Tuesday, 24 July 2012

Magic, Sorcery, Effort, Success and Starcraft

There is always a joker that says that magic doesn't work, and that if it did we wouldn't need to make any effort.
We could have money without a job/business.
We would get laid everyday because the most gorgeous girls/guys/groups of people would appear on your front door naked and with a bottle of Scotch/Beer/Champagne.

So, if this doesn't happen it is because magic and sorcery don't exist and we are just a bunch of deluded idiots.
When I was young I did my best to explain magic and it´s  strengths and limitations,  but that kind of joker doesn't pay attention. Nowadays I just laugh and say that magical workings are like Starcraft Cheat Codes.
You start playing and you don't progress fast enough, or the game is too difficult, or you're just too lazy...
You use the cheat codes.
Operation CWAL - your upgrades are faster, and your buildings get done in a fraction of the time. That can be a spell to open paths and to get the best help to you.
Black Sheep Wall - You get to see all the game. That is divination, allowing you to know what your enemies and adversaries are doing, but also the oportunities that lay ahead and that one could miss otherwise.
Show Me The Money - you get a lot of minerals and gas. The magical equivalent are workings to bring money and resources to you. You get bank credit where your competition is left wanting, your clients pay in full instead of leaving you waiting for the money, you discover new business/clients or your boss gives you a bonus when everybody else doesn't get anything.
But with cheat codes or spells you have to play the game to win, you have to make an effort.
It is then that the most obstinated idiots say that there is a cheat code on Starcraft that allows one to go instantly to the next level without any effort.
My reply is that it gets the person to the next level, but it isn't fun. And enjoying what one acomplishes is every bit as important as getting it.

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