"The Narrative Fallacy"

Discussions of new films, books, television shows, and media indirectly related to magic and magicians. For example, there may be a book on mnemonics or theatrical technique we should know or at least know about.
Edward Pungot
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"The Narrative Fallacy"

Postby Edward Pungot » July 19th, 2018, 7:55 am

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Black Swan

The narrative fallacy addresses our limited ability to look at sequences of facts without weaving an explanation into them, or, equivalently, forcing a logical link, an arrow of relationship upon them. Explanations bind facts together. They make them all the more easily remembered; they help them make more sense. Where this propensity can go wrong is when it increases our impression of understanding.

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: "The Narrative Fallacy"

Postby Jonathan Townsend » July 19th, 2018, 10:06 am

Are you suggesting a presentation theme? Introducing the audience to a "Black Swan" card as cue to turn over the rest of the Rainbow Deck to see they're all different backs? What patterns or presuppositions do you want challenged?

We live inside narrative. The world gets dark and light so regularly we call that "days". We've learned to expect where to find the sun at different times of the day. We've learned to believe the sun today is the same object as the sun yesterday - and not the same object as the moon. We also live with the narrative of others, from "dinner time" to "the baby is crying again"... also social Narrative of our larger communities.

After learned behavior comes random positive reinforcement... so when do you get Bayesian about it? When does the burden of narrative outweigh the advantages of "doing what we always do"? The turkey sticks its head through the hole to get fed every day till...
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

Edward Pungot
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Re: "The Narrative Fallacy"

Postby Edward Pungot » July 19th, 2018, 11:08 am

Jonathan Townsend wrote:What patterns or presuppositions do you want challenged?


Everything 8-)

Actually, you took it down the rabbit hole. I was thinking more along the line of how tricks are driven by narratives.

Jack Shalom
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Re: "The Narrative Fallacy"

Postby Jack Shalom » July 19th, 2018, 12:26 pm

The power of the implicit over the explicit...let them complete the story.

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: "The Narrative Fallacy"

Postby Jonathan Townsend » July 19th, 2018, 1:29 pm

Jack Shalom wrote:The power of the implicit over the explicit...let them complete the story.

If you've got a working narrative to work from - sure, edit out the words describing what they can figure out during and later.
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

Edward Pungot
Posts: 922
Joined: May 18th, 2011, 1:55 am

Re: "The Narrative Fallacy"

Postby Edward Pungot » July 19th, 2018, 3:09 pm

Jonathan Townsend wrote:
Jack Shalom wrote:The power of the implicit over the explicit...let them complete the story.

If you've got a working narrative to work from - sure, edit out [and/or in] the words [and images] describing what they can figure out [and remember] during and later.


A lot of the narrative fallacy in tricks happen after the fact (I.e. the coins vanished from under the tube and reappeared under the playing cards).
This is the story they recall and tell themselves and their significant others in retelling the effect they witnessed.
[ref. Schneider's Super Nova]
https://youtu.be/3324jsPcY5A


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