D Politicians, Pundits, and Stars 213
The Magician
This has overlap with other strategies, which are basically varia-
tions with the same objective: If I can take your eyes off my body
language for a moment, maybe you will miss the facts. Neverthe-
less, I separate out the Magician because there is an entire class of
people who use movement of hands, feet, and objects to mask body
language entirely. Examples are the guy who moves in very close
and whispers to make you feel uncomfortable. The distraction makes
you miss the rest of his body language. Or the woman who unfas-
tens a few buttons so you can peek at her surgeon’s handiwork.
These outrageous moves will accomplish the goal of taking your
mind off something else. A person may even use some other prop
such as a Rolex watch. All use your tendency to keep your eye on
the ball to effect the desired result.
The Car Salesman
He or she subscribes to the adage “If you can’t dazzle them
with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.” Everyone has met the
guy who sounds as though he has swallowed the Guinness Book
of World Records. When his strategy works, he carries off the
same sleight-of-hand tricks as the Magician. It falls apart when
you challenge his understanding of the facts he quotes. He takes
you off a sensitive topic that would make him look bad by tossing
out, “Every minute we do nothing in Vulgaria, three children die.”
He becomes adept at tying anything back to some obscure fact that
is difficult to verify and only tangentially germane to the topic.