The universe didn’t force you not to believe in magic. You could have spent your whole life believing magnets are magical stones, that the electromagnetic force is magical energy, and that computer engineers are wizards who conjure spirits from magic. And you could have been 100% factually and scientifically correct.

But you chose to believe that magic is by definition not real, because you didn’t want to live in a world of whimsy and wonder. You defined magic as supernatural, in opposition to the natural world. While every scientist knows that nature is just a word for everything that exists. You chose to define magic in a way that it wouldn’t exist, denying it through tautology and not through science.

Why did you choose that?

  • GardenVarietyAnxiety@lemmy.world
    4·
    5 months ago

    I agree with your entire post except this:

    we found that there’s very little room left for the unknowable to affect our reality.

    Until we know everything there is to know, we will have no idea how much we don’t.

    Given the age of our species, I’d assume we know very little.

    • KidnappedByKitties@lemm.ee
      3·
      5 months ago

      I do agree. I was trying to match the poetic language of OP and convey that we have no proof of supernatural or imagined claims, and thus the narrow sliver of naturalistic reality is where we must investigate phenomena. But you know, in a way a symbolic minded troll would understand.

      • GardenVarietyAnxiety@lemmy.world
        1·
        5 months ago

        Give them a little more grace, maybe?

        I feel like more people trying to make sense of the world is a good thing. If someone’s trying to change your mind, they can piss off, but embrace the ones who are asking the questions. Even leading questions can be given thought provoking answers.

        This one seems like he wants to know why people reject magic as a… I hope this makes sense, but a texture pack for physics. Same laws, alternate perspective.

        If that’s the case, I get it. I think that way too, in a sense. I just don’t think most other people do.

        • KidnappedByKitties@lemm.ee
          4·
          5 months ago

          A quick look at their posting history shows that they’re indistinguishably close to a troll. Their response as well.

          • sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip
            2·
            5 months ago

            I have refrained from saying this until this person has posted more but the unfortunate way that I see it is that this person is likely in a state of psychosis.

            And I do not say that lightly, as I myself have had a psychosis episode myself, brought on by a combination of immense stress, real threat to my physical well being, and drug abuse.

            They are needlessly aggressive.

            They slip and slide around different meanings of the same word that has multiple meanings, melding them together at times, and switching to another one if it means that will help them make a point.

            But this causes the totality of what they say to be inconsistent, incoherent, and not actually definable.

            Persecution complex? Yep.

            • KidnappedByKitties@lemm.ee
              2·
              5 months ago

              Could be what you describe. But all those things are also hallmarks of a superstitious mind, especially if under duress or long indoctrination.

              Not being allowed to question or reconcile things causes internal stress, not being allowed to express certain emotions and thoughts also adds to it. It doesn’t help that many of them are radicalised into driving an agenda.

              I’m not expecting to live long enough for that kind of drama, so I simply blocked them. If they’re abusive, please report them before blocking, they might be dragging all of Lemmy down and not just this thread.