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<figure><img alt="" data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" height="480" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 90vw, 600px" src="https://i0.wp.com/tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Apollo-Robbins-Illustration.jpeg?resize=600%2C480&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Apollo-Robbins-Illustration-scaled.jpeg?resize=1024%2C819&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Apollo-Robbins-Illustration-scaled.jpeg?resize=300%2C240&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Apollo-Robbins-Illustration-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C614&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Apollo-Robbins-Illustration-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1229&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Apollo-Robbins-Illustration-scaled.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1638&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Apollo-Robbins-Illustration-scaled.jpeg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Apollo-Robbins-Illustration-scaled.jpeg?w=1800&amp;ssl=1 1800w" width="600"></img><figcaption>Illustration via <a href="http://99designs.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">99designs</a></figcaption></figure>



<blockquote>
<p><strong>“When we lose, we’re more curious. And when we win, we’re less curious about why we’re winning.â€</strong></p>
<cite>— <strong>Apollo Robbins</strong></cite></blockquote>



<p><strong>Apollo Robbins</strong> (<a href="https://twitter.com/ApolloRobbins" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@ApolloRobbins</a>) is often referred to as “The Gentleman Thief.â€ He first made national news when he pick-pocketed the Secret Service while entertaining a former U.S. President. <em>Forbes</em> has called Robbins “an artful manipulator of awareness,â€ and <em>Wired</em> has written that “he could steal the wallet of a man who knew he was going to have his pocket picked.â€ </p>



<p>Robbins’ entertainment credentials include the Warner Bros. film <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Focus-Will-Smith/dp/B00YORD3PY/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Focus</em></a>, with Will Smith and Margot Robbie, along with appearances in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Tagger/dp/B00ESB6EUC/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Brooklyn 99</em></a>, and the TNT series <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Nigerian-Job/dp/B001N4RAEQ/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Leverage</em></a>. He was a producer and co-host for National Geographic’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Focus-Pocus/dp/B00CHHTAAU/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Brain Games</em></a>, which was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Informational Series. Robbins applies his expertise in magic and misdirection beyond entertainment, pulling back the curtain to show how the principles behind these illusions can enhance strategic thinking and decision-making. </p>



<p>His contributions to attention and perception research have been published in <em>Scientiï¬c American Mind</em> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2473" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nature Reviews Neuroscience</em></a>. He has delivered lectures at Harvard Kennedy School, MIT Sloan School of Management, and the Society of Neuroscience. He has been proï¬led by <em>The New Yorker</em> and featured in <em>The New York Times</em>, <em>The Atlantic</em>, <em>National Geographic</em>, and <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>. Robbins’ TED Talk, “<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/apollo_robbins_the_art_of_misdirection" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Art of Misdirection</a>,â€ is ranked in the 20 most-watched TED Talks of all time and has been hailed by the TED editors as a revelation in the ﬂaws of human perception. </p>







<p><strong><em><strong><em><strong><em>Brought to you by </em></strong><a href="https://livemomentous.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>Momentous</em></strong></a><strong><em> high-quality supplements, <strong><em><a href="https://sundaysfordogs.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>Sundays for Dogs</em></strong></a><strong><em> ultra-high-quality dog food</em></strong></em></strong>, and </em></strong><a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>AG1</em></strong></a><strong><em> all-in-one nutritional supplement.</em></strong></em></strong></em></strong></p>



<p><em>The transcript of this episode <a href="https://tim.blog/2023/10/22/apollo-robbins-transcript/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">can be found here</a>. Transcripts of all episodes <a href="https://tim.blog/2018/09/20/all-transcripts-from-the-tim-ferriss-show/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">can be found here</a>.</em></p>














<div><div><p>#699: Apollo Robbins, The World’s Most Famous Pickpocket – Pickpocketing the Secret Service, Manipulating Attention, Famous Con Artists, The Psychology of Deception, Self-Defense Techniques, The Secret Language of Thieves, and More</p></div></div>



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<p><strong>This episode is brought to you by <a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AG1</a>!</strong> I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?â€ My answer is usually <a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AG1</a>, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in <em>The 4-Hour Body</em> in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but <a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AG1</a> further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. </p>



<p><strong>Right now, you’ll get a 1-year supply of Vitamin D free with your first subscription purchase</strong>—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. <strong>Visit <a href="https://drinkag1.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DrinkAG1.com/Tim</a> to claim this special offer today and receive your 1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! </strong>That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive daily, foundational nutrition supplement that supports whole-body health. </p>



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<p><strong>This episode is also brought to you by </strong><a href="http://livemomentous.com/Tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Momentous</strong></a><strong> high-quality supplements! </strong>Momentous offers high-quality supplements and products across a broad spectrum of categories, and I’ve been testing their products for months now. I’ve been using their <a href="https://www.livemomentous.com/pages/tim-ferriss#section-tims-favorite-products" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">magnesium threonate</a>, <a href="https://www.livemomentous.com/pages/tim-ferriss#section-tims-favorite-products" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">apigenin</a>, and <a href="https://www.livemomentous.com/pages/tim-ferriss#section-tims-favorite-products" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">L-theanine</a> daily, all of which have helped me improve the onset, quality, and duration of my sleep. I’ve also been using <a href="https://www.livemomentous.com/pages/tim-ferriss#section-tims-favorite-products" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Momentous creatine</a>, and while it certainly helps physical performance, including poundage or wattage in sports, I use it primarily for mental performance (short-term memory, etc.).</p>



<p>Their products are third-party tested (Informed-Sport and/or NSF certified), so you can trust that what is on the label is in the bottle and nothing else. <strong>If you want to try Momentous for yourself, you can use code Tim for 20% off your one-time purchase at </strong><a href="http://livemomentous.com/Tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>LiveMomentous.com/Tim</strong></a><strong>. </strong>And not to worry, my non-US friends, Momentous ships internationally and has you covered. </p>



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<p><strong>This episode is brought to you by </strong><a href="https://sundaysfordogs.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Sundays for Dogs</strong></a><strong>, ultra-high-quality dog food without the prep or mess! </strong>I want to give my pooch, Molly, the best of everything. This is especially true when it comes to the ingredient quality of her food. But most healthy dog foods are an expensive, frozen mess. They’re a hassle to thaw and serve, and the prep work eats up time I’d rather spend hiking with Molly. <a href="https://sundaysfordogs.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Sundays for Dogs</strong></a><strong> solves my problem with air-dried, high-quality dog food I can store and pour right from my pantry.</strong></p>



<p>​The magic behind <a href="https://sundaysfordogs.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sundays for Dogs</a> is in their proprietary air-drying method. To lock in nutrients, they gently dry the meat, low and slow. Unlike other dry brands, which are filled with hyper-processed grains and synthetic vitamins, <a href="https://sundaysfordogs.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sundays for Dogs</a> uses only all-natural poultry and USDA-grade beef. And meat makes up 90% of their recipes. The other 10% are fruits and veggies, ingredients you’d find at the farmer’s market, not at the pharmacy.</p>



<p><a href="https://sundaysfordogs.com/tim" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Get 35% off your first order of Sundays for Dogs by going to SundaysForDogs.com/TIM or by using code TIM at checkout</strong></a><strong>. </strong>Upgrade your pup to Sundays for Dogs and feel great about the food you feed your best friend.</p>



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<p><strong><a href="https://tim.blog/2023/06/28/simon-coronel/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Want to hear</a> another episode featuring someone who sees the world through a magic lens?</strong> Listen to my conversation with World Champion of Magic <a href="https://tim.blog/2023/06/28/simon-coronel/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Simon Coronel</strong></a> in which we discussed radical earliness, the Magic Castle, gauging audience perception and finding balance before a show, ugly crying through victory, hotbeds of magical innovation, why learning magic can be so daunting for a beginner, <a href="https://tim.blog/2023/06/28/simon-coronel/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">and much more</a>.</p>


<div><div><p>#679: Simon Coronel, World Champion of Magic — Quitting the Day Job, The Delights of the Magic Castle, Finding Glitches in Reality, Learning How to Use Your Own Brain, and Worshiping at the Altar of Wonder</p></div></div>



<p><strong>What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know <a href="#respond">in the comments</a>.</strong></p>



<p><strong>SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…</strong></p>



<h3>SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE</h3>



<ul>
<li>Connect with <strong>Apollo Robbins</strong>:</li>
</ul>



<p><a href="http://www.apollorobbins.com/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ApolloRobbins" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/apollo_robbins_the_art_of_misdirection" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apollo Robbins: The Art of Misdirection | TED Talk</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23413150_Attention_and_Awareness_in_Stage_Magic_Turning_Tricks_Into_Research" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Attention and Awareness in Stage Magic: Turning Tricks Into Research | Nature Reviews Neuroscience</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/01/07/a-pickpockets-tale" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Pickpocket’s Tale: The Spectacular Thefts of Apollo Robbins | The New Yorker</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.apollorobbins.com/news/http/mtheatlanticcom/magazine/archive/2014/10/what-is-the-greatest-scam-of-all-time/379349" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“The Biggest Scam of All Timeâ€ | The Atlantic</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/science/21magic.html" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Science of Magic | The New York Times</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/youre-not-aware-that-my-finger-is-in-your-pocket/266869/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">‘You’re Not Aware That My Finger Is in Your Pocket’ | The Atlantic</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.wired.com/2008/06/sometimes-it-takes-a-thief-to-catch-a-thief/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sometimes, It Takes a Thief to Catch a Thief | Wired</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.417mag.com/issues/july-2016/11-questions-with-apollo-robbins/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">11 Questions with Apollo Robbins | 417</a></li>



<li><a href="https://spyscape.com/article/apollo-robbins-the-pickpocket-who-trains-spies" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apollo Robbins: The Pickpocket Who Trains Spies | Spyscape</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Focus-Pocus/dp/B00CHHTAAU/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brain Games | Prime Video</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Focus-Will-Smith/dp/B00YORD3PY/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Focus | Prime Video</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Tagger/dp/B00ESB6EUC/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Prime Video</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Nigerian-Job/dp/B001N4RAEQ/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Leverage | Prime Video</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.enid.org/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">City of Enid, Oklahoma</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7850852/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Human ABO Blood Groups and Their Associations with Different Diseases | BioMed Research International</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.lupus.org/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Help Us Solve the Cruel Mystery | Lupus Foundation of America</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forrest-Gump-Tom-Hanks/dp/B002QVZ71I/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forrest Gump | Prime Video</a></li>



<li><a href="https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/meningitis-tuberculous/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tuberculous Meningitis Symptoms, Causes, Treatment | NORD</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80117552" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ozark | Netflix</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.springfieldmo.gov/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Springfield, Missouri</a></li>



<li><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Atheism and Agnosticism | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Full-Size-Leather-Ribbon-Marker-Version/dp/143213311X/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The KJV Holy Bible | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://ncse.ngo/creationevolution-continuum" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Creation/Evolution Continuum | National Center for Science Education</a></li>



<li><a href="https://news.ag.org/features/faq-speaking-in-tongues" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ: Speaking in Tongues | Assemblies of God</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/doctrine-the-bible-tongues/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Doctrine: The Bible &amp; Tongues | Baptist Press</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.thefarside.com/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Far Side Comic Strip by Gary Larson</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Svengali-Deck-Bicycle-Blue-Trick/dp/B00LPC2O06/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Murphy’s Magic Svengali Deck | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Coin-Magic-Sleights-Tricks/dp/0486242587/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Modern Coin Magic: 116 Coin Sleights and 236 Coin Tricks by J.B. Bobo | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb0dfYUVRe0" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Complete Coin Vanish Tutorial | PigCake</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw90kIcmxco" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Impossible Location Easy Card Trick Tutorial | Doug Conn</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.geniimagazine.com/wiki/index.php/Equivoque" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Equivoque | Magicpedia</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.geniimagazine.com/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Mentalism" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mentalism | Magicpedia</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/486144.Warren_Zevon" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Warren Zevon Quotes | Goodreads</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078NJH5KG/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Fitzkee Trilogy by Dariel Fitzkee | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Illusion-Life-Disney-Animation/dp/0786860707/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aikido | Wikipedia</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.pcap.com/mag_emp3.htm" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Caesars Magical Empire | PCAP</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-vampires-need-an-invitation-to-enter-a-house-And-why-does-the-stake-to-kill-a-vampire-need-to-be-wooden" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why Do Vampires Need an Invitation to Enter a House? And Why Does the Stake to Kill a Vampire Need to Be Wooden? | Quora</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMm7G0il5oc" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What is Proprioception? | University of California Television</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.secretservice.gov/node/4846" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FY20 Protective Operations | United States Secret Service</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE5TdbijIeo" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“William Wallace is Seven Feet Tall!â€ | Braveheart</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Pentagon_shooting" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2010 Pentagon Shooting | Wikipedia</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-inattentional-blindness-2795020" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Inattentional Blindness in Psychology | Verywell Mind</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Selective Attention Test | Daniel Simons</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Gorilla-How-Intuitions-Deceive/dp/0307459667/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5x14AwElOk" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Teller Speaks! | Magic of Consciousness Symposium</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.magiccastle.com/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Magic Castle | The Academy of Magical Arts</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Oceans-Eleven-George-Clooney/dp/B008Q00U9W/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ocean’s Eleven (2001) | Prime Video</a></li>



<li><a href="https://effectiviology.com/gish-gallop/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gish Gallop: When People Try to Win Debates by Using Overwhelming Nonsense | Effectiviology</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWlkrvsGzMU" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Short Change Con | The Real Hustle</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Republic-Penguin-Classics-Plato/dp/0140455116/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Republic by Plato | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26798603_Conditions_for_Intuitive_Expertise_A_Failure_to_Disagree" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Conditions for Intuitive Expertise: A Failure to Disagree | American Psychologist</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Project-Nim-Chimpsky/dp/B006WWG0AO/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Project Nim | Prime Video</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA-AEuXn1eg" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Battle of Wits Scene | The Princess Bride</a></li>



<li><a href="https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/confirmation-bias" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Confirmation Bias | The Decision Lab</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dannydutch.com/post/meet-the-forty-elephants-the-all-girl-gang-from-london" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meet the Forty Elephants, the All-Girl Gang from London | Danny Dutch</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-ghPfDYNTI" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Woman Steals TV Under Her Skirt in Only 13 Seconds | Buzz60</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=572QlTVN4AI" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Woman Steals Beer Under Her Skirt | On Demand News</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/162051/tricking-mosquitoes-into-thinking-theyve-mated/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tricking Mosquitoes into Thinking They’ve Mated Could Reduce Spread of Malaria | Imperial College London</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/journalism-facts/misinformation-disinformation" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Misinformation and Disinformation | APA</a></li>



<li><a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/todd_rogers/files/paltering.pdf" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Artful Paltering: The Risks and Rewards of Using Truthful Statements to Mislead Others | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Propaganda-Edward-Bernays/dp/0970312598/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Propaganda by Edward Bernays | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/nov/28/breakfast-health-america-kellog-food-lifestyle" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How Lobbyists Made Breakfast ‘The Most Important Meal of the Day’ | The Guardian</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.afslaw.com/perspectives/consumer-products-watch/mere-puffery-vs-false-advertising-recent-trends" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mere Puffery vs. False Advertising: Recent Trends | ArentFox Schiff</a></li>



<li><a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2017.1780" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Perceptual Shaping of Anticipatory Actions | Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) | Wikipedia</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Influence-New-Expanded-Psychology-Persuasion/dp/B08RLT11Q3/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nobodys-Fool-Taken-What-about/dp/1541602234/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do about It by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Minds-Change-Surprising-Persuasion/dp/0593190297/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion by David McRaney | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Person-Situation-Perspectives-Social-Psychology/dp/1905177445/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Person and the Situation: Perspectives of Social Psychology by Lee Ross and Richard E. Nisbett | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deception-Digital-Age-Computer-Mediated-Communications/dp/0124116302/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deception in the Digital Age: Exploiting and Defending Human Targets through Computer-Mediated Communications by Cameron H. Malin, Terry Gudaitis, Thomas Holt, and Max Kilger | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whiz-Mob-Correlation-Technical-Pickpockets/dp/0742533514/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Whiz Mob: A Correlation of the Technical Argot of Pickpockets with Their Behavior Pattern by David W. Maurer | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Story-Confidence-Man/dp/0385495382/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man by David Maurer | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sting-4K-UHD-Robert-Redford/dp/B0933MT4R3/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Sting | Prime Video</a></li>



<li><a href="https://spyscape.com/article/the-sneaky-pickpocketing-glossary" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Sneaky Pickpocketing Glossary | Spyscape</a></li>



<li><a href="https://money.howstuffworks.com/pickpocket.htm" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How Pickpockets Work | HowStuffWorks</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Your-Pocket-James-Coburn/dp/B002CM0EVE/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harry In Your Pocket | Prime Video</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-the-dunning-kruger-effect-4160740" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">An Overview of the Dunning-Kruger Effect | Verywell Mind</a></li>



<li><a href="https://cpj.org/2023/07/situational-awareness-a-guide-for-journalists/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Situational Awareness: A Guide for Journalists | Committee to Protect Journalists</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.mccc.edu/~lyncha/documents/stagesofcompetence.pdf" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Four Stages of Competence | MCCC</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/14/ai-kidnapping-scam-senate-hearing-jennifer-destefano" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">US Mother Gets Call from ‘Kidnapped Daughter’ – But It’s Really an AI Scam | The Guardian</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/25/european-leaders-deepfake-video-calls-mayor-of-kyiv-vitali-klitschko" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">European Politicians Duped into Deepfake Video Calls with Mayor of Kyiv | The Guardian</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/study-1-in-3-people-is-distracted-by-their-phone-while-crossing-busy-streets/274971/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Study: One in Three People Is Distracted by Their Phone While Crossing Busy Streets | The Atlantic</a></li>



<li><a href="https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brain-power/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Mere Presence of Your Smartphone Reduces Brain Power, Study Shows | UT News</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyday_carry" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Everyday Carry (EDC) | Wikipedia</a></li>



<li><a href="https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/satisficing" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Satisficing | The Decision Lab</a></li>



<li><a href="https://mealtimehostage.com/2014/01/17/the-illusion-of-knowledge/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Illusion of Knowledge | Mealtime Hostage</a></li>



<li><a href="https://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/07/20/knowledge/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Greatest Obstacle to Discovery Is Not Ignorance — It Is the Illusion of Knowledge | Quote Investigator</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">League of Legends</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.thestacksreader.com/titanic-thompson/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Titanic Thompson | The Stacks Reader</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unsinkable-Titanic-Thompson-Carlton-Stowers/dp/089015340X/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Unsinkable Titanic Thompson by Carlton Stowers | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/man-who-sold-eiffel-tower-twice-180958370/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice. | Smithsonian Magazine</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.casino.org/blog/stealing-machines/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Your Guide To The Kepplinger Holdout Cheating Device | Casino.org</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.codysystems.com/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Police Public Safety Software and Cross-Platform Data-Sharing | CODY Systems</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Deception-Controlling-Element-Security/dp/076454280X/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security by Kevin Mitnick and William L. Simon | Amazon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://defcon.org/html/defcon-30/dc-30-index.html" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DEF CON 30 Hacking Conference</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.knowbe4.com/about-us/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Human Error. Conquered. | KnowBe4</a></li>



<li><a href="https://childmind.org/article/the-benefits-of-boredom/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Benefits of Boredom | Child Mind Institute</a> </li>
</ul>



<h3>SHOW NOTES</h3>



<ul>
<li>[07:51] Was Apollo a naturally dextrous wunderkind?</li>



<li>[10:26] The influence of Apollo’s blind minister father.</li>



<li>[14:10] Apollo’s slide toward agnosticism.</li>



<li>[17:24] Ben Stone enters the picture.</li>



<li>[21:08] Taking in orphaned animals as a youngster.</li>



<li>[23:31] An early lesson on the value of money.</li>



<li>[25:20] Bear in a box.</li>



<li>[28:19] Seeing magic as a ticket to the larger world.</li>



<li>[30:55] Shoplifting for fun, profit, and education.</li>



<li>[32:19] Equivoque magic and Jazz-based mentalism.</li>



<li>[38:09] A magic book club and a year-round Santa.</li>



<li>[44:10] Apollo’s first fateful trip to Vegas.</li>



<li>[52:14] A false accusation leads to a real job and a vampire code.</li>



<li>[55:27] Jimmy Carter and the Secret Service.</li>



<li>[1:03:44] The pros and cons of becoming legendary.</li>



<li>[1:05:39] Academic accolades.</li>



<li>[1:08:01] A sauce less secret isn’t necessarily less rich.</li>



<li>[1:09:28] Recovering when the reps get rough.</li>



<li>[1:11:12] Sheet music versus jazz.</li>



<li>[1:14:10] The introduction to — and enduring influence of — Apollo’s wife, Ava Do.</li>



<li>[1:22:27] Perception science perceived but not yet entered into the lexicon.</li>



<li>[1:26:16] The significance of Apollo’s silver ring.</li>



<li>[1:27:01] Meeting (and stealing from) Penn Jillette.</li>



<li>[1:29:10] Demonstrating the confidence of a con man.</li>



<li>[1:33:03] Hallmarks that differentiate Apollo’s style.</li>



<li>[1:40:14] Who has the advantage with arguments in the Robbins household?</li>



<li>[1:41:18] 40 Elephants in the modern world.</li>



<li>[1:42:52] Teaching kids about the cons — and pros — of deception.</li>



<li>[1:45:50] Paltering and puffery.</li>



<li>[1:49:14] Perceptual shaping and change raising.</li>



<li>[1:51:14] Slick re-thievery.</li>



<li>[1:54:01] Influential reading.</li>



<li>[1:56:38] <em>Whiz Mob</em>.</li>



<li>[1:59:22] How is a team of pickpockets organized?</li>



<li>[2:04:54] The pandemic of the Dunning-Kruger effect.</li>



<li>[2:08:37] Best practices to avoid becoming a target for theft.</li>



<li>[2:11:14] The Illusion of Knowledge Project.</li>



<li>[2:15:28] The Unsinkable Titanic Thompson and other noteworthy charlatans.</li>



<li>[2:19:06] Rod the Hop, Kevin Mitnick, and Whizmob Inc.</li>



<li>[2:23:11] How one word can make a difference to an impressionable child.</li>



<li>[2:26:38] Parting thoughts.</li>
</ul>



<h3>MORE APOLLO ROBBINS QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW</h3>



<p><strong>“When you can’t walk the same as everyone else, you end up watching everyone else. You become a people watcher, and there’s a lot of commonality between animals and people. You start to do a lot of what I call perspective shifting, of jumping into their head to think, ‘Why would they make that decision?'â€</strong><br></br>— Apollo Robbins</p>



<p><strong>“‘Boring’ means that your imagination is broken. So you’ve got to find a way to do it, you’ve got to find something to do, and you’ve got to use your imagination better.â€</strong><br></br>— Apollo Robbins</p>



<p><strong>“I found that lore can take you so fast so far, but also it can encapsulate what people think you are versus what you are. And it can be hard to underpromise and overdeliver when people have this expectation of what you can do.â€</strong><br></br>— Apollo Robbins</p>



<p><strong>“When we lose, we’re more curious. And when we win, we’re less curious about why we’re winning.â€</strong><br></br>— Apollo Robbins</p>



<p><strong>“Deception is a social lubricant. It happens all the time around us, from the moment we put on makeup to something else. So, whether it be a defeat for cancer by using decoy cells, there’s all these things that have a reason. But it’s about your intent, and that’s the big thing.â€</strong><br></br>— Apollo Robbins</p>



<h3>PEOPLE MENTIONED</h3>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Gump_(character)" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forrest Gump</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paul the Apostle</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_VI_and_I" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">James VI and I</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=257942&amp;forum=253" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ben Stone</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.thefarside.com/about" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gary Larson</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/springfield-leader-and-press-charlie-str/28983944/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charlie Strothkamp</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.ava-do.com/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ava Do</a></li>



<li><a href="https://twitter.com/sparkyagent" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mark Sparks</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dariel_Fitzkee" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dariel Fitzkee</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Santa Claus</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daryl_(magician)" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daryl Martinez</a></li>



<li><a href="https://justintranz.com/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Justin Tranz</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/james-carter/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">James Carter</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wallace" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">William Wallace</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.dansimons.com/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daniel Simons</a></li>



<li><a href="http://www.chabris.com/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Christopher F. Chabris</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.downstate.edu/faculty/ophthalmology/macknik.html" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stephen L. Macknik</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.downstate.edu/faculty/ophthalmology/martinez-conde.html" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Susana Martinez-Conde</a></li>



<li><a href="https://tim.blog/2020/01/09/penn-jillette/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Penn Jillette</a></li>



<li><a href="https://twitter.com/mrteller" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Raymond Teller</a></li>



<li><a href="https://tim.blog/2023/06/28/simon-coronel/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Simon Coronel</a></li>



<li><a href="https://twitter.com/adam___green" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adam Green</a></li>



<li><a href="https://crimereads.com/joseph-weil-yellow-kid/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Yellow Kid</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_Thompson" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Titanic Thompson</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Gish" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Duane Gish</a></li>



<li><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Socrates</a></li>



<li><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Plato</a></li>



<li><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aristotle</a></li>



<li><a href="https://twitter.com/derrenbrown" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Derren Brown</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daniel Kahneman</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.gary-klein.com/welcome" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gary Klein</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Edward Bernays</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_E._Nisbett" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Richard E. Nisbett</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-malin-jd-cissp-07688320/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cameron Malin</a></li>



<li><a href="https://geniimagazine.com/wiki/index.php?title=J._B._Bobo" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">J.B. Bobo</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_W._Maurer" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">David W. Maurer</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_A._Simon" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Herbert A. Simon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_J._Boorstin" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daniel J. Boorstin</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hood" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robin Hood</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Lustig" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Victor Lustig</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=566038&amp;forum=375" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rod the Hop</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Mitnick" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kevin Mitnick</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Miyagi" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mr. Miyagi</a></li>



<li><a href="https://deceptionbydesign.com/author/simonmhenderson/" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Simon Henderson</a></li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Pratkanis" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anthony Pratkanis</a></li>
</ul>

				<p><em><a href="/podcast"><strong>The Tim Ferriss Show</strong></a> </em><span>is one </span>of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than 900 million downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out <strong><a href="/podcast">this page</a></strong>.</p>
				
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