# What superpower would you like to have? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 28, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041 "2022-06-28T14:29:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/21 "2022-06-29T02:49:21Z")
X-Man Doug Ramsey has that ability…and it includes all computer languages. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/22 "2022-06-29T03:35:05Z")
Call me old fashioned, but I’d just like to be able to fly. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/23 "2022-06-29T10:04:35Z")
The ability to laugh at the misfortune of others. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/24 "2022-06-29T10:13:14Z")
I always fantasized about flying for some reason. But any super power that would let me create matter from nothing–or better yet, make me rich (use your imagination) would be better I think. ---
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/25 "2022-06-29T10:21:09Z")
I would like to be able to remotely cause someone sudden and explosive diarrhea. I promise to only use this power sparingly, but just imagine the look on Ted Cruz’s or Vladimir Putin’s faces making a speech with shit running down their legs. ---
**Author:** ![a6ka97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@a6ka97](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a6ka97)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/26 "2022-06-29T14:23:53Z")
The ability to make someone have the urge they are going to (and do) crap their pants. Some street thug mugging an old lady? Give him the “look” and the sudden urge that he is about to fill his underwear he would stop in an instant. Bank robber with hostages? BAM!! Kind of hard to think about robbing the bank with shit running down your legs. Lady cutting in line ahead of me because she thinks she is better than everybody else? Whoops! She unexpectedly needs to leave the line NOW! Qmatic beat me to punch with the same idea. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/27 "2022-06-29T15:20:49Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Luck. Not even active probability shifting. Just a passive “everything always works out for the best” superpower. @teelabrown … did you see that? You’re our favorite! . > **[List of Known Space characters | Teela Brown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Known_Space_characters#Teela_Brown)** > > Teela Brown was a member of the crew recruited by Puppeteer Nessus for an expedition to the Ringworld. Her sole qualification was that she was descended from "lucky" ancestors, six generations of whom were born as a result of winning Earth's Birthright Lottery. The consequence of her state was that she'd led such a charmed and worry-free life that she was emotionally immature and unprepared for "harsh reality." The Puppeteer saw this as a kind of artificial selection, tending to breed for a psion... ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/28 "2022-06-29T15:27:22Z")
They got the “emotionally immature” part right. If only the luck was consistent! I’d go buy a Powerball ticket at lunch. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/29 "2022-06-29T15:31:03Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > I always fantasized about flying for some reason. But any super power that would let me create matter from nothing–or better yet, make me rich (use your imagination) would be better I think. My problem is that I always think through the ramifications of any power… I couldn’t create matter from nothing; what about the Conservation of Mass? Now, making a cool sculpture from a pile of junk, then making it fall on a couple of fleeing purse-snatchers would work… oh, it wouldn’t hurt too much, by the time it hit them it’d be solid gold. And if I could fly, would I still get airsick? And flying would be cold, especially at much of an altitude. So my secret identity would be awkward: “Mommy, why is that man with the ski goggles on all bundled up in the summer? I mean, he’s all sweaty… and what’s that patch on his neck?” “Come along, Snapper, and don’t stare at the nice man.” ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/30 "2022-06-29T15:50:43Z")
The power to calm. Crying babies, hysterical parents, angry bosses, pissed off neighbours, political opponents, screaming protestors, etc. You’d be the peacemaker, everywhere you went. You’d be much in demand, is my guess. And much admired I suspect. You know it’s what the world really needs! ---
**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:** [June 29, 2022, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/31 "2022-06-29T19:41:39Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > …Curious how many people want mind control. Apparently, slavery is acceptable if Our People are the masters. Like the man said, power corrupts, and absolute power is actually pretty neat! ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/32 "2022-06-29T20:03:25Z")
I want what I refer to as “80s Movie Training Montage” ability. Meaning any skill, talent or ability can be learned in just a few seconds while some 80s rock music plays. Want to learn Karate? Piano? How to fly a helicopter? Just jam out to some Def Leppard and practice for 30 seconds and you’ll be an expert. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/33 "2022-06-29T20:09:18Z")
I want telekinesis. Depending on how it is defined, it could also allow for flying of a sort. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/34 "2022-06-29T20:44:06Z")
The United States! Oh, you meant… ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/35 "2022-06-29T20:57:38Z")
I’ll go with the ability to stop time. To pause the world (except for me, of course). There would be no damage resulting: vehicles in motion would stop, folks swimming underwater would be fine, hospitalized patients requiring ventilatory support would not perish. And nobody would age during these periods. Imagine. - Need a nap? Hit the pause button. The world stops while you saw logs. - You could Pause in the middle of the workday and read an entire book or watch a movie. - You could Pause during a trivia contest and Google (yeah, that would still work) who won the Best Actor Oscar in 1973. - You could Pause after some asshole cuts you off in traffic, walk over to his car, and confiscate all of his clothing (or leave just his boxers, if you wish). - You could Pause and learn a foreign language, however long it might take. - You could Pause at 10pm, get nine hours of sleep, then Resume. It is still 10pm and you’ve just had a full night’s sleep (and did not age). Hell, do that every night and you will have the ability to be awake and alert 24/7. You get the idea. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/36 "2022-06-30T00:53:23Z")
Another vote for telekinesis. Mainly so I can always retrieve the remote. But I used to daydream about the ability to slow down and pause time. If you get good at it, you could use it to successfully jump off very high ledges (slow down time when you land so you do so slowly). I also imagined using it to flourish at sports; by slowing down time, I could have blazing speed while just barely jogging. And I could, for example, play football and survive punishing tackles, or make spectacular diving catches, if I could slow down time at the right moment. ETA: I just saw that Mean Mr. Mustard has a similar idea. Monkeying with time offers lots of options! ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/37 "2022-06-30T03:15:03Z")
Wishing things into the corn field. But if it really is a corn field somewhere on Earth. In short order it would be a very terrible place, full of evil stuff and people. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/38 "2022-06-30T08:03:12Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Need a nap? Hit the pause button. The world stops while you saw logs. - What if you die in your sleep? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/39 "2022-06-30T09:47:05Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > What if you die in your sleep? I don’t think anyone would complain. mmm ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041/40 "2022-06-30T11:05:17Z")
Flight/teleportation. The idea of being able to just grab a backpack and snap, be somewhere else in the world in a second. Teleportation would be quicker but flight has better scenery. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-superpower-would-you-like-to-have/967041.md?page=3)