[How strangely endearing. Waver raises an eyebrow at the spelling mistake, but it's a grain of sand compared to Flat's attempts at constructing legible text. Also... the II... the II...]
It may seem that way, but often when you take the long view, you'll find the concept is subtly evolving as it seems to circle. I'd say the reality of it is more like a spiral. There are very few things that are truly fixed as much as we think they are at first.
Even bellbottoms.
That is in part why Magi can have troubles tracing a concept back to the source at times. In some cases, what now is has nothing to do with what it began as; it can make the navigation back perplexing.
Oh I am high anticipating an intellectual discussion on this topic
[No shade to some others here...maybe a little shade.]
If what you say is the case, then is this what separates a great Magus from the merely mediocre? It's cliche to simply designate insanity as doing the same thing over and over, but it is in fact a condition of many attempts to reach true magic that have remained unsuccessful when practiced by minor bloodlines.
Of course this doesn't account for the accumulation of power over multiple interactions but if you pour the same water into a glass it will overflow and never turn to wine.
Though that would be an astounding party trick for one of these handfastings
Yes. That understanding and keen judgement about when to persevere and when to let go.
Great power comes through repetition and tenacity, as you've said, but it is very correct to say at a certain point in any mage's research that no matter how much how much water is poured into the glass, there will be never be wine. Just wasted liquid. That is the obstacle that must be overcome, and I have seen many families, great and minor struggle with this once it hits. And the only way to do that sometimes is to step back down the path, reevaluate methods, and look at the other branches that may not have been explored. Sometimes that means giving up what has been achieved so far to start anew. That doesn't mean the journey so far was worthless, though. Even if it doesn't provide the answer by itself, it can help lead the way there.
It's something many mages cannot bear to do. The sunk cost is too great. The great mage, however, understands it as yet another step to the Root.
I feel as if perhaps I should be taking notes. Your theories may be unorthodox; however your professorship is really showing right now.
[Professorship...is that the correct wording? It's probably really only reserved for the position and not describing the state of being. Brow furrowed, Ophelia stares at her text for a while before she keeps going.]
For my family, I'm sure it would be difficult. The expectations are very high, so I would be hard-pressed to disentangle myself. Even if it still mattered. I...
Is that why we struggle so? The fear of being less than what existed on the coil before.
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no subject
Date: 2021-06-12 04:14 am (UTC)From:That is, once a concept has been injected into the zeitgeist, does it ultimately become inedible?
That's surely why things are the way they are.
[She doesn't notice that she didn't write "indelible" :( ]
I LIED 3/3
Date: 2021-06-12 04:19 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2021-06-12 05:04 am (UTC)From:It may seem that way, but often when you take the long view, you'll find the concept is subtly evolving as it seems to circle. I'd say the reality of it is more like a spiral. There are very few things that are truly fixed as much as we think they are at first.
Even bellbottoms.
That is in part why Magi can have troubles tracing a concept back to the source at times. In some cases, what now is has nothing to do with what it began as; it can make the navigation back perplexing.
So no, I don't think that about culture.
no subject
Date: 2021-06-12 11:22 pm (UTC)From:[No shade to some others here...maybe a little shade.]
If what you say is the case, then is this what separates a great Magus from the merely mediocre? It's cliche to simply designate insanity as doing the same thing over and over, but it is in fact a condition of many attempts to reach true magic that have remained unsuccessful when practiced by minor bloodlines.
Of course this doesn't account for the accumulation of power over multiple interactions but if you pour the same water into a glass it will overflow and never turn to wine.
Though that would be an astounding party trick for one of these handfastings
no subject
Date: 2021-06-20 12:36 am (UTC)From:Great power comes through repetition and tenacity, as you've said, but it is very correct to say at a certain point in any mage's research that no matter how much how much water is poured into the glass, there will be never be wine. Just wasted liquid. That is the obstacle that must be overcome, and I have seen many families, great and minor struggle with this once it hits. And the only way to do that sometimes is to step back down the path, reevaluate methods, and look at the other branches that may not have been explored. Sometimes that means giving up what has been achieved so far to start anew. That doesn't mean the journey so far was worthless, though. Even if it doesn't provide the answer by itself, it can help lead the way there.
It's something many mages cannot bear to do. The sunk cost is too great. The great mage, however, understands it as yet another step to the Root.
no subject
Date: 2021-06-23 05:18 am (UTC)From:I feel as if perhaps I should be taking notes. Your theories may be unorthodox; however your professorship is really showing right now.
[Professorship...is that the correct wording? It's probably really only reserved for the position and not describing the state of being. Brow furrowed, Ophelia stares at her text for a while before she keeps going.]
For my family, I'm sure it would be difficult. The expectations are very high, so I would be hard-pressed to disentangle myself. Even if it still mattered. I...
Is that why we struggle so? The fear of being less than what existed on the coil before.