For some God-awful reason, I paid to go to a speed dating luncheon sometime ago. There was a lot to take from that as less than ideal. The food, the peacocking, the humble brags, it was all quite unpleasant. Participants were expected to ask each other a set of questions written on a sheet of paper that was meant to move along the conversation between strangers and prevent inappropriate comments. Every person had a different list of things to ask. My questions were "What is your favorite genre of music?", "What would your ideal day be like?" and "If you were a superhero what would you want your power to be?" To my surprise 4 of the 6 people, I asked that question answered that they wished to be able to read minds. It seemed that these people thought that reading a person's thoughts would give them an edge in the speed dating market. For me, though I could only think why would anyone want this as a power? It would be terrible. Here's why.
During the day my thoughts range from petty, to trivial and maybe even emotional at times depending on the event. I shudder to think if my mind were an open book for society to read. The greater good could never be served by knowing that I spent 3 minutes of intensive thought on the matter of whether or not I should have eaten a bean and cheese burrito for breakfast or if that was a bad life choice. Also, my more rude thoughts aren't that productive either and my attitude is rarely hidden. Did I want to be at the 7 am Monday meeting to discuss the parking pass protocol? I think my facial expression will suffice to convey my position regarding that topic. As for my fellow speed daters, they didn't need to know what I was thinking in specifics to know that I was feeling awkward about the event, and I said how I felt to each person there anyway. Overall shared thought for me is a waste of energy to wish for.
About others, the bigger picture of knowing the true thoughts of anyone from anywhere is all less than desirable. For evidence of this, I beg you to look no further than internet comment sections. Online comment boards give people a free pass to get away with whatever they want to say at least in that arena. Would you want to have to deal with the thoughts of internet trolls in real time as a superpower? I think only a masochist would find that appealing. Bullies also have thoughts and not all people have productive thoughts that benefit others. Also, another aspect to consider is that people can be wrong or under the wrong impression. So the superpower of mind-reading might get a person who holds it a miserable evening of hearing a person run through thoughts that lizard people are taking over Instagram or that speaking slowly means that you're planning to sleep with the boss or anything equally ridiculous.
Sure some details would make this power better or worse, like being able to access memories from a person or to pick whose mind to read as opposed to hearing all thoughts all the time. Ultimately though I spend my life happy that I am my island when it comes to my thoughts and I suppose I will never understand those who feel differently. My opinion is to take the polite false exterior from others and be appreciative that's all you have to deal with. Or to realize that you don't need to read a person's mind to get a general idea of how they feel about something just by listening to their tone or description of a topic. Do you feel the same? Say your point of view about shared thought and mind-reading in the Conspiracy Meow! site forums to tell the world what you think.
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