What realistic super power would you like to have?
 

There are so many super powers that might ultimately cause more problems than benefits if you are the only one that has one. You may either me in demand constantly or blamed for things constantly or whatever. But what if there's something beyond your normal abilities that would make your life so much better that wouldn't cause any undue attention?

I watch a lot of youtube channels from all over the world and if I didn't have the car addiction would go on 3+ major trips a year, and am considering making a change for 2024. Language is one thing that prevents me from just picking up and going to any number of non-English speaking countries.

But if I could learn any language very quickly/easily/instantly, it would be easy to have 2 fun cars and then just travel everywhere, as much as I could. I am very bad at learning languages though a month of intensive study paid off big for the trip to Paris years ago. So leasily earning languages would be my #1 realistic super power.

Then I could even take a page from this Aussie woman I follow who travels all around China and basically eats. But also provides some sight seeing and history and local life from big cities to distant countryside. And she eats everything! it's amazing how bland and boring American food is in comparison to foods around the world.

Her Mandarin is flawless as she makes her way through cities and villages talking with locals. This particular video is mostly English but she's the inspiration for this thead.

<iframe width="1160" height="653" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zh3IjRRsE9E" title="World's BIGGEST bowl of noodles?? And served in a carpark??" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Read minds.
Since all thoughts are electronic pulses, this technology will eventually exist if it doesn't already.
Some believe thoughts can also be transmitted into brains.
Manchuria candidate?

Hoo boy, I was just thinking of this the other day. My focus and concentration has just disappeared (probably has something to do with the internet)

I wish I had the patience of Job, the concentration of Kasparov and the focus and determination of Roger Penske all combined as my superpower.

Ability to quickly learn languages - excellent! I was never interested in learning languages as a youngster, and I had some great opportunities. I wish my parents had pushed me to do it.

focus and determination of Roger Penske - another good one, probably another one that I could use. I guess I'd call it "drive". I lack drive to accomplish more, and if I had it, hoo-boy, I'd be dangerous.

Yes, maybe less realistic is reading minds, but that one is huge. Maybe the more realistic version is "read people". There seem to be people that are excellent at "reading" people, ie, a little interaction and they perceive quite a lot about a person's motivations, demeanor, etc... While reading minds would be great, reading people would be a huge step for me. (I can't read people for sheiße)

Easy. Control minds.

Probably not on the realistic end, similar to reading minds. But I think there are folks that are able to "read people" and I think some of those folks are also able to "guide" or manipulate people (because they "see" their motivations). I'm guessing that great con artists and salesmen are probably able to read AND steer a lot of folks in a way that's practically a super power.

there is 0% chance that someone won't reply: FLY or invisibility. :D

I would want a fast photographic memory and a super human ability to understand what I am seeing or reading.

with that, you could learn anything. like any language.

(I do secretly hope this degrades into a penis joke)

eidetic memory

Here's mine - the ability to communicate with animals. I think that would be so cool. And useful.

ROFLMAO!

Many years ago, there was a short period where I had the same basic dream several times where I was able to fly. It was cool. Almost as weird as the dream, was the fact that I remembered it (and still do) because I almost never remember dreams, and when I do, it's not usually for more than a short period as soon as I wake up.

I've got a pretty good memory and recall, certainly not super-power level, but above average, I think. Having a better memory would be cool.

And probably easier than "reading women's minds and understanding what they are thinking". If I could read women's minds, I suspect I'd mostly be sitting around thinking "WTF?"

Well, I have an amazing memory, and am super high on persuasion and likability. But, have a nice dose of ADHD.

I would go with impulse control and impression management. Two things that set me waaay back time and time again.

All good ones, let me add time travel!

If I had my choice of a super power, I'd choose being lucky. I suppose that would be some kind of super power.
Shawn. In regards to languages, the internet has made that much easier. We had two chinese girls (students 12 & 14) here for two weeks a few years ago. They didn't speak much english at all, & we certainly didn't speak chinese. They had amazing apps on their phones. We communicated back & forth via their phones. They could speak into them and it would come out as english text - & visa versa. We got really good at it by the time they had to leave. They could also scan english on signs, menues, etc. that was converted into chinese on their phones. I'm continually amazed by the possibilities available through apps and the internet.

All good ones but I love this one, pretty cool. And extremely useful!

I consider my good fortune to be a super power, so I am sort of already there

Sorry Marv

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gbHGFX9E2P0" title="Domino (4K) Luck IS A SuperPower" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

^^^^^^ Yeah! Lucky is it!

Tobra. More power to ya. It's great to know someone who already has a super power.

Ya understanding how woman think would probably drive you insane.

...meh, I think it would be anticlimactic. :D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1701284794.jpg


I think mine would be to understand and speak any language ever spoken.

Like have a babel fish shoved in my ear, like Ford gave Arthur.

Or something like that.

That would be cool. Although I think I'd rather just be able to speak and understand the languages rather than essentially having them translated to English. I think if you could speak and understand them natively, it would expand your thinking.

Actual super powers?

synesthesia, absolute pitch, piano savant, sub 10 sec. 100M, math savant...

Realistic? Play guitar like Jerry Garcia.

I wish I had the power to make people kind.

Damnit Charlie!

Other than that be a male version of Mystique from Xmen, she can speak all the languages of the people she touches. So you get the language deal and can look like anyone.

Hence checking off Vash's penis comment as well!

And other things... :eek: :D

A guy with that power would never leave home....

telekenisis or throw-yourself-at-the-ground-and-miss flying

I'd settle for being able to find my keys.

Realistic Superpower? - I can't think of any I'd like to have but...

1. I always fall on my feet. This one is really weird. No matter what happens I always fall on my feet & I can't remember it not happening. Maybe it's my POV or attitude to life?

2. If I can spend enough time talking with someone I can tell if they're hiding something or they're being dishonest.

I'm reluctant to share these two but here goes anyway...

3. Somehow and only sometimes I can see the future. To be clear I can't conger it at will. It just happens every so often and when it does it reminds me that not everything is explainable with science. For instance if the power goes out I just know how long it will be out for and I can sense when it's about to come back on.

4. I can also feel someone observing me. If I'm in a crowd and someone is watching or looking at me I can feel it.

I don't want to get "Churchy" but IMO non of the ones I've listed are explainable with science alone.

100%

Reading minds of others is also cool but I am in my 60's now and have become pretty darn good at reading people from their words and actions.

Kudo's IROC, you nailed it for me.

Wouldn't they get suspicious by the third Powerball win?

This would be the best one

When I was a kid, the superpower I wanted was to be like Spock - to logically and unemotionally compute the best course of action in every situation. Yes, I had missed the message of “The Galileo Seven”. I used to try to logic/compute through every decision, even qualitative and subjective ones. Eventually I gave that up (on the qualitative/subjective decisions), realizing that wasn’t a very fun way to live and didn’t give better results than just letting your subconscious do the weighing and balancing. I believe that may have been around the time I started listening to Hendrix and smoking dope - coincidence? I still try to Spock through decisions that are calculable, but am pretty conscious of tolerances, or how close is close enough.

It would have to be usable on a mass basis, like make 100s of millions of people kind at once. And then it might be depressing to find that most of the awful things that happen are not in fact because people are unkind.

a simpler question would be which of my SP's I'd be prepared to give up...

Just beware of Amok Time.