--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That left two possibilities, really…" description: "\"“That left two possibilities, really. Possibility one: Magic was so incredibly opaque, convoluted, and impenetrable, that even though wizards and witch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/eliezer-yudkowsky-1207_possibility-magic_that-left-two-possibilities-really-possi_1608794.png" --- # That left two possibilities, really. Possibility one… ![“That left two possibilities, really. Possibility one: Magic was so incredibly opaque, convoluted, and impenetrable, that even though wizards and witches had tried their best to understand, they'd made little or no progress and eventually given up; and Harry would do no better. Or... Harry cracked…” quote by Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/eliezer-yudkowsky-1207_possibility-magic_that-left-two-possibilities-really-possi_1608794.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/eliezer-yudkowsky-1207_possibility-magic_that-left-two-possibilities-really-possi_1608794.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/eliezer-yudkowsky-1207_possibility-magic_that-left-two-possibilities-really-possi_1608794.png) > ““That left two possibilities, really. Possibility one: Magic was so incredibly opaque, convoluted, and impenetrable, that even though wizards and witches had tried their best to understand, they'd made little or no progress and eventually given up; and Harry would do no better. Or... Harry cracked his knuckles in determination, but they only made a quiet sort of clicking sound, rather than echoing ominously off the walls of Diagon Alley. Possibility two: He'd be taking over the world. Eventually. Perhaps not right away.”” [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote explores two speculative futures for Harry: either he fails to master magic due to its inherent opacity, or he eventually dominates the world despite initial setbacks. **In simple terms:** Two possible outcomes: failure or eventual domination. Key Takeaway Consider both limits of capability and ambition. Themes possibility future magic ambition Mood curious speculative Type analytical theoretical When to use this quote - academic analysis - creative writing - strategic planning Key Concepts epistemology power dynamics narrative tension Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports each possibility? - How might effort reshape the outcome? A Different Perspective Assumes magical opacity is insurmountable, ignoring potential learning breakthroughs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [The concept of 'Bad Magic' is something that is incredibly intoxicating and magical but ultimately bad for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weyes-blood/the-concept-of-bad-magic-is-something-that-is-incredibly-intoxicating/) [Weyes Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weyes-blood/) > [“There is a moment in every dawn when light floats, there is the possibility of magic. Creation holds its breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-is-a-moment-in-every-dawn-when-light-floats-there-is-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Because if you don't even believe in the possibility of magic you will never ever find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-castle/because-if-you-don-t-even-believe-in-the-possibility-of-magic-you/) [Richard Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-castle/) ## More by Eliezer Yudkowsky > [“But I really am Ravenclaw, you know, not Slytherin. I don't want to rule the universe. I just think it could be more sensibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/but-i-really-am-ravenclaw-you-know-not-slytherin-i-don-t-want-to-rule/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“‎If you regard evidence as a constraint and seek to free yourself, you sell yourself into the chains of your whims. For you cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/if-you-regard-evidence-as-a-constraint-and-seek-to-free-yourself-you/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“I am not sure how to explain it, except that - truth matters to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-am-not-sure-how-to-explain-it-except-that-truth-matters-to-us/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [I see little hope for democracy as an effective form of government, but I admire the poetry of how it makes its victims complicit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-see-little-hope-for-democracy-as-an-effective-form-of-government/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“He really really really shouldn't have done that. Amazing how much more obvious that became one second after it was too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/he-really-really-really-shouldn-t-have-done-that-amazing-how-much/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [I'm wondering if there's a spell to make lightning flash in the background whenever I make an ominous resolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-m-wondering-if-there-s-a-spell-to-make-lightning-flash-in-the/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“There’s a technique we use in our local rationalist cluster called “Is That Your True Rejection?”, and it works like this: Before you stake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/there-s-a-technique-we-use-in-our-local-rationalist-cluster-called-is/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [Lonely dissent doesn't feel like going to school dressed in black. It feels like going to school wearing a clown suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/lonely-dissent-doesn-t-feel-like-going-to-school-dressed-in-black-it/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“Knowing that Draco's hopeful face had probably been drilled into him by months of practice did not make it any less effective, Harry observed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/knowing-that-draco-s-hopeful-face-had-probably-been-drilled-into-him/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [The strength of a theory is not what it allows, but what it prohibits; if you can invent an equally persuasive explanation for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/the-strength-of-a-theory-is-not-what-it-allows-but-what-it-prohibits/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [It is triple ultra forbidden to respond to criticism with violence. There are a very few injunctions in the human art of rationality that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/it-is-triple-ultra-forbidden-to-respond-to-criticism-with-violence/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [The human species was not born into a market economy. Bees won't sell you honey if you offer them an electronic funds transfer. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/the-human-species-was-not-born-into-a-market-economy-bees-won-t-sell/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“Frigideiro! " said Hermione again from the desk next to him. Her water was solid ice and there were white crystals forming on the rim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/frigideiro-said-hermione-again-from-the-desk-next-to-him-her-water/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“And then Harry Potter had launched in to a speech that was inspiring, yet vague. A speech to the effect that Fred and George…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/and-then-harry-potter-had-launched-in-to-a-speech-that-was-inspiring/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“And I know that I'd just make myself unhappy by comparing that reality to... something perfect that I built up in my imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/and-i-know-that-i-d-just-make-myself-unhappy-by-comparing-that/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) [Explore all 274 Eliezer Yudkowsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) ## More Possibility Magic quotes > [“There is a moment in every dawn when light floats, there is the possibility of magic. Creation holds its breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-is-a-moment-in-every-dawn-when-light-floats-there-is-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Because if you don't even believe in the possibility of magic you will never ever find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-castle/because-if-you-don-t-even-believe-in-the-possibility-of-magic-you/) [Richard Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-castle/) Browse all 3 Possibility Magic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That left two possibilities, really. Possibility one: Magic was so incredibly opaque, convoluted, and impenetrable, that even though wizards and witches had tried their best to understand, they'd made little or no progress and eventually given up; and Harry would do no better. Or... 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