In my last column, I mentioned Erving Goffman who, 50 years ago, wrote about how we frame our experience. He also wrote about “footing.” Footing, in the sense that Goffman meant it, basically refers to the relationship between people and what they say. However, I think it’s also relevant to magicians and what we do.
Here’s the part I think is relevant: In everyday life, when people talk to each other, they often present claims. They could make the claim directly, e.g., “It’s going to be sunny.” However, they often present the claim as one that was made by someone else, e.g., “According to the weather forecast, it’s going to be sunny.” Or perhaps, in a more ambiguous way: “I’ve heard that it’s going to be sunny.”