[dylan604]

But. It's. Magic.

Magic can do anything. That's why it's magic. How does it work? Magic. It's a perfectly complete circle in logic.

[0cf8612b2e1e]

The very much NSFW web comic Oglaf had a strip about this.

In this rare instance, the comic is SFW, but still be wary. https://www.oglaf.com/claret/

[adamc]

Compare to, say, "A Wizard of Earthsea", where magic is explained in a different way that points out that while a wizard could transmute one substance into another, no wizard would, because of the far-reaching ramifications.

The system was not fully elucidated by any means, but the subtlety of it was suggested by such things as Ged deducing that the doorkeeper was one of the seven masters of Roke.

[jajko]

Sounds like most religions. And most modern folks having issues with religions they were brought up in don't have this as their main issue with it.

One addresses child's imagination which just wants to be wowed, the other our eternal fear of unknown and death.

[Aerroon]

Well, magic still needs to follow some kind of rules for it to be usable. Otherwise "magic" would just be something random (or maybe chaotic - we just haven't figured out the rules well enough).

[mrkstu]

Or, you can do the Brandon Sanderson thing, and have a comprehensive system that has limits and a consistent expression of magical power.

[dylan604]

but then it's no longer magic. it now becomes some sort of metaphysical science. magic is magic. once you understand it, it is no longer magic.