If a person could read minds, control thoughts/actions

[Jet Shield]

I guess that depends on how many people you could control at once, how complete your control would be, and if they'd know they'd been controlled after you stopped.

Would I use it? Sure. But how/when/how often I'd use it depends largely on the questions above.

 

[jasper]

Great power, finally I get people to turn down their music in their cars.

 

[Umbran]

If you had that power, would you use it freely? If you could read & control minds, would you immediately and constantly read & control the minds of everyone around you? Why or why not?

No, I would not use it freely. The Golden Rule applies - do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. I might be okay with someone stopping me from doing something fatal or extremely damaging to others, but short of that, I would not want others mucking in my head, so I'd not do it to them.

 

[bone_naga]

I would definitely use it. What's the point of a gift that you don't use? But I would not use it freely. Part of it would be a moral thing, the golden rule as Umbran said. Part of it would also be that I hate people in general, so why would I want to constantly hear all the inane things going through their heads? But gain an advantage on job interviews? Know whether or not a chick wants me before approaching her? Track down a kidnapped person? Spy on enemies? Sure.

As for control, that only goes so far. It won't take long for everyone that you aren't controlling to decide that you need to be made dead. That would have to be carefully reserved for times when it counts the most, like stopping a guy from killing someone else.

 

[Umbran]

But gain an advantage on job interviews?

Oh, that reminds me, there's another issue with such a power that would kind of make it so you don't want to use it frequently - unintended consequences.

Let's say you use it to gain an advantage in a job interview. What happens when, in the course of the job, it becomes obvious that you weren't as good in reality as the power allowed you to seem? Now, you're stuck having to use the power repeatedly just to cover your butt. Or, worse yet, what if the people who make decisions are out of range, in the corporate office in the next city over, and you *can't* cover your butt from them? While it may have seemed like an easy-in, that power can lead to you digging yourself into a hole that is worse in the long run.

There's some things, like saving lives, stopping serious harm to people, which we can reasonably guess that the good we do would exceed the harm of consequences. But as the stakes for which you use the power decrease, the chance of having consequences be larger than your actions increase.

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

I would use it.
Think of how large my harem would be!
Zoinks!

 

[Umbran]

I would use it.
Think of how large my harem would be!
Zoinks!

You have just revealed the reason why people with such powers would be hunted down and killed by the rest of the population.

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

You have just revealed the reason why people with such powers would be hunted down and killed by the rest of the population.

Because of jealousy?
*shrug*
I would just control them and make them kill themselves.

Just think how pleasant and peaceful the world would be if I could but make everybody as cool, intelligent, and handsome as me!
A win-win!

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Because of jealousy?
*shrug*
I would just control them and make them kill themselves.

Just think how pleasant and peaceful the world would be if I could but make everybody as cool, intelligent, and handsome as me!
A win-win!

We'v already seen what that would be like. There is a reason the dinosaurs died off.

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

Hardy Har Har...