I chanced again on Emmett Kelly's famous quote, "By Laughing At Me, The Audience Really Laughs At Themselves, And Realizing They Have Done This Gives Them Sort Of A Spiritual Second Wind For Going Back Into The Battles Of Life."

and muse on how this applies to what magicians do. In our pretending to do the impossible (or flirt with it), to what extent do spectators
see themselves in a daily battle with "seemingly impossible" challenges, and draw for a performance a sort of "second win."

Mickey Silver has discussed the "second level of astonishment" (echo effect) when the spectator realizes they set themselves up to be astonished, fooled, whatever.
People are entertained when they watch a magician -- even a bad one. I wonder how much of that is because they see some of themselves in out feeble effort?

To a certain extent this was a challenging post and subject. I had to really think about it. Did I agree. Disagree. Why?

After some meditation in which I attempted to place myself in the position of being both actor and audience I came up with the following, at least to start: How did Mr. Kelly "know"? Mere assertion of something is not proof thereof. He is refuted by simply anyone simply stating something in contradiction: "When the audience laughs at me, they REALLY ARE laughing at me and really nothing more. In fact nothing more is needed as the action of laughter itself is enough of a justification for what I do." I actually liked Mr. Kelly's work, but it never struck me as instructive about me in particular other than that if informed me of what I liked in one type of humor.

And, second...I have performed a lot of magic for a lot of different folks. I 'guess' it would be ok if they somehow were gifted by the performance with a little bit of courage to go on in the face of life's trials. Cool. Personally, I don't think that it ever happens...unless....the performance of the magic is very, very specifically imbued by the performer with a "message" meant to edify is some very specific manner. Having had over 20 years of psycho therapy, being married to a working therapist for 29 years, and doing magic most of that time....I don't recommend it. It's cleverness is superficial at best and can be confusing to the watcher when the magic is imbued with a task for which it's not really meant.

Honestly, and I am serious here, you might as well remove a bottle of some vile liquid and tell the person that the drinking of same will cure them of their malady.

Life changes very seldom last when what is offered as help is superficial. I love magic, but it is the apotheosis evanescence. I'll leave this example to support that assertion: I have NEVER spent much time after the fact in thinking much of any magic I have ever watched. I enjoyed the heck out of it and then it was gone. But, I can literally hear in my imagination my favorite songs over and over and over. The best magic anything will never, ever be as powerful as the best of whatever music you enjoy. One will last one will fade away. They both need to be renewed, but magic needs a more constant and hopeful renewal. It needs it's, well, "magic" to be offered again and again for it to last into the future.

"The purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold as 'twere the mirror up to nature" Shakespeare.

Agreed with Laurie, if the performer succeeds - holding that mirror up to nature.

I think the second wind might be a momentary respite from a certain cynical worldview where life is a series of calculations toward some ideal (whether real or imaginary.) It provides the perspective that not everything can be known or anticipated or planned for - that sometimes there is wonder in not knowing. Paradoxically, there's also a great deal of fun for many people in trying to piece together step-by-step the gaps in their knowledge of exactly what happened.