Few kids seek to learn a skill specifically designed to impress people unless they feel less than impressive themselves.

When [the magician] clicks his fingers and cards change to the four aces, we know we have experienced sleight of hand. Real magic would not be quite that quick and easy. Real magic would take investment. Real magic would draw you in, and make you nervous.

We're terrible at realising what goes on in other people's heads because we are trapped inside our own.

A lot of unconfident kids do tricks because it's the quickest route to impressing people," he explains. "You can stand behind something amazing and people think you're amazing.

I control the conditions so my testers become my testees.

There are things in your life which you are in control of, and those you're not. You need to not care about those things which you're not in control of, and when you come to really understand that, you can go from being really upset about something to that lovely feeling of being a kid where everything is okay.

Have your cake and eat it... there's no other reason to have a cake