The art of misdirection | Apollo Robbins

The power of misdirection and human behavior

Apollo Robbins has spent 20 years studying human behavior in an unorthodox way: as a pickpocket.
Often, what we see around us is what comes to mind when we think of deception.
However, the things that are right in front of us are often the hardest to see.

“Often things that are right in front of us are harder to see, things you see every day but you’re blind to.”

Apollo asks the audience how many of them have their cell phones on them at the moment.
He asks them to make sure they still have their phones with them.
He moves around the stage and asks the audience if they can remember the icon at the bottom right corner of their screen without directly checking their phones.
After a brief moment, he asks them to take out their phones and see how attentive they’ve been.

“Often things that are right in front of us are harder to see, things you see every day but you’re blind to.”

Apollo asks the audience to close their eyes.
Despite just hearing that there is a pickpocket in the room, he asks them to close their eyes.
He then reveals that he had been observing them for about 30 seconds.
He asks them to guess what he was wearing and what color his collar was.
Finally, he asks them to open their eyes and see how many of them were able to accurately recall the details.

“Often things that are right in front of us are harder to see, things you see every day but you’re blind to.”

Apollo introduces the concept of attention as the mechanism that controls our perception and reality.
He likens attention to a security guard named Frank within our minds.
Frank sits at a table surrounded by advanced technology and cameras, constantly perceiving the world.
However, attention is what guides Frank’s perceptions.

“Attention is what controls your reality. It’s how you navigate the world.”

Apollo explains that attention can be given to something without conscious awareness.
He mentions the cocktail party effect, where people can focus on a conversation while still being aware of their own name being mentioned in the background.
He reveals that he will play with the audience’s attention as a limited resource.

“I play with your attention as something that’s limited.”

Apollo demonstrates how he can manipulate the audience’s attention by redirecting it towards himself.
He engages in conversation, complimenting the individuals he interacts with and noting details about them.
By directing attention inward, he is able to divert the audience’s focus away from their external senses.

“Instead of focusing on the external senses, just become internal for a moment.”

Apollo instructs the audience to remain in their positions while he approaches individuals directly.
He uses context-specific greetings and observations to manipulate attention and create a connection.
By engaging with individuals personally, he diverts their attention from their surroundings.

“Hi, how are you? It’s great to see you. You have a nice watch that you don’t easily take off.”

Apollo continues to interact with individuals, making specific observations about them.
He uses humor and compliments to keep their attention focused on him and away from their personal belongings.

“You have a lot of things in your pockets. Something here in this pocket?”

“You’re lucky. You may sit down. Here, do well.”

“Hello, sir. Can you stand up for me, please? Where you are. Oh, you’re married. You follow instructions well.”