I am weird. Of course, besides that, I have a superpower that is mostly unknown to others except by a few loved ones. I didn’t know I have it until people around started to point it out and slowly, it became obvious to me that I have a certain superpower to make people talk. Oh, I don’t mean with whips and lashes or even with handcuffs. Remember, violence is never the solution folks!
Weird Vibe?
I kind of have an aura around me, which my husband would like to call a ‘weird vibe’ that seems to attract people, even strangers, to want to talk to me.
The only thing is that the longer they talk to me, the more they reveal about themselves. Eventually, without inhibition or intention, they bare their secrets out even if I never ask probing questions or deliberately start a conversation.
Usually, it can be as innocent as asking “How’s your day?” to a shopping mall security while queuing at the supermarket or by just smiling at the lady behind me.
The other day while I was doing my pedicure, my manicurist told me her long history about the events that led to a disastrous relationship between her and her mother-in-law. It was a 10-year worth of stories summarized with anguish in an hour. The best part? She wasn’t even my regular manicurist as I just went to a random store that is offering promotions that day.
With Power Comes Responsibilities
Truthfully, it can be quite scary to use my superpower. I can turn out to be a nasty heartless con-woman or a scammer who purposely digs other people’s private lives, listens intently as they pour their hearts out, and manipulates them so easily due to their poor trusting state. And in the end, I can steal from them their precious hard-earned money.
I can use the information I collected from people to play the perfect political games in the office. I can even play on their weaknesses, say things they wanted to hear, or even gaslight them. Worst, I can make people fight against each other in the office because I know everyone’s little secrets.
Or…
I can choose to be a good person.
In sales, instead of overpromising with exaggerating speech, I can listen and pick up the smallest details to recommend the perfect product.
In customer service, I can hear the words you are not saying and I can gauge your emotions effectively. I can empathise with people and help them to come up with win-win solutions that not only can work for both sides but also in the most efficient way.
In a team, I am a good and active listener as a leader. My teammates opened up to me about their problems, both personal and work-related. Understanding their personalities besides knowing their backgrounds, makes it easier for me to assign tasks where they can excel. It also helps me to mentor them on their weaknesses.
In recruitment, I am good at engaging candidates to open up during interviews with simple questions. This allows me to understand their thought processes and gives me a brief insight into their personalities and work ethics. I am known in my field as a tough but fair recruiter. While my questions don’t have the right or wrong answers, this enables me to match the candidates to the right roles.
I am not Alone
I have friends who have superpowers too.
A close friend from Austria who works as a business analyst is incredibly awesome at numbers. He can scan through numbers of numerous excel sheets and can do arithmetic and statistics quicker than I can spell the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Another friend from Hong Kong can see through people’s bullshit with her laser eyes. In a flash, she can call out those who try to fake or lie to her. There are no explanations on how she can do it, but maybe it’s her powerful instinct that quickly kicks in. She gets this weird vibes whenever someone lies through their teeth.
There is also a Singaporean friend who can get away with everything. Somehow, he has a very trustworthy face and people never suspect him of doing something bad. While he is not truly a terrible person, he has lied his way multiple times to escape troubles like tardiness and sloppiness. Oh, and he never gets caught at all!
Lastly, there’s a Malaysian friend that can always manage to gather huge support for her causes. It may be for a donation drive to support refugees or a blood donation drive for a local hospital. Somehow, her superpowers can encourage people to give and share what they have for a good cause.
Conclusion
We are all special in our own ways. We can realize the superpowers we have when we look deep inside ourselves. Once you know your superpower, it is now your choice to either use it for your selfish desires or use it to help the world to be a better place.
So tell me, what are your superpowers? Come and share with us in the comments below.
For more stories about me and my thoughts, check out these articles: What are Your Goals in Life? Pretended To Be Not Who I Am Interviewed Again!
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