Jaycee Snelson Week 9: What’s Your Superpower?
Jaycee Snelson Week 9: What’s Your Superpower?
That's where I found the article “ Which Super Power would You Choose?” by Eric Teplitz. In this article, Teplitz briefly covers why the question “Which super power would you choose?” is an important question and what each answer could tell you about the person. He states that these superpowers speak to “our deepest, if often subconscious, desires.” He goes deeper to show how these superpowers give us a sense of ability to overcome the “limitations” we face — whether they are “real or perceived” — and "the possibility of easily transcending those things about what we feel most powerless.” This feeling of limitations and the desire to push past them is a critical part of human nature and is why superheroes — and in turn superpowers — resonate with a majority of people.
But, what does your superpower truly say about you? We can use my usual answer as a baseline. Whenever asked the question I always choose invisibility. Based on Teplitz’s article, the super power allows you to “hear what is said or watch what is done by anyone” (Honestly that makes sense because I am a really nosey person). Therefore, this is a power that would “appeal to those who, more than anything, are seekers of the truth” or “those with trust issues.”
Wow
This estimate of why this power would appeal to someone is pretty accurate.
This honestly surprised me. When I started this mini deep dive into the psychology of the superpower question I honestly didn't think that it would be as insightful or accurate as it is. But, maybe that's just my experience. Check out your go to “super power” and let me know if it’s as accurate for you too.
https://inspiredlivingblog.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/which-super-power-would-you-choose/
Hi Jaycee! I loved how you turned your blog about power into a self-reflection for not just yourself, but us too. Personally, my ideal superpower would be to travel through time, and yes, some of what he says is scarily accurate. I also think the “superpower” icebreaker is way too overused but I guess there is some merit behind it considering the article you just showed us, and will be asking the next 5 people I meet that question:). Circling back to superpowers, I think aside from just our own desires and limitations we face, our personality type might also have a large influence on the superpower we’d want to have. Thomas Erikson (Swedish psychologist and author) writes a lot about the DISC system, in which he basically divides personalities up into 4 colors. He mentions that all of those personalities have different comfort zones and tendencies, which might affect the superpower we choose when asked that question, which in my opinion gives us even more information on the person the question is addressed to. On your writing, I love your use of a one-word paragraph for emphasis on how shocking the accuracy of these “estimate[s]” is, and your use of em dashes to separate background information from your main points. Thank you for an amazing piece!
ReplyDeleteHey Jaycee, when I think about the question “Which superpower would you choose,” I always think about it as an optimization question where the superpower I select must be the best I can think of compared to all potential options. I know this is extremely silly but it is my thought process. So, after identifying all potential options, I was left with time manipulation where I can go back in time. The reasoning behind this is it lets me redo any mistakes and could ensure things like helping people not get hurt and understand if our current actions will affect the future negatively. It also will likely not get me stuck in a government lab because it is extremely hard to catch someone who can manipulate time because nobody will actually have any evidence of me doing so. Hearing about “Teplitz’s article” and how our choices come from our “desires” makes total sense. Personally, I am somewhat of a perfectionist who really wants to do their absolute best every time so this superpower does make sense. However, I do doubt the full idea of this article because if I chose a different superpower, I would be able to find some kind of relationship with me and it would technically be one of my “desires” but not the “deepest.” So these results do not surprise me as much. Thank you for this blog, it enabled me to reflect more on myself.
ReplyDeleteInvisibility is an interesting power to have, and your mention of it calls the character Violet from The Incredibles to my mind. When I was watching the movies, I noticed that her power of concealment reflected a desire to not be seen/go unnoticed in society. It is so interesting though that Teplitz’s article attributes invisibility to seeking the truth–I have never thought about it that way! Considering this, I am curious to know if there are any habits you’ve noticed about yourself that reinforce the idea of truth-seeking.
ReplyDeleteMy choice of superpower is typically flight, and Teplitz’s analysis of me wanting to escape reality definitely has merit. At my core, I’m a daydreamer–who would pass down the opportunity to soar in the heavens, far above anything that could bother them? Still, I am quite convinced by Atharv’s and Josh’s arguments for time travel, so it’s hard for me to choose!
I remember reading a comment online which said that the best power to have is not physical, but mental: an ability to find enjoyment in any situation. It’s not a superpower in the traditional sense, but it does emphasize the importance of mindset over matter. When we get inside our heads about things we can’t change, we often overlook the aspects of life which actually make us happy.