So some of the recent comments have heraled me as some sort of superhero. I am flattered, but unfortuneately I'm not so much. But in spite of this I wanted to do a post on the subject.
First a little lesson on the subject. Superheroes come it four main flavours, with some mixes.
1. Mutants. These are otherwise ordinary humans who develop powerful abilities due to some mysterious mutation. Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk and any of the people with powers on the show 'Heroes' fit in this category.
2. Mystics. These are people who draw their power through some arcane knowledge, or a magical artifact, or some orther mystical power. Mystics include The Shadow, Wonderwoman, and most heroes in mythology.
3. Mechanics. These people use fabulous tools to augment extrodinary, but still human, mental and physical fitness. Mechanics include Batman, Ironman, and James Bond.
4. Aliens. Fairly self-explanitory, strangers from another world. Aliens include Superman, the Green Lantern, and others.
I apologise for the pedantics, I suppose it's not so necessary, but I think the important thing is for all these types, there has to be some sort of sacrifice. Mutants and Aliens feel alone more than usual because they have trouble relating to others. Mystics usually pay some sort of spiritual price for their powers, and mechanics have to fully appreciate their own mortality, and yet still put themselves on the line. Power always comes with a price.
So the usual question for people is what one super-power would you choose. But I would ask, what price would you pay for that ability? I guess I'll ask both.
As for myself, I'd consider two abilities. The first ability is precognition. This is difficult because to know the future is to be trapped by it. Better would be the ability to perceive the consequences of choices. The price for this one is actually pretty clear. It is to study history. History repeats itself, so when we know what has happened in the past, we can predict the future better.
The second ability would be telepathy. This also has a cost. It is to become interested in other people. In order to know what others are thinking, one has to really want to know. Then we try to find out about other people, to empathise with them, and really get to know them. Then we can almost read their minds because we can hear the words that they don't speak.
So am I willing to pay the price? How about you?
Peace out.
Rock on.
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9 comments:
That was very thoughtful and interesting Nathan. Was that all out of your own brain? I know another guy who would choose telepathy too. I would choose being able to fly because it seems really fun and handy and also sometimes I want to be able to see everything, get a bigger picture. I don't know what the cost of that would be...maybe people would always want rides from you and you might get overwhelmed with seeing everything, you may feel isolated. And maybe I just want to be omniscient.
Is the thing at the end another song quote? Are you going to tell us from where or are you going to make us guess again?
Personally I feel that wearing underwear on the outside is enough of a sacrifice for any super power...I'd choose the ability to make gates (Travelling if you are a wheel of time reader (if your not it is long and the first books are the only ones to read)
I guess that the further price would be an inordinent amount of pressure to be punctual. Actually I think you would have to be careful that you didn't warp into someone's knees or something causing them to explode...I guess it would demand a great awareness of where I am and where I am going.
Adam are you talking about disapparating and splinching essentially?
Ah, underwear outside of one's clothes...or as clothes. Wonderful invention, hey?
p.s. it is kind of slow at work today. I may or may not be feeling a little silly.
I would like my superpower to be time travel. But then again, I am in love with The Doctor so I am a little biased. I am no Rose Tyler.
Stereo fuse: Superhero.
Yes, I win!!! I get excited about winning, when in Safeway and my change comes out of the magical change machine, I like to yell, "I won". I think the best story ever is that of my birthday 2 years ago. At a bank machine in West Edmonton mall, with someone waiting behind me, when my money came out, I yelled, "I won!". Sonja and I nearly wet ourselves and the guy behind us thought that we were insane. ahh, memories.
I would be a mutant. I would like to have super awesome fighting skills, so I think the powers that would be best for that would be healing, strength, speed, telepathy, to know what my opponent is thinking ahead of time. But with telepathy, I would like to be able to control it, I wouldn't want to hear the thoughts of everyone around me all the time. The price I would pay, a hot body, I could handle that. I don't know if you ever see a really ugly super hero. I think Superman is the ultimate super hero. He has all of the skills, and he has that attractive distant way about him because he is an alien.
I prefer the new James Bond to Pierce, bacause with Daniel Craig doesn't seem so reliant on gadgets, I can see him beating someone to death. Pierce I can't, he would be too wimpy in a real fight.
Is the underwear on the outside for function or for decoration. Maybe Superman just forgot to put it on before his tights and once he somehow plastered them on to his body, he wasn't going to take them off to put on underwear. Any girl who has ever put on tights knows of the battle and does not blame superman if this was the case.
Re: underwear on the outside of tights. Does anyone remember Disney's The Rescuers and how the little kidnapped girl seemed to wear underwear on the outside of tights. I always thought that was strange. I was also remembering the other night as I put away my freshly laundered tights that some people wear nylons AS underwear (Merideth Viera, formerly of The View, which I found this out on). Wow, this is really boring...I'm just posting for something to do even though it's probably not that interesting. I need to find something better to do at work.
I would like my superpower to be that of making the contractors be done our bathrooms so that the smell of homeless men leaves our house. No, I can do better than that. I think I would really like the ability to know what people are trying to communicate. This is a mix between telepathy and understanding. Basically, empathy but to a super degree. I would be much more skilled than Deanna Troi (who is empathic ie the product of a telepathic woman and a human father.)
This would be better than telepathy because that is just too invasive. PS- if I can get another shot at it, add on some super hot fighting skills, language skills, and the ability to learn anything really well.
Sonja were you really that shocked by what I did when you told me about empathy and being Deanna Troi? I didn't think it was that weird.
I think it's impressive how Nathan can talk about predicting the future and being telepathic so humbly. You would never know to read it that he puts these powers into use continously as he makes our world better and us more comfortable and happy.
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