I wouldn’t mind being able to read people’s thoughts. You see, I consider myself a pretty talented person already. I’m musically orientated, I’m a fast learner, I have a great memory and I am a pretty good hockey player when it comes to the defence part of the game. Therefore I’m not surprised the talent I wish I could have isn’t something physically likely but is instead destined to remain an impossible dream.

You’re probably thinking: Hey! Reading minds isn’t a talent. That’s, like, an ability. You’re right. But guess what? According to the dictionary a special ability also constitutes a talent. So there!
The ability to read minds would prove to be a very useful tool in all aspects of my life if it could become something I could do. Of course I would keep it a secret and no-one would know that I am able to lift the truth right out of their heads – making the thrill of realizing what someone is thinking that much sweeter.
Making new friends and keeping old ones would be a clinch with this talent. Just think about it. You meet someone for the first time. Immediately, you are able to establish which interests you share, on which grounds you differ and whether or not they have a good first impression of you just by having access to the things that flash through their minds upon meeting you. False impressions are eradicated and ill-based prejudices are immediately abolished. Old friends will no longer need to feign excitement at the birthday gifts you present them, for example, because you knew exactly what they‘ve been dying to own on that special day. Those are just the benefits one could reap in terms of the social aspect of life.
I’d say school would become a much more exciting place to be, don’t you think, with this talent presenting me with the opportunity to pick at the unfathomable brains of my teachers, giving me a chance to better understand what it is they expect of me. I think my marks would definitely take a turn for the better there.

As with all things good though, one can only list the negatives to this ability without bothering to try and count them. For starters I might not always like what I hear (or see) in people’s heads. You get people who think some really crazy stuff out there and it’s bad enough when they voice their thoughts out loud. Another issue might be the feeling of encroaching on the privacy of others on a constant basis.
What about the constant noise? People aren’t always talking, but nobody can manage not to think, believe me I’ve tried (have you ever told yourself not to think of a pink elephant for 5 seconds but then fought for ages with the image of just that for the next minute…?). The sound of people’s thoughts would be a constant buzzing in my ear from the moment I wake till the time I manage to fall asleep. You may recall the hilarious movie, Bruce Almighty, where Bruce (Jim Carrey) was given the opportunity to be God for some time. Of course this included hearing and answering everyone’s prayers. The poor man was almost struck down by the indistinguishable noise of human babble that filled his head. He eventually managed to incorporate the prayers into his email though, which probably saved him some real earache.

Ha! Of all the things to wish for. Naturally, my wish to read people’s minds will always remain just that, a wish. It can’t be denied though that it would be an interesting and useful talent to have.