The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
One man's 'magic' is another man's engineering. 'Supernatural' is a null word.
Interpretation
What this quote means
What one person perceives as magic, another sees as the result of engineering or science.
This quote highlights the subjective nature of perception and understanding. It suggests that phenomena we might label as 'magic' can often be explained through scientific principles and engineering, emphasizing that the distinction between what is considered supernatural and what is understood through rational thought is often arbitrary and dependent on individual perspective.
Themes
MagicEngineeringSciencePerceptionSubjectivity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about innovation, one might use this quote to emphasize the groundbreaking nature of new technologies.
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Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
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Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.
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When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.
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