Sanderson’s Third Law of Magic: Expand what you already have before you add something new
Belle’s Third Law for AI as Magic: Build AI on what you already have (AI by itself is rarely the first, only, or best solution)
Sanderson’s Second Law of Magic: Limitations > Powers
Belle’s Second Law for AI as Magic: Limitations > Capabilities
REMINDER: Sanderson’s Laws are for authors, Belle’s Laws are for characters.
Sanderson’s First Law of Magics: An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic.
Belle’s First Law for AI as Magic: A human’s ability to solve challenges with AI is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to their contextual understanding of AI.
A client accused me of digging for problems where there were none. As a consultant who prides herself on identifying root causes and prioritizing client outcomes over driving change for change’s sake, that hurt.
It hurt even worse when I decided that he was right.
One of the best tools I have for decision-making clarity is emotional whiplash.
If you have ever felt like you’re stuck in a loop when trying to make a decision, where every option sounds vaguely right but none of them feel obvious, then you know exactly how valuable a reliable decision making tool can be.