How would you feel about someone developing full ESP psi powers?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

Assume they have the ability to fully read someone else’s thoughts, memories, emotions, etc. Would you embrace someone else having this power?

They could conceivably become the most powerful person in the world.

  • They would have the upper hand in any negotiation.
  • They could interrogate terrorist/criminal suspects with full disclosure.
  • They could know every dark secret of anyone else.

How should society deal with such a person?

#2

Try to keep on their good side, I guess. If they turn bad, it’s really bad and stopping them could be tricky.

I wonder if they might not actually stay sane. Full access to everyone else’s thoughts - that’s a scary playground.

#3

Excited for the future of the human race and deeply concerned about that person’s mental health.

#4

How could they possibly stay alive once the ability becomes known?

#5

Killing them might be a bit tricky, but are you suggesting that they should be killed?

#6

Why should killing that person be any trickier than killing anybody else? As described, he can read someone’s thoughts, memories, and emotions. That is quite a different thing than him knowing everybody’s thoughts, memories, and emotions.

#7

I agree that such a person would become the world’s immediate No. 1 target for assassination.

#8

Plus, how could he prevent it? Dodging one assassin is one thing. Dodging 1,000 assassination attempts is just about impossible even if he knows how it’s going to happen.

#9

He’d be the perfect moderator for presidential debates. But how do we know he’s telling the truth? You need another person with ESP to keep him honest. But then how do you know he’s being honest? Then you need another…

#10

I’m saying that, in this world of secrets and lies, they most assuredly would be.

#11

You can’t read the mind of an assassin’s bullet, or the mind of the trap set hours before.

#12

But can you assassinate all of them?

#13

All of whom? According to the OP, there is only one of these people.

#14

I agree that a single esper is going to have to keep his ability secret in order to survive. Aside from assassination risks, secrecy is also by far the best way for him to benefit from his power or to do good with it. There’s a lot of ways for the lone esper to profit, gain power, or expose wrongdoing if no one knows what he can do.

#15

For all we know, one or more such people already exist and they are smart enough to keep their mouths shut about it.

#16

If one person can “develop” this ability, then it’s highly likely that others can or will as well.

#17

But the OP is about one, and one only.

#18

:dubious:

#19

I didn’t say it was likely. If I had that power (and I don’t I swear!) I’d wouldn’t even tell my own mom. Who’s dead now, BTW, so maybe it’s safe to tell her.

#20

Maybe she had it and the NSA took her out and made it look natural.