0 voters
Would you rather be able to read, alter and control minds within a 20 mile radius or be 100x stronger, tougher and faster (faster in reaction and movement)?
What would you do with whichever power you chose and why?
If you choose telepathy people you alter will remain affected even after they leave the radius. If you tell someone to do something and they leave the 20 mile radius they’ll still carry out your orders.
Telepathy, as long as I can turn it off and not always read everyone’s thoughts in a 20 mile radius, and “tougher” doesn’t mean “100x less susceptible to all diseases” which would lead to a greatly extended lifespan.
Heh, forget what I was writing, my telepathy is showing me it ends poorly.
Precognition.
I would take telepathy. More opportunity for fun and games. Besides, I’d be afraid of hurting some one or causing damage with such enhanced physical capabilities.
I knew you’d say that, running coach.
Oh, and don’t forget to make that call.
If I could read, alter, and control minds, I wouldn’t need to be stronger or faster or tougher.
Stronger, faster, tougher would be great for yardwork, which is something I’d want to do. Can’t imagine wanting to read minds. That would just encourage people to be lazy with using their words.
Huh… I was going to say the exact opposite. If I could live to 200, I probably would take that, rather than telepathy. But if I’m living the same amount either way, then telepathy is the way to go. I don’t do much that superhuman strength, speed and toughness would come in handy for. But I can think of LOTS of situations where mind-reading and mind-control could be really useful, along the lines of the Jedi Mind Trick, not enslaving thousands with my “Mule” like power.
Anything I could do with super strength I could get others to do through mind control. I can get others to do far more than I could with super strength if I can control their minds. It’s not really how I’d like to do things but mind control is the far superior gift.
That’s what I was trying to say, I’d take telepathy/mind control assuming the toughness did not imply an increased lifespan. If it did, I’d take it. I can’t think of much else it would bring me that wouldn’t bring unwanted attention, though, other than winning every race I entered. I briefly thought that I could just run everywhere I wanted to go but the hypothetical doesn’t include freedom from unwanted notoriety.
I’m going with telepathy/mind control, but before I use it, I’m setting up some real iron-clad rules on myself, and if possible I’m mind-controlling myself to enforce them. Something like:
If Trump and McConnell simultaneously email a treasure trove of documents to various reporters and give a joint press conference at which they step down from public office and agree to cooperate with all investigations, come check whether I’m hanging out near DC with a killer headache.
Superstrength/speed/toughness.
I would use it to do a lot more outdoorsy sporty stuff like hiking, climbing, kayaking and the like. Nothing competitive, just maximise my own enjoyment of nature more.
I would not want telepathy because I consider mind reading extremely invasive and mind control absolutely abhorrent. “Mind rape” is a more accurate descriptor than “telepathy”, IMO.
What Mr. Dibble said. Currently I have mobility issues. I’d love to be strong and able to physically tackle whatever life throws at me.
Stronger/faster/tougher and it’s not even close. I already find out more than I want to know about what people are thinking and much more than they intended to show me as it is and it’s already so uncomfortable I infinitely prefer to keep away from most people. I don’t care what’s going on in your head and I definitely don’t want to be responsible for making you do what I want. Gross. On the other hand, I would LOVE to be able to climb mountains and hike indefinitely and carry plenty of weight and do all the physical things I’m too old to do now or wasn’t strong enough to do when I was younger. Don’t have a terrible car accident when you’re twenty, that’s some advice I wish I’d had!
100x - but not for the reasons listed by other posters. I just know I do NOT have the emotional or ethical strength to be allowed to have that degree of control of other people around me. I would make myself all sorts of promises early on like Left_Hand_of_Dorkness - but that would last a week at most. Like my neighbor with the Trump lawn sign who I heard have a screaming fight at the latino lawn services person for being too lazy to do a good job.
I would start I’m sure with good intentions, but would quickly become a rich, selfish, entitled monster and no one would likely be able to stop me. With 100x powers, I would likely not use them for much (because wouldn’t want to advertise it and get black bagged for research), but at least I’d be able to live with myself.
I should add to my own post that I would in no way hide my newfound power.
Mind control sounds like a full time job. Can you imagine having to correct every thought of every person every god damned time? The Straight Dope is bad enough. I suspect after a few dozen minds, I’d just command the whole species to walk straight into the sea. But for sure there’d be a, er, brief period of mass spontaneous nudity before then.
Dunno how Professor Xavier deals with it all…
Super strength would be fun though, just to go all King Kong on some unsuspecting buildings. Or to swim around and terrorize innocent warships. Or to really make an ass of myself at the special olympics. I suppose it could be used for good too, like freehand tossing the world’s largest pizza, or building a lot of railroads, or mining cobalt so kids don’t have to. So much less stressful than having to know what others are thinking. Ugh.
Nice new forums!
I chose strength. First, because it seems more useful. And second because it feels a whole lot less stare into the abyssal, I have no mouth and must scream stuff. I have enough problems.
Though I make that choice on the assumption that I can control 100x the strength without extreme effort. If I have to hug somebody with the same finesse I do a needle thru a thread… Yikes I may chose the telepathy, and just take upon myself the extreme burden of that responsibility even if I’d rather not. The strength if controlled has a lot of practical uses.
And for those so inclined, who want the power, and who say the mind is more useful? You can actually just have both. Lift a bus over your flippin’ head and tell people what you think. They’ll listen.
“Speak softly and carry a big bus.”
-Our lord and savior, Emperor Supreme, Benevolent Overseer, Guardian of Planets, Master Body Builder Onyerbike the First
I’d rather be able to fly than either choice, but given those two I’d pick stronger/faster/tougher. Reading and/or controlling the minds of others is a can of worms I’d prefer not to open. Assuming that I can long jump 10 feet or so, and 2 feet off the ground, multiplying that by 100 feet would be a decent consolation prize if I can’t fly.