Like Magic

Published on
October 4, 2011
Author
Chris Taylor
"Ideas are only valuable when applied."
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“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

~ Arthur C. Clarke

While Clarke was referring to the gap between technology and our comprehension, I wanted to explore this quote in a little more detail, as it pertains to the rest of our lives. Did Michael Jordan have a magical jump shot? Does Steve Jobs have a magic gift for understanding human desires and design? How about that co-worker that has the “magical” ability to get the team aligned and excited about the new project?

I would suggest that it’s not just technology that can appear magical when it’s sufficiently advanced. Any skill that we can develop as individuals has the potential to appear magical to those around us. But like the men that built the first space shuttle, Michael Jordan, and that pied piper-like co-worker, none of it actually comes through magic, of course. We all have the ability to become magical… so long as we don’t sit around waiting for it to happen on its own.