I love amazing people. I love dazzling them. That's why I think performing magic is one of the greatest things a person can do.
Ricky JayRead
I'm much more interested in lesser-known eccentrics and characters and performers. Like Matthew Buchinger, who was born in Germany in 1674, had no arms or legs and yet did magic, and had 14 kids, and made the most extraordinary calligraphy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the value of unique individuals and their extraordinary accomplishments despite physical limitations.
Ricky Jay highlights the stories of lesser-known individuals who possess remarkable talents and achievements in the face of adversity. He illustrates this through the example of Matthew Buchinger, a man born without arms or legs, who not only became a magician but also excelled in calligraphy and parenthood, serving as an inspiration to others to appreciate diverse talents and the human spirit's resilience.
Themes
EccentricsCharactersInspirationResilienceTalents
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming adversity, one might reference this quote to illustrate the triumph of the human spirit.
More from Ricky Jay
All quotes →Dai Vernon, the greatest sleight of hand figure in the history of the art, rarely performed. But he invented magic and had an enormous influence on the whole range of sleight of hand. And so often, the magic he was doing was to fool other magicians.
Ricky JayRead
For me, the most exciting thing is to create good magic that's entertaining for an audience, and it would be lovely if a magician was fooled as well.
Ricky JayRead
Like every art form, there are jealousies and angers and competitiveness in magic. But there's camaraderie among magicians, whether you perform it for a living or you're an enthusiast.
Ricky JayRead
I grew up like Athena — covered with playing cards instead of armor — and, at the age of seven, materialized on a TV show, doing magic.
Ricky JayRead
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