mis rec di tion

“Misdirection is the key element. We can create a space where we give them something to look at to take their mind away from what they really should be seeing.” ~Chris Conti

The story is told of Mr. Dowd. He started on his way down the street, when all of a sudden he heard a voice that said: “Good evening, Mr. Dowd.’ He turned, and there was a big white rabbit leaning against a lamppost. Well, He did not think much of it, because when you have lived in a town as long as he had lived in this town, you get used to the fact that everybody knows your name.”

Now this is a somewhat comical way to illustrate a much deeper concept. The humor of this story comes by way of misdirection. In the presentation of said story I would imagine the storyteller pauses after the introduction of the rabbit leaning on the lamppost. The audience is then filled with suspense. What is going to happen with this big rabbit? This is the pump fake, or the catch if you will. The storyteller creates a non-reality scenario to peak your attention and then intentionally does not address it; in lies the humor.

It is brilliant if you think about it. All the time and effort that goes into perfect on-stage execution.

Misdirection is commonly used in comedy but I would argue that it finds its niche in the world of magic and illusion. To adequately understand “misdirection” first imagine as if you are the one witnessing the misdirection. The magician tells you to look and then points, so you look. Your focus is then misdirected. Quite technically, your focus has been directed elsewhere not misdirected. The only reason it is considered “misdirection” is because you “missed” the action (in this case the revealing action of the trick).

Thus we can conclude that misdirection is really another form of direction. This becomes more clear when you think of it from the magician’s standpoint. Same scenario lets say you, as the magician need the audience to look away from your left hand. You do not think, how can I misdirect their attention from my left hand, rather you think, how can I direct their attention to my right. You must separate the two actions in order to simplify the trick’s execution; a slight nuance, but one with significant results.

Misdirection can be summed up as getting the audience to look in the wrong place at the right time.

You may be wondering did he really mean to introduce the story with a big rabbit and then talk about magicians (ironically a thought that only occurred to me now)?? Or you might be thinking where is he possibly going?

Well, what if I were to tell you that you are a MASTER at misdirection? Would you believe me?

Possibly?

Perhaps several examples… Can you think back to a time in your life where you absolutely convinced yourself of something that was not plausible? Like back in the day when you use to check your closet for monsters before bed. Did you ever lie down and convince yourself there is no way there is a monster in your closet by thinking or concentrating on something else? How is this misdirection you may ask?? To blind yourself from what is causing you to be fearful you distract, or more precisely, misdirect your thoughts from what is causing the fear. 

Or have you ever continued in a wrong action long enough that you learned how to justify it in your mind? You might ask, how is that misdirection? Well, we learn how to “direct” our attention to our justification rather than focus on the “wrong” that we clearly and quite obviously wanted to avoid.

These are two minor examples of misdirection that we commonly see in our lives.

Misdirection can even be seen in the Scriptures…

Jesus in John chapter 5 because talking to these Jewish leaders that have been heckling him about the laws of the Sabbath. He begins telling them about the authority of the Son of Man (something the Jewish culture still does not accept). He starts a beautiful discourse, but remember whom he is talking to. He is not talking to laymen, or ignorant men, he is talking to religiously educated individuals who know the law and the scriptures well. It is in the middle of this discourse that He openly reveals a commonly practiced misdirection.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” John 5:39-40

Is it possible that we, even today, can separate something that is so intimately connected, Scripture and Jesus?

Jesus clearly states that the Scriptures do not in and of themselves contain Eternal Life. They are not an end; they are a means to an end. The Scriptures are there so that me may come to know the Almighty God.

May it be that we do not fall into this misdirection. May we see the importance of the Scriptures as becoming closer to the One who inspired them; and may our minds always be completely and utterly directed upon Him.