The sleight of hand can be fun to watch as long as you're not on the losing end. No one really knows when these type tricks were first performed, so let's just say it was a long, long time ago. Initially, the sleight of hand artists were grouped with conjurers and sorcerers, but they are really just skilled tricksters who rely on misdirection.
The word sleight, means "the use of dexterity or cunning, especially to deceive." The phrase sleight of hand means "quick fingers" or "trickster fingers." The harmless practice is performed for entertainment purposes. The not-so-harmless practice is used by card sharks and pickpockets like Samuel Archer.
While the fingers must be skilled, misdirection is the key. This is true for other cons and swindles too. The trickster must shift your focus to their other hand or in the case of a swindle to what you really want--money, fame, or something else in life.
While Samuel Archer used the sleight of hand to steal people's money and possessions, Henry Archer warns of the sleight of hand operating behind the scenes to steal our freedom. Now that may sound like a conspiracy theory but look around. Politicians and activists tell us what we want to hear all the time to gain our support.
How many things have happened in your life time you never dreamed would happen? How many policies have been enacted you never fathomed ten or twenty years ago? Unlike the sleight of hand, most of these things didn't happen quickly. They were gradual changes that slipped in under our noses when we weren't looking. The misdirection of a busy, every day life.
So misdirection can happen quickly or slowly. The danger lies in where we keep our focus.
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