Have you ever wished you could hear what other people were thinking?

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   graceinusposted 11 years ago

   Have you ever wished you could hear what other people were thinking?
   
   There have been times when I wished I could know what another people were thinking. At times it could have saved me from making big mistakes. It would have come in handy early in life.

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   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   Yes, I have often wondered about this. Although we may not want to know.

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      graceinusposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I would be nice to have it but sould be very limited. Thanks JThomp42

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      JThomp42posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Absolutely Grace. You are very welcome.

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   Cristaleposted 11 years ago

   I have wished this before, but also wondered if it was some thing terrible. Some times the truth really does hurt. Besides, a person's thoughts are their own way of having personal privacy.

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   joanwzposted 11 years ago

   THere have times when this skill would be useful, and would save us all a lot of grief. But there are also times when "ignorance is bliss" - I don't want to know everything, especially from those who don't have my best intererst at heart, or the best interest of my loved ones. At least 90% of the time, I'd say it saves a whole lot of grief NOT to know what the other person is thinking. You know, the whole idea of "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything."

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      graceinusposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A skill like this could save us a lot of grief and help prevent making big mistakes. At the same time I would not want to know what everybody was thinking. Many thanks joanwz

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   Lisa HWposted 11 years ago

   Only rarely, and only if I know the person isn't likely to feel comfortable telling me what's bothering him (for example, when my kids were teenagers and I worried about whether there was anything making them unhappy that I might be able to help with).  Most of the time, I just ask people I'm close to what they think about something and hope they tell me the truth.
   
   On the other had, I often wish people could really hear what I'm thinking because God knows they clearly don't have a clue.  That's one reason I think it's important to just ask someone what they think about something, and if one then isn't sure about why the other person thinks or does something he should just ask for clarification on that as well.  What I find people too often do when I tell them what I am thinking about something is that they imagine a whole bunch of motives or other things I "must be thinking" that I'm just not.  It would be better if they just asked, "Why do you think that?"
   
   You mentioned "early in life".  I assume you mean when you were a child or at least a young person.  Children often don't even know what to ask, and young adults most often can't imagine all the thoughts, feelings and experiences that older adults have accumulated over the course of living each decade; and that have colored their thoughts, feelings, and concerns.  So even young adults don't always know what questions they should be asking of others whose thoughts they don't fully understand.  It's really up to parents/older people to explain why and how they think some things to younger ones (which can those younger ones better understand a lot of other people as they go through life).  Other than that, though, all anyone can really do is recognize that none of us is ever exactly in the "same shoes" or "coming from the same place" that anyone else is, and that asking the other person to help us understand better (without judging or second-guessing) is about the best we can do.

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      graceinusposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      As a young adult I had married my first wife when I had just turned 18. Through hindsight I realized both of us were far to young for marriage. The skill of knowing what one is thinking would have coming in handy back then. But that is life. Thanks

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      Rayne123posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      you have covered all the basis.
      
      Never thought about it, mind reading for the sake of your children.

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      graceinusposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Lisa-If we could use this kind of skill to protect our children and families, then that would be awesome.

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   jennshealthstoreposted 11 years ago

   I understand where  you are coming from. Yes I times I think it would be nice to know what people are different so we can prevent things from happening or change a circumstance, but then on the other hand if we did now and took the opportunity to change the circumstance then we may have lost out on a valuable lesson that we needed to learn.

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      graceinusposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I guess a skill like this would be subject to abuse. What would this world be like if everyone had this ability? We're better off not knowing. Thanks jenn

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   Rayne123posted 11 years ago

   First I will start, ( and I know its just a figure of speech) that no matter what gift we have, nothing would of saved us from our past, they are not mistakes but learning blocks. To get to where we are now, we had to go through our past.
   
   As for reading minds, sometimes I feel like I can through the power of God. However if I had a choice I would have to say no. I am sure for a couple of weeks it would be great, however the novelty would wear off.
   
   Just like the show, if you have seen it "What woman want" with Mel Gibson, he gets hit by a lightening bolt and then he is able to read the minds of woman. However it drives him crazy because everywhere he goes he hears thoughts.
   
   So when you are using your brain for the same purpose eventually it shuts down. That or become a bit incoherent. I think that is why God did not give us any gift of this kind. 
   
   When you have a special gift it can be overused/misused for the wrong purposes and becomes a sickness after time. Then you are looking at more problems such as punishment for the very thing you were given.
   
   It would be like stalking in a sense. So with that said, probably not, I believe in peoples right to privacy. I know God wanted it that way,
   
   I have to wonder how God hears everyone's thoughts and words and actions in the whole wide world. That actually mystifies me. It is amazing.
   
   Then you have your close friends. You know how sometimes those little white lies they tell you, (like a sweater looks good on you when it doesnt, although I prefer the truth) can turn ugly. So with that said, No
   
   Good question
   Laurie

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      graceinusposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Rayne123- I guess if God wanted us to have this gift/skill, He would have given it to us. It is most likely we are all better off without it. Many thanks for your answer.

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   lisasuniquevoiceposted 11 years ago

   
   
   graceinus,
   
   That movie "What Women Want," with Mel Gibson is really funny. He walks around all day hearing the thoughts of each woman he meets.
   Lisa

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      Rayne123posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I know it is funny, I loved it. Helen Hunt was perfect in this movie

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      graceinusposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I did watch the movie. Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt both played their parts well. Thanks so much for your answer and photo.

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   lburmasterposted 11 years ago

   Yes! That is the super power I would love to have. But it would be nice to turn it on or off at will as well.

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    Globetrekkermelposted 11 years ago

    Yes a lot of time ,I do. That will solve a lot of problems in the world if we have that capability at hand when we need it although there had been times when I know what other people are thinking even though they have not verbalized anything.I guess they call that sixth sense?

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    rainpurplewineposted 11 years ago

    Sometimes,but on the other hand it might be awful to hear everyone's ridiculous thoughts. All thoughts are not created equal.

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    Mark Upshawposted 11 years ago

    You can hear or feel it. It takes some training and plenty of development. Once you can hear everyone talking to themselves, you realize that they are just like yourself wondering what you are thinking about them. And then you turn it off, because most people don't have interesting thoughts. Most are stuck in emotional loops, like animated gifs. And when you hear the dark deep secrets, you just feel dirty for listening in.
    
    Your own thoughts are most important. Stick with them and allow others to be themselves beyond your influence.

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    Penny Gposted 10 years ago

    No, because there would be a lot of anger, sorrow, loss of friendship and so on. People will think things they would never say and and never mean to say. They don't always mean it either, it is just a silent vent, something to make them feel better.

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       graceinusposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       PennyG- Thank you for your answer.I have sometimes wondered about the good if we could know what others may be thinking. Many time the wrong or bad causes us to lose our focus on the good. God bless.

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