Right, there's more.
Aug. 30th, 2005 10:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silveradeptToday I got inundated with the Strange (not to be confused with The Stupid, which is another principle entirely) and most of it off my friend-list. Thus, in true Burroughs fashion (can I say that?), you get the cut-up.
Waif launches Plus sizes line. Anorexics cheer. Group assaults affirming quote on grounds that author is unqualified. Whom else doesn't fit your standards, hmm?
Define "Cynical." Actually, that should probably be: Define "Cynical." But I think Millicent won't mind.
And now, for part two of the coincidence machination, where I reveal...some interesting (to me) thoughts on the matter.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
greyweirdo raised a proper objection to my point: Sure, we notice when coincidence happens, but what about all the times it doesn't? A somewhat flippant response to that would be, "Well, you had bad luck." In a sense, though, this could be true. All things being equal, if the outcome decided on essentially a coin flip, you can have fortunate coincidence (yay!) or unfortunate coincidence (boo!). When people speak of their "luck", that, I suspect, is what they're talking about - the ratio of favorable to unfavorable coincidences.
Now, take that with what I said magic is supposed to do - impose will on the world and bring about a change. Most of the time, magic is done to add favor or to take away disfavor. (Ex. "I want to make more money." "I want to stop being so absentminded.") There is, of course, many a standard disclaimer that in addition to working the magic, one must make changes toward the lifestyle desired. Thus, one can create the paradox of "Was it the magic? Or was it the lifestyle changes?" in regards to any benefits.
I think that the correct answer here is "Both." That is, if you see the design of magic as I'm theorizing - that magic is designed to increase either the probability or the quantity (or both) of favorable coincidences. Perhaps it's training oneself to notice them more, perhaps it's invoking more of them. Either way, they happen more often. One can do it in reverse as well - I complain about my lack of luck in many things (actually, most of those can be attributed to lack of skill) and they continue.
This realization points to an interesting conclusion: Everyone can do this. Whether they call it prayer or magic is a matter of methodology. And depending on the way you go about it, you'll have various successes and failures. If you're trying to change things with brute force, you're going to need a lot of energy and change. If you try to do it by harmonizing with the flow and diverting a little here and there, it'll take longer, but there's probably a higher chance of success.
Who knows, though? It might be that what I'm really talking about is the way that we can affect the results of subatomic particles with our expectations. Could very well be that by shifting the quanta around us, we somehow change the universe in many strange ways. Might be a coincidence. Maaaaaybe.
As a parting idea, stand by for mind control. That is all.
Waif launches Plus sizes line. Anorexics cheer. Group assaults affirming quote on grounds that author is unqualified. Whom else doesn't fit your standards, hmm?
Define "Cynical." Actually, that should probably be: Define "Cynical." But I think Millicent won't mind.
And now, for part two of the coincidence machination, where I reveal...some interesting (to me) thoughts on the matter.
greyweirdo raised a proper objection to my point: Sure, we notice when coincidence happens, but what about all the times it doesn't? A somewhat flippant response to that would be, "Well, you had bad luck." In a sense, though, this could be true. All things being equal, if the outcome decided on essentially a coin flip, you can have fortunate coincidence (yay!) or unfortunate coincidence (boo!). When people speak of their "luck", that, I suspect, is what they're talking about - the ratio of favorable to unfavorable coincidences. Now, take that with what I said magic is supposed to do - impose will on the world and bring about a change. Most of the time, magic is done to add favor or to take away disfavor. (Ex. "I want to make more money." "I want to stop being so absentminded.") There is, of course, many a standard disclaimer that in addition to working the magic, one must make changes toward the lifestyle desired. Thus, one can create the paradox of "Was it the magic? Or was it the lifestyle changes?" in regards to any benefits.
I think that the correct answer here is "Both." That is, if you see the design of magic as I'm theorizing - that magic is designed to increase either the probability or the quantity (or both) of favorable coincidences. Perhaps it's training oneself to notice them more, perhaps it's invoking more of them. Either way, they happen more often. One can do it in reverse as well - I complain about my lack of luck in many things (actually, most of those can be attributed to lack of skill) and they continue.
This realization points to an interesting conclusion: Everyone can do this. Whether they call it prayer or magic is a matter of methodology. And depending on the way you go about it, you'll have various successes and failures. If you're trying to change things with brute force, you're going to need a lot of energy and change. If you try to do it by harmonizing with the flow and diverting a little here and there, it'll take longer, but there's probably a higher chance of success.
Who knows, though? It might be that what I'm really talking about is the way that we can affect the results of subatomic particles with our expectations. Could very well be that by shifting the quanta around us, we somehow change the universe in many strange ways. Might be a coincidence. Maaaaaybe.
As a parting idea, stand by for mind control. That is all.
