bad audience to perform to. They also love magic tricks, just differently. They engage with it not to prove you wrong, but because they zero in on the puzzle and sometimes forget the performer; that's just who they are (my friends, anyway). Some of my magic tricks they get suspicious of very easily, but for my tricks that require only a bit of sleight of hand and a very simple and clear performance, they get blown away by it and love it, but then they REALLY insist on seeing it a second time (which I dare not tempt, but they will see it, since they're my friends and I'll be performing it to different people each time). Is this what Joe means when engineers are easier to fool, when the sleight of hand and routines are minimal?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
