As humans, we sometimes wish we had powers that could make our lives easier to protect us from different types of danger. One of the abilities that I wish I have is the power to read minds, or see the future. In my case I wish that I could forecast a 30 second preview of every person I’ve met, so I could know what I’m getting myself involved in.

Just imagine being able to see someone’s entire life story in just 30 seconds. You could instantly know their past, their present, and even their future. You could see their strengths, and weaknesses, their bad habits and good intentions. You could avoid people who would harm you and embrace those who would help you.

But is this type of power even desirable? There are many reasons why knowing too much about someone could be detrimental to our relationships with them. For one it could rob us of the joy of getting to know someone organically. Part of the excitement of meeting someone new is discovering who they are over time. If we already know everything about them that sense of discovery is lost.

Secondly people are not static beings. They change over time, and someone’s past does not necessarily determine their future. Someone who may have made mistakes in the past can still be a good person today, and vice versa. If we judge people solely on their past we might miss out on great relationships and opportunities.

Such great power like this could make me overly cautious and paranoid. I can become preoccupied protecting myself from others, I could forget to enjoy life and take risk. I could also miss out on great experiences and friendships because I would be afraid of the unknown.

While I think it’s understandable to wish for the ability to forecast a 30-second preview of every person I’ve met, this immense amount of power might not be as desirable as it seems. It’s always going to be more important to approach relationships with an open mind and willingness to learn and grow alongside the people that we meet. Let me know your thoughts on this.