Professional magicians tend to agree on this point: Houdini was not the greatest magician who ever lived. If you base your judgment on technical proficiency, he didn't even come close.

And yet, if you ask almost anyone to name the greatest magician of all time, they'll probably say Houdini.

This is because Houdini was bold enough to use himself as a large part of his own act. He was one of the first magicians to play up the act of locking himself into a trunk and having to get out. When he chose to start doing this, it was unclear whether or not a magician could make a living as an escape artist.

We tend to avoid things that are unclear to us, and gravitate to things enshrouded in clarity. Muddy waters can run deep, but you can't be sure until you take the plunge.