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Yeah, I've def run into this. I can show a trick to someone without trying to impress them, but they still have defensive resentment. How do you break through that?

BlueCuzco wrote:Yeah, I've def run into this. I can show a trick to someone without trying to impress them, but they still have defensive resentment. How do you break through that?

That's the trouble with magic. Some people (usually young males) will always see it as a puzzle to be figured out. They will also always see you as a smart *rse who thinks he is clever. My answer - don't perform magic for men. Always go for females or at worse couples. Works for me.

There are many methods of removing defensive resentment and a lot of those methods are an individual thing depending on the personality of the performer. It is difficult to give you a specific method since what suits one person will not suit another.

One method not for everybody is to have something sympathetic about you. If you are a youngster doing magic, not too precocious or arrogant, you can often bypass the adult spectator's defensiveness. He ALREADY feels superior by virtue of age and consequently does not feel threatened. Similarly, if you are handicapped in some way you should not feel ashamed of expoiting this to win symjpaty and disarm the spectator's natural defensiveness.

Another way is to be humble-this is very soothing to the ego of the audience. If you have an air of conceit or arrogance which is a common fault nowadays the spectators will doubly resent you. If you are modest the audience will build you up. Contrast this approach to a magician who seems super confident and smooth. Sometimes this very slickness can count against the fellow because it can provoke the "defensive resentment" to kick in.

One way if it suits your personality is to affect an air of dithering or even incompetence. This can take the form of absent mindedness or naivety. This will make the audience feel superior and more sympathetic towards you. This is the method that I use more than any other. However as I have stated this style has to suit you. It suits me but it may not suit you.

Another method is to be friendly and human. You can even offer to teach them a simple trick if the situation warrants it. Get people to like you-their subconscious resentment will vanish if you are pleasant and HUMAN. I place special emphasis on appearing human; if you can do this, even making a slight mistake without appearing incompetent, you disarm the spectator's defences and he will grow to like you and liking you will help him to like your magic.

I have offered a few suggestions above. Take what you can use. I do hope this has been of assistance to BlueCuzco who asked the question.

themagicwand wrote:

BlueCuzco wrote:Yeah, I've def run into this. I can show a trick to someone without trying to impress them, but they still have defensive resentment. How do you break through that?

That's the trouble with magic. Some people (usually young males) will always see it as a puzzle to be figured out. They will also always see you as a smart *rse who thinks he is clever.

especially when theres girls around they want to impress

...bless the alpha male haha

The best way I think is to bing the specs onto your side, be their friend. When you first approach a group, be friendly, introcuce yourself and ask them their names. Before you even start to think about magic, have a chat with them, ask them about their day, how they've been, what they've been upto, show some interest in them and you'll not come across as a challenge.

When you do start performing involve the specs as much as possible, have a laugh and a joke with them. You need to entertain them and not just show off, if they're having a good time and enjoying what you're doing, they're not going to want to figure everything out.

Of course you will always get a few who will be difficult no matter what, you'll learn to spot these from a distance usually and avoid them. If it's a table hopping gig then I might just do one simple trick for these sorts of people and then move on. There's no point in flogging a dead horse and I'd much rather perform for people who are going to enjoy what I'm doing.