Comment author: marc 07 October 2009 10:45:09PM 3 points [-]

I don't agree. I think that it does ruin some of the magic but, if you suck at it, slightly ruined magic is better than no magic. That's speaking from the perspective of someone who's spent a decent amount of time developing/thinking about these things - after sucking at them.

There's plenty of practical advice out there. It doesn't really seem appropriate for a less wrong forum but i'd be happy to point people in the direction of some resources if they message me.

In fact, I'd be pretty interested in talking to anyone who's interested in the combination of rationality/game in general.

Comment author: Markov 08 October 2009 01:13:32AM 10 points [-]

What is meant here by "magic?" To me, it seems that it is synonymous with effortlessness; anyone skilled in a craft makes it look easy. In order to create this magic, a person toils in private. Since no one saw the preparation, the result looks like it came from nowhere--i.e., magic.

Comment author: teageegeepea 07 October 2009 09:13:28PM 2 points [-]

Any artist, whether in visual media, music, drama, or dance knows that the "magic" of their art is produced by mundane and usually heavily taskified processes. You can't "just" create a sublime work of art

Not even the very lucky and talented? Not a completely rhetorical question, this is all completely outside of my domain competence.

Comment author: Markov 08 October 2009 01:03:40AM 6 points [-]

Even the lucky and talented have to be taught the skills of their craft and continue to practice regularly. They just get to see a payoff earlier than everyone else.

Jascha Heifetz: "If I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it."