Magic is the dramatisation of an intellectual problem. The “How is that possible?!” presented in an engaging and entertaining way.
It needs to be fooling, but not leave people feeling foolish.
At its best magic connects and transports people. It does so by flawless sleight of hand, an engaging presentation, the ability to adapt to the audience, and empathy.
At its worst, the magician is “a dick with a trick”. Sloppy in performance, arrogant in presentation.
The biggest secrets to magic are not the tricks that one does, it’s how do we make people feel?
People often ask “What tricks do you do?”
The follow up question they should ask “Is how entertaining are you?”