Believing in Magic
There is a quote from a Roald Dahl story called The Minpins. It goes:
"Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."
I have seen people sharing this sentiment as a meme on Facebook and it always makes me so sad. Well, I have a few responses to it, but sadness comes first. I feel sorry for the people sharing it and the world of delusion they live in.
First of all, let's be clear, if believing in something is a pre-requisite for finding it, then it probably doesn't exist outside of people's imagination. If it were real, then someone who didn't believe in it could possibly one day stumble upon it, or you could show it to a non-believer and convince them. But by their own statement, they assert that "those who don't believe WILL NEVER FIND IT." That statement proves the case that magic is nothing more than a belief; it's not real.
Taking the concept a step further, if someone does at one point decide to start believing in magic, then POOF they will most certainly immediately find it. This is because magic is a figment of imagination and seeing things as magic is nothing more than the power of suggestion. Magic can only be found through 'belief', which is defined as an acceptance that something is true. Believing requires no evidence nor proof, but just acceptance.
This argument has also been used in a religious context, condemning people who don't believe by saying they can never 'find God' until they have 'faith'. And they assert that the non-believers are somehow missing out on something. I feel sorry for those people who actually think this way and seem unable to recognize the paradox in their logic. It's the faith that makes it seem real to them, nothing more.
People share this quote as a way to glorify and justify their belief in 'magic' and to belittle and criticize those who don't believe in it. The implication is that their lives are so much better due to their beliefs, and the poor pitiful non-believers are suffering without magic in their lives until they finally do believe.
People will believe whatever they need to to get by. Some people NEED to believe in magic, and those are the ones that do. Those of us that don't believe in magic don't need there to be magic in the world. The world is an amazing enough place and, admittedly, much of it is outside of my ability to comprehend, but I don't think any of it is magic. It's wondrous and mysterious, beautiful and frightening but it can all be explained. Maybe not today and certainly not by me. But it's all real and natural. I simply don't understand a lot about the world, but just because I don't understand something doesn't make it mystical. I can accept that I don't know things and it's not because they're supernatural.
People who don't have imaginary friends will never be able to play with one.
People who don't believe in vampires will never be chased by one.
People who don't believe in leprechauns will never find their pot of gold.
If you need your life to be full of magic to be happy, then by all means, go ahead and see the world as magic. But leave it at that. Be an intelligent person (although I know its antithetical to believing in magic) and understand that people who don't believe in magic aren't missing out on anything. They simply don't need to resort to fairy tales when they encounter something they don't understand.
"Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."
I have seen people sharing this sentiment as a meme on Facebook and it always makes me so sad. Well, I have a few responses to it, but sadness comes first. I feel sorry for the people sharing it and the world of delusion they live in.
First of all, let's be clear, if believing in something is a pre-requisite for finding it, then it probably doesn't exist outside of people's imagination. If it were real, then someone who didn't believe in it could possibly one day stumble upon it, or you could show it to a non-believer and convince them. But by their own statement, they assert that "those who don't believe WILL NEVER FIND IT." That statement proves the case that magic is nothing more than a belief; it's not real.
Taking the concept a step further, if someone does at one point decide to start believing in magic, then POOF they will most certainly immediately find it. This is because magic is a figment of imagination and seeing things as magic is nothing more than the power of suggestion. Magic can only be found through 'belief', which is defined as an acceptance that something is true. Believing requires no evidence nor proof, but just acceptance.
This argument has also been used in a religious context, condemning people who don't believe by saying they can never 'find God' until they have 'faith'. And they assert that the non-believers are somehow missing out on something. I feel sorry for those people who actually think this way and seem unable to recognize the paradox in their logic. It's the faith that makes it seem real to them, nothing more.
People share this quote as a way to glorify and justify their belief in 'magic' and to belittle and criticize those who don't believe in it. The implication is that their lives are so much better due to their beliefs, and the poor pitiful non-believers are suffering without magic in their lives until they finally do believe.
People will believe whatever they need to to get by. Some people NEED to believe in magic, and those are the ones that do. Those of us that don't believe in magic don't need there to be magic in the world. The world is an amazing enough place and, admittedly, much of it is outside of my ability to comprehend, but I don't think any of it is magic. It's wondrous and mysterious, beautiful and frightening but it can all be explained. Maybe not today and certainly not by me. But it's all real and natural. I simply don't understand a lot about the world, but just because I don't understand something doesn't make it mystical. I can accept that I don't know things and it's not because they're supernatural.
People who don't have imaginary friends will never be able to play with one.
People who don't believe in vampires will never be chased by one.
People who don't believe in leprechauns will never find their pot of gold.
If you need your life to be full of magic to be happy, then by all means, go ahead and see the world as magic. But leave it at that. Be an intelligent person (although I know its antithetical to believing in magic) and understand that people who don't believe in magic aren't missing out on anything. They simply don't need to resort to fairy tales when they encounter something they don't understand.
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