# Poll: Which extraordinary but non-comic-book ability would you choose? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580 "2006-03-08T21:08:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hirundo82](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/919ad9/32.png) [@Hirundo82](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirundo82)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/21 "2006-03-10T02:30:34Z")
Absolutely, without a doubt photographic memory. With all the material I have to remember for school, it would make my life so much easier. I was actually going to say that before I realized it was a multiple choice OP. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/22 "2006-03-10T04:34:51Z")
The confidence, charisma and articulation to be able to talk pretty much anyone into doing anything, because they wanted to do it for me. “Would you lower the price of this car by 50%?” “Well, I normally don’t, but for some reason, I want to for you”. Kind of like a Jedi mind trick. People can still refuse, but they have a strong urge to want to help me no matter what I ask(unless it’c completely repugnent). ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/23 "2006-03-10T06:19:42Z")
I remember reading about some French guy who’s in the Guinness book for being able to eat virtually anything. His gastric feats included an entire coffin, a bicycle, and an _ultralight plane_. His teeth are little more than nubs, though. If I could keep my teeth, I would want that ability. Think about the incredible bets you could make: Me: Hey, I bet you $100 I could eat that toolbox over there. Unsuspecting victim: HA! That’s good. Me: No, I’m serious. UV: Sure. Me: REALLY. UV: Ha ha, ok, you’re on. Me: _eats toolbox, UV looks on in horror, hands over money shakily_ ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/24 "2006-03-10T17:25:28Z")
#4 would be pretty damned useful, no doubt. I’d be rackin’ up a lot of frequent flyer miles, circling the globe, talking to just about anybody. Pretty cool. If I could pick my own “extraordinary but non-comic-book ability,” though, it’d be the ability to get by on just an hour or two of sleep, without hurting my health. I’d get a lot more done, including reading a lot more books. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/25 "2006-03-10T17:51:44Z")
I like **HPL** ’s Jedi Mind Trick Idea. I would love to be able to stop time, for that extra 9 hours of sleep. I wouldn’t age in this however. I would also love the mulitilinguistic abilities. AND I would love to be able to change my appearance however I wanted to, instantly. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/26 "2006-03-10T18:00:34Z")
In order of preference, I would choose: Lightning calculation Extraordinary language skills Photographic memory Phonographic memory Extraordinary language skills ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/27 "2006-03-10T19:55:52Z")
I’d go for the magical language skills, every time. I love travelling, and I’m perfectly well aware that I can by a long way just on English, and that even where English isn’t in use I can still function, get around, communicate and enjoy the trip. But being able to easily and rapidly achieve conversational fluency in other languages would still be tremendously useful, and open up many new perspectives on life. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/28 "2006-03-10T20:04:55Z")
**Shagnasty,** I find it interesting that you pass on photographic memory, because you own a camera, and phonographic memory, because you have an mp3 player, and then choose lightning calculator as your gift of choice… For me, it’d have to be #4. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/29 "2006-03-10T20:14:47Z")
#4 for me. But \*\*#5 \*\* (perfect health 😛 ) sounds good, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/30 "2006-03-10T21:22:52Z")
3 would have been nice in college. I’m not particularly good and Calculus and the teacher hated my guts because he thought Dad was cheating on taxes (he knew I asked for, and got, student aid; my surname always makes people think we’re rich; he’s a complete asshole and almost fainted when he found out what Dad’s job was). If my exams had been perfect, I would have finished college in two years less than I did. But now I don’t need it any more. I already have 4, sort of. Don’t speak any “exotics” but I know I could learn them, given a teacher with a TQ over 50 and enough immersion possibilities. TQ: teaching quotient. More 4 would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/31 "2006-03-10T22:14:17Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > **Shagnasty,** I find it interesting that you pass on photographic memory, because you own a camera, and phonographic memory, because you have an mp3 player, and then choose lightning calculator as your gift of choice… > > For me, it’d have to be #4. Did I say I owned a calculator? Mine broke. If it hadn’t my choices would be different. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580/32 "2006-03-11T01:14:57Z")
Language skills. I already know a couple, a smattering of others, and a handful of words in several more. I love languages. After that…well, you don’t have the other thing I picked. Musical talent…never learned to play an instrument and I severely regret that. (Spent all my time dancing instead). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-extraordinary-but-non-comic-book-ability-would-you-choose/347580.md?page=1)