4) Is this mindset a disadvantage in some areas? E.g. does it hurt you if you're a psychologist or a novelist? It depends on what kind of novelist you want to

4) Is this mindset a disadvantage in some areas? E.g. does it hurt you if you're a psychologist or a novelist? It depends on what kind of novelist you want to be, I think. A good illustration of the differences comes from Brandon Sanderson in his essay on "hard" versus "soft" magic. Hard systems give the reader the satisfaction of solving puzzles and difficulties along with the characters. Soft systems preserve a feeling of mystery and wonder. Both can make for good writing. On the one end you have Tolkien, and on the other, Asimov. http://www.brandonsanderson.com/article/40/Sandersons-First-Law http://www.brandonsanderson.com/article/40/Sandersons-First-...