Dammit... While I was typing my words of wisdom, trying to spell my way through my second language, at least two people beat me to it and described my point in fewer words and in more eloquent language, than I ever could.
Dammit... Not being unique! 'scuse me for wishing for magical abilities ;)
Savage - Same here... Weird indeed!
Eliezer - Just a thought... You wrote: "They might be excited at first, but (like the lottery winners who, six months later, aren't nearly as happy as they expected to be), the excitement would soon wear off."
I've just begun delving into the science of happiness and there found among many things, exactly what you hint at here. That most people have an inborn level of happiness, which they eventually revert to no matter what happens to them in their lives. In my research I stumbled upon a survey that stated that however frightening the prospect of being paralyzed may seem, before being paralyzed, a surprising (I don't know how they really determined the surprising-level here though) number of people actually ended up being as overall happy as they were befor being paralyzed. So no matter if youre winning milions or being paralyzed, you will usually revert to your inborn level of happiness.
I have no idea if this is true, but I find it interessting, and what you wrote struck a cord in me. Among other things because Iv'e been a fantasyfan and roleplayer for more than 15 years now.
What I really wanted to comment on is that the same people that Im reading about happiness also states that human happiness is relative. What that means is that if everybody is totting wands shooting fireballs, summoning demons and generally being fantasywizards, then it will be no thrill at all. Which I guess is part of your point, but what I think you're missing in the equation is that in most fantasystories whether they are played out in a novel or in roleplayinggames, the heroes are unique or in some way stands out from the crowd.
If I would want magical powers I would only want them under the same premise that I usually find them in fantasynovels and roleplayinggames; me being the only one or at least one of a select few having magical powers. All my wet fantasy fantasies evolve around the idea that my character is unique and wield powers vastly greater than everyone else. Maybe my powers are latent, but they are there and they are better then everyone else's. To sum it up, I would only want magical powers if it would set me out from the crowd, only if it would make me relativly better than everyone else that I would come in contact with. In this understanding I would be able to become more happy, just by being able to do magic, because it would make me better than someone else.
Seen from my perspective I don't think that my inability to be contend with my current life would keep me from being contend with a fantasy or future life with magic or psionics, where some or all of my dreams with regards to power would be within my grasp. The incentive to work harder to hone my powers and achieve godhood (or whatever) would be so much bigger in a world where people really DID walk on water, parts the sea and blows up New York with a mere thought. In our own world all I can really dream of of achieving is being better at math or seducing women etc.
So although I do think you have a very valid point that we should be able to appreciate the NOW here, before we can appreciate the NOW anywhere, I do think that when talking and thinking about fantasyuniverses where everything imaginable is within reach, or at least could be possible (all up to the author), the point is a bit moot.
Does that make sense to you guys?
And sorry if my english is not that good, it's my second language... Thanx for a great and inspiring blog everybody! It's my first comment here and I really feel dwarfed by your appearant intellects, so it is with great humility and expectation that I so openly utter my difference of opinion with a guy (Eliezer) that I for more than a year now has admired for his great insights... Enuff wit da flattery, bring it on ;)
Latanius I do agree with your small world idea, although not explicitly stated in my first comment, I have thought about it. Actually the people I mentioned earlier who studied the "science of happiness" pointed out that the relative happiness have many different boundaries. We measure ourselves up against our immediate vicinity, the small world that we inhabit. We can't really imagine how an african with AIDS and lifethreatening hunger might feel and thus can't really use it to make ourselves any happier. In comparison I can feel much happier if im more well off than my brother or sister (Not that I would enjoy that without sharing, but it would definately make me feel good both to have money and be able to share them with those whom I love).