Magic has always held a certain allure and fascination for humans. The concept of wielding supernatural powers or being able to manipulate the world around us is undeniably enticing. However, it is important to recognize that magic, like any powerful force, also carries a significant weight. The weight of magic is multifaceted and can manifest in various ways. Firstly, there is the responsibility that comes with possessing magical abilities. The power to influence and alter reality should not be taken lightly.
Intelligence tests are marked “on a curve”, meaning that the results are transformed into a bell curve: what matters is how you do compared with others who take them. By definition, most scores bunch in the middle: the average result in a cohort becomes an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 100; the middle two-thirds of scores become IQs of 85 to 115. The outliers are few. About two people in 100 have IQs below 70, and another two have IQs above 130. By the time you get 45 points away from the average of 100 in either direction, you’re down to about one person in 1000. But since only a small percentage of any population takes IQ tests, identifying very exceptional children is hard. Most schools have none.
By definition, most scores bunch in the middle the average result in a cohort becomes an intelligence quotient IQ of 100; the middle two-thirds of scores become IQs of 85 to 115. But Lyn Kendall, a consultant on gifted children at Mensa who was herself a gifted child in a working-class family insists that reading Nietzsche to your five-year-old, or forcing them to do three hours of extra homework, cannot make a genius.
The power to influence and alter reality should not be taken lightly. It necessitates a deep understanding of the consequences and a strong sense of ethics. Just as Spider-Man's Uncle Ben once said, "With great power comes great responsibility.
The curse of being a child genius
Gifted children are viewed with awe and assumed to be guaranteed prosperity and success, but they have a dark side - and do not necessarily shine as adults.
Maggie Fergusson Updated Jun 7, 2019 – 10.45am , first published at 10.43am Save Log in or Subscribe to save article ShareTom remembers the day he decided he wanted to be a theoretical astrophysicist. He was deep into research about black holes, and had amassed a box of papers on his theories. In one he speculated about the relationship between black holes and white holes, hypothetical celestial objects that emit colossal amounts of energy. Black holes, he thought, must be linked across space-time with white holes. “I put them together and I thought, oh wow, that works! That’s when I knew I wanted to do this as a job.” Tom didn’t know enough maths to prove his theory, but he had time to learn. He was only five.
Tom is now 11. At home, his favourite way to relax is to devise maths exam papers complete with marking sheets. Last year for Christmas he asked his parents for the £125 ($230) registration fee to sit maths GCSE, an exam most children in Britain take at 16. He is now working towards his maths A-level. Tom is an only child, and at first Chrissie, his mother, thought his love of numbers was normal. Gradually she realised it wasn’t. She would take him to lectures about dark matter at the Royal Observatory in London and notice that there were no other children there. His teacher reported that instead of playing outside with other kids at breaks, he wanted to stay indoors and do sums.
Reading Nietzsche to your five-year-old cannot “make” a genius. Michael Clayton-Jones
One day his parents took him to Milton Keynes to have his intelligence assessed by an organisation called Potential Plus, formerly the National Association for Gifted Children. “We told him it was a day of puzzles,” Chrissie says. “It was my dream world,” Tom says. “Half a day of tests!” His mother waited while he applied his mind to solving problems. When they were shown the results, Tom’s intelligence put him in the top 0.1 per cent in Britain.
Precocious children are often dismissed as the product of pushy, middle-class parents. Nurture and environment clearly do play an important role in any child’s intellectual development. Talk to your child about politics over the dinner table and he is likely to develop confident opinions about the way the world should be run. Suggest that your toddler think of slices of cake in terms of angles and she may well display an early aptitude for mathematics. Practice can make perfect. The child with a gift for playing the piano who practises five hours a day is more likely to end up performing at Carnegie Hall than the equally gifted one who plays for just 20 minutes a week.
But children like Tom are different. He was brought up in an underprivileged part of south London: 97 per cent of pupils at his first school didn’t speak English as a first language. When it comes to numbers – or his other passions such as Latin and astrophysics – Tom’s parents have little idea what he’s talking about. His genius is not of their engineering.
" Furthermore, the weight of magic lies in its impact on individuals and society as a whole. Magic can create a sense of wonder and awe, but it can also breed fear and mistrust. Those who possess magical abilities may face discrimination or persecution, as society often fears what it cannot understand or control. This burden of being different and navigating a world that is not always accepting can be incredibly heavy. Moreover, magic often comes with a heavy price. In many fictional tales, using magic exacts a toll on the user. This may be physical, such as draining their energy or shortening their lifespan, or it could be emotional, with magic taking a toll on their mental well-being. The weight of sacrificing one's health or sanity for the sake of magic is a stark reminder that power comes at a cost. Lastly, the weight of magic lies in its potential for abuse. Just as magic can be used for good, it can also be used for nefarious purposes. Power-hungry individuals may seek to exploit magic for personal gain, leading to harm and chaos. The responsibility to prevent such misuse and ensure the greater good is upheld can be a heavy burden to bear. In conclusion, the weight of magic is both metaphorical and literal. It encompasses the responsibility of having supernatural abilities, the impact of magic on individuals and society, the price one pays for wielding magic, and the potential for its abuse. While magic may be enchanting, it is crucial to recognize and carry the weight that comes with it..
Reviews for "The Weight of Protection: How Magic Provides Safety and Empowerment"
1. Jenna R. - 2 stars - I couldn't get into "The Weight of Magic" at all. The plot felt disjointed and uninteresting, and the characters lacked depth. The writing style was also a bit dull, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged with the story. Overall, it just didn't live up to my expectations and I ended up feeling disappointed.
2. Tom G. - 1 star - I really disliked "The Weight of Magic". The pacing was slow and the story dragged on with unnecessary details. The world-building was confusing and didn't make much sense to me. Additionally, the protagonist was unrelatable and their decisions left me frustrated. I had high hopes for this book, but it didn't deliver for me.
3. Sarah M. - 2 stars - I found "The Weight of Magic" to be quite underwhelming. The plot lacked originality and the twists felt predictable. The dialogue was stiff and unnatural, making it hard for me to connect with the characters. Overall, it felt like a book I've read a hundred times before. I was hoping for more innovation and creativity, but unfortunately, I didn't find it here.
4. Mark H. - 2 stars - "The Weight of Magic" didn't capture my interest. The pacing was uneven, with long stretches of dullness followed by rushed action scenes. The magic system was poorly explained, leaving me confused and disconnected from the story. I also found some of the character motivations to be inconsistent and unrealistic. Overall, it felt like a missed opportunity for a captivating fantasy read.