Dear Jerxy Week - Day 3: ESP as EDC & the Moment of Transition
/In your EDC post you said that one thing you wouldn’t carry around with you is ESP cards. Do you really think carrying around 5 cards in your wallet seems that unusual to normal people? I’m trying to get in the mindset of a non-magician and I can’t decide if I’d find that weird or not. —EB
Well, look, when compared to carrying around a Tenyo prop or a Hot Rod, five ESP cards is certainly not that strange. But compared to a dollar bill or a credit card, then yeah, it is kind of weird.
When getting into a trick in social situations, you want there to be as little friction as possible. The more unusual the props you have, the bigger the speed-bump you’re introducing en route to getting into the trick.
To a certain extent, the “weirdness” is going to depend on how they’re introduced. If you and I just meet at an airport lounge and I pull out my ESP cards and ask you to think of one, that’s going to seem socially clumsy to most people.
Instead, let’s imagine we’re chatting for a few minutes, and at some point during that discussion I mention an interest I have in magic or “powers of the mind” or something and it seems like you’re intrigued. Then—spurred on by your interest—I say, “Oh, wait… I’ve been carrying around these cards and trying a little experiment when I meet someone new. Can we try it?”
In that transition, I’ve somewhat “normalized” the cards. You know about my unusual interest. And I told you I carry around the cards for an experiment when I “meet someone new.” Well, you don’t meet someone new in your living room, for the most part. So, in that case, carrying them with me does make a little more sense.
So in the lead-up to getting into the effect, it’s possible to do some groundwork so a potentially unusual EDC item might seem a little more normal.
Let me take a brief detour…
Magicians have told me, “You’re overthinking things. Just show people a trick.” But just jumping into a trick isn’t my style. That moment of transitioning from a normal human interaction to one where they’re seeing some kind of trick is the moment of the greatest potential tension. And it can turn the other person off if it’s not handled well.
You’ve undoubtedly had similar situations in your life. You meet someone new in a casual situation and you’re really hitting it off—they’re charming and fun to talk to. And then there’s that moment where he says something like, “Yeah, man… that’s pretty crazy. Hey… do you think Jesus ever struggled with a decision like that?” And the interaction comes into focus. It’s no longer a fun conversation. You’re talking to someone who wants to convert you, or sell you something, or get you in bed. And the moment you realize that, there is a natural tendency to pull back from the interaction.
That can happen as you get into a trick as well. The pop-culture stereotype of the amateur magician is someone who is thirsty for attention and praise. If you don’t transition smoothly into your effect, then that’s what it’s going to feel like to people. So that’s why I don’t think it’s “overthinking” to be wary of that moment and the props you introduce.
Actually, I’m just coming to a realization…
When I meet people, I have a relatively easy time creating some rapport with them and having a good conversation. So my focus is on keeping that good energy flowing. But a lot of magicians are socially inept. Their inability to strike up a good conversation is why their pockets are jammed with 12 different tricks.
Ultimately, your personality is going to play a role regarding what tricks you carry and how you deploy them. In general, are you using magic to extend an interaction where you’ve already made a genuine connection? Or is it a safety net for when you’re feeling socially uneasy? In other words, do you tend to show people magic because you’re very comfortable with them, or because you’re uncomfortable with them? If it’s the latter, then maybe it matters less if you’re carrying around strange objects or stiffly transitioning into tricks. If you’re not coming from a great position to start with, you don’t really need to protect anything. You can be the guy who has a bunch of sponge rabbits in your pocket. That’s probably better than being the guy having a stilted conversation that’s going nowhere.
But if you’re a more social person naturally, and you tend to show people magic after you’ve built some rapport with them, you don’t want the transition into a trick to cause a hitch in that. You don’t want them to have that, “Hold up… is this guy actually some kind of weirdo?” moment.
Getting back to the original question…
In the early 2010s, I regularly used five marked ESP cards for a trick I would do socially.
During one performance, I either didn’t have the cards on me or I just wanted to try something different, and I ended up writing the symbols on balled-up paper napkins instead. The response to that performance was through the roof. It may have just been a coincidence, but since that time I’ve used the symbols written on paper or business cards or something like that when possible.
I’m a big believer in creating the props you’re using in the moment to whatever extent you can (for example). If you ever had a date where you made a meal with someone, you know that meal tastes better than the identical meal if you made it yourself at home and then brought it over. And certainly better than the same meal if it was pre-packaged at the grocery store.
So while having ESP cards in your wallet might not be the most ludicrous thing ever, if you can do the trick in a seemingly more offhand manner, that could be to everyone’s benefit.