So you’re basically saying that anything you don’t understand is magic… That’s the same irrational thinking as people who explain things by simply saying “god did it”.
Money is very much real, either as gold/silver/etc, fiat, or ones and zeroes on a bank account or crypto wallet. Gender is not “real”, but it is a very real social construct. The state is a very real entity and its laws are very real rules set in place and enforced.
You’re correct in saying that alchemy, transmutation of lead to gold, astrology and horoscopes are not real. Yes, they are magic. The one thing they all have in common is that they do not exist in any form other than fiction, and neither does magic.
But we don’t live in a world of dragons, elves, etc. There are no wizards or potions or magic. There are no spells or incantations any more than there are midichlorians or the force. If those were real, then yes, you could say magic is real. But there are no supernatural forces, only natural phenomena which can be explained by science.
it isn’t necessarily meaningless, as the nonexistence of magic or the supernatural further reinforces the fact that everything can be explained by the very real laws of physics, whether or not we have the current ability to do so.
Our ancestors would’ve thought electricity is magic, but it’s not. They would’ve thought machines are magic, but they’re not.
Your statement about this being a pointless linguistic game is true. You are trying to argue that things which are not magic can be called magic, but you are wrong. By its very definition, magic is a supernatural force. You can’t call something supernatural when it isn’t, that’s just blatantly false.
You’re free to use the word however you please, but don’t act surprised when people call you out for being objectively wrong.
Because I use logic and rationality to observe and define the world around me as opposed to unfounded delusional thought. I didn’t “choose” to define magic as unreal, it simply is.
It’s not that I “don’t want to live in a world of whimsy and wonder”, I just don’t believe in the supernatural, and am not going to waste my time convincing myself of something that doesn’t exist. Same reason I don’t believe in a god.
Would definitely recommend listening to A Thousand Suns in its entirety. Absolutely their magnum opus. Also should check out the 20th anniversary editions of Hybrid Theory and Meteora. They’re both filled with insane amounts of demos and unreleased songs. Lost, Fighting Myself, QWERTY, and And One are some of the best demos that should have made it to albums