Is it a bird? A plane? No, its a daily prompt!
A mad scientist friend offers you a chip that would allow you to know what the people you’re talking to are thinking. The catch: you can’t turn it off. Do you accept the chip?
This seems like it would be a tough decision to make. On the one hand, having Telepathy or being The Empath would be awesome. On the other hand, since A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read, it could be as bad as constant Mind Rape or at best being Blessed with Suck. In fact, it looks like this would be a form of super powers with built in Power Incontinence.
With all that in mind, would I take the chip?
Probably. Sure, it’s a social double-edged sword. But it’s also superpowers.
One common theme I noticed on a lot of the other posts on this topic is how it would disrupt their everyday lives, destroying their friendships and keeping them from being able to live normal. They would feel bad invading other people’s privacy unwillingly, would dread having to leave society, would feel the weight of the moral implications crushing them, etc.
Those are all very good, valid points.
But when you have superpowers, why would you want to be normal?
I pretty damn sure I would instantly lose all my friendships, due to knowing what my friends truly think, as they think it, unfiltered and live. But I could get new friends, and even rebuild relationships, over the internet or phone. Can’t read someone’s thoughts when they are miles away, right?
I also couldn’t really stand to be around people for large amounts of time, or around large crowds due to the inevitable brain over-load. But there are many jobs you can do from home, groceries delivered to your front door, and I’m not exactly a social butterfly anyways. I would just be prepared for a psychic onslaught when I went into public, but it wouldn’t be an everyday thing I’d have to endure.
It would also completely destroy my self-esteem at first, since hearing how someone thinks you are fat, ugly, and stupid for the umpteenth time wouldn’t be fun for anyone. But at the same time, if someone likes you, or thinks you are awesome, you would know that is how they truly feel. You could surround yourself with the truly nicest people around. Or, at least, the most honest jerks you don’t mind. Plus, it would force you to develop a thick skin, a strong sense of self, and a good sense for bullshit.
Aside from all that awfulness, I’d have to power to know people’s thoughts. I’d know the perfect thing to say, when someone is lying to me, a person’s bank account info, where the killer hid the body and murder weapon, insider trading information, etc.
That is a lot of power to wield, I’m getting a maniacal rush just thinking of it.
It is a lot of knowledge too. I could learn things at the speed of thought from Stephen Hawking, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and other great minds. I would know how someone’s brain processes normally, and how it would change or differ while under the influence of drugs or mental illness. Imagine all of the leaps and bounds you could make in the fields of psychology, philosophy, and sociology. Not to mention, other fields of science, by being able to combine the best thoughts out there into one. Imagine being able to literally write the book on people, on how different personality types work, on how people think and feel. Imagine being the greatest mind alive.
Why would I ever pass up that opportunity?
So, since I’m not a manipulative bastard, my plan after getting the chip is to use my power to make a bunch of money and move somewhere away from civilization. Then, I would either visit or invite people so I could learn and develop various grand world shattering theories and the like. Go to school online, make friends via the internet, and general live a good, productive, world changing existence.
Or, you know, use it to become an evil, world ruling dictator with my mad scientist second in command.
Or use it to get laid.
Or even do all of the above.
Because who would really be able to use god-like powers for only good?
-Shaman
Shame on The Universe 
What do you think?