Power corrupts; superpowers corrupt… superly?
(Crossposted from Silk And Shadows)
Currently working on: Redesigning website
Mood: Baffled
I shouldn’t have a superpower. I say this because I am fairly certain I would abuse my superpower. My XY tried to reassure me. “You’d be a benevolent dictator,” he said.
Sure, that’s what all the dictators say.
It’s like that 1981 study by the Swedish research who survey American college student driver, 88% of whom declared themselves better than average drivers. Now, you can play with the numbers to make average mean whatever you want, so that more than 50% can indeed be “better” than average at something. But anyone who drives knows that the aforementioned 88% is patently delusional. And I’d be deluded to think I’d be a force for good (or at least above average) just because the universe - or maybe aliens or radiation poisoning or whatever - gave me a superpower.
Lord Acton’s full quote in 1887 was:
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”
Since I’m not a Swedish researcher, I won’t argue percentages with Lord Acton, I’ll just point out that Superman wasn’t from Earth, so he doesn’t count. But back to my superpower or lack thereof.
I think, in order to keep my corrupting influence off my superpower, I’d be Dharma Girl. I’m envisioning some sort of invisible-but-sparkly-under-special-goggles fairty-type dust drifting in my wake as I pirouette through the world. Those who encountered my steps would see their ideal path laid out before them in matching sparkly footsteps - literal and metaphorical. They would know unequivocally they were going the right way.
And woe be unto she who did not follow. Because of course I can’t entirely give up the Dark Knight dastardly deeds - my evil alterego would be Swamp Gas Girl, whose arrival is preceded by the stench of low tide and whose twinkly lights lead followers to an early grave.
Tragically, every superpower has a superfailing. And mine is obviously that I don’t trust myself to be sure I’m on the right path. Then again, the universe - or maybe aliens or radiation poisoning - gave me a talent for words and I’m using them on romance writing. So maybe I would use my superpower for good.
Does your favorite superpower reveal something dastardly about you? Do share. Supervillains are people too.
(Crossposted from Silk And Shadows)
Currently working on: Redesigning website
Mood: Baffled
I shouldn’t have a superpower. I say this because I am fairly certain I would abuse my superpower. My XY tried to reassure me. “You’d be a benevolent dictator,” he said.
Sure, that’s what all the dictators say.
It’s like that 1981 study by the Swedish research who survey American college student driver, 88% of whom declared themselves better than average drivers. Now, you can play with the numbers to make average mean whatever you want, so that more than 50% can indeed be “better” than average at something. But anyone who drives knows that the aforementioned 88% is patently delusional. And I’d be deluded to think I’d be a force for good (or at least above average) just because the universe - or maybe aliens or radiation poisoning or whatever - gave me a superpower.
Lord Acton’s full quote in 1887 was:
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”
Since I’m not a Swedish researcher, I won’t argue percentages with Lord Acton, I’ll just point out that Superman wasn’t from Earth, so he doesn’t count. But back to my superpower or lack thereof.
I think, in order to keep my corrupting influence off my superpower, I’d be Dharma Girl. I’m envisioning some sort of invisible-but-sparkly-under-special-goggles fairty-type dust drifting in my wake as I pirouette through the world. Those who encountered my steps would see their ideal path laid out before them in matching sparkly footsteps - literal and metaphorical. They would know unequivocally they were going the right way.
And woe be unto she who did not follow. Because of course I can’t entirely give up the Dark Knight dastardly deeds - my evil alterego would be Swamp Gas Girl, whose arrival is preceded by the stench of low tide and whose twinkly lights lead followers to an early grave.
Tragically, every superpower has a superfailing. And mine is obviously that I don’t trust myself to be sure I’m on the right path. Then again, the universe - or maybe aliens or radiation poisoning - gave me a talent for words and I’m using them on romance writing. So maybe I would use my superpower for good.
Does your favorite superpower reveal something dastardly about you? Do share. Supervillains are people too.