Should We Be Able To Read Minds?

I recently heard about an individual who confessed a not so appropriate thought in a group setting to demonstrate that we all think the wrong thoughts from time to time. A few in the group seemed a little surprised that this person would say such a thing out loud. To make it even more awkward the confessor’s husband was in the room. Yes, we as humans are not always going to think the right things, but it is not necessary to air every thought our minds cook up.

Hearing that story about revealing certain thoughts made me think a little further about the possibility of us as people hearing each other’s thoughts. Should we be able to read minds?

Telepathy may seem convenient and amazing in fiction, but I moreso see this ability making life extremely more difficult than it already is. Hearing all the thoughts of weirdness; betrayal; violence; lust; sadness; and anger would make relationships impossible, as well as make us all want to kill one another.

I truly believe that if mankind were meant to read minds that our creator would have given us this ability before or after our fall. Ever heard of Sodom and Gomorrah, the two cities that were destroyed with fire and brimstone for their wickedness? So wicked that there weren’t even ten good people that were worth sparing the cities. Imagine our entire world as exactly that, but times 10 if we could hear what everyone was thinking.

Think about all the endless worse case scenarios of what could happen if we could read one another’s thoughts:

• No more surprise parties if the person already knows what you’re planning. Buzz kill.
• Christmas wouldn’t be quite the most wonderful time of the year if the person already knows what you’re getting them.

• You have an idea for a story, project, movie, and then someone steals it from you.
• Someone being able to cheat on an exam just by grabbing the correct answers from your knowledge filled head.
• You daydream about telling off your dictator of a boss. Perhaps fantasize about giving them a good ol’ slap to the face. Because of this dream you immediately get terminated. But you really need this job!
• Certain things you may want to keep from your child until they reach a certain age. With mind reading, the child could have access to knowledge, which they are not ready for.
• You and your current partner have to deal with all the memories you have of one another’s past partners. Awkward!
• You’re trying to get a good night sleep, but you’re bombarded by the constant intimate thoughts of your spouse who is laying right beside you. Can you say marital problems?
• An individual wants to get into a physical altercation with you just because you had a negative thought about them.
• You get arrested simply because you had a violent thought, even though you had no intention of acting on it.

Too many worse case scenarios!!!

The mind is designed to be yours alone. You can tell someone what you’re thinking, but there must be some thoughts that should simply be kept to yourself, especially if they will serve only to cause upheaval. The reason God is the only being who can hear our thoughts is because He is our creator. It is a plus that we can come to Him with our troubled thoughts, because He loves us enough not to turn us away because of them.

(Images not owned; found on Unsplash)