Show of Hands

Mind reading would cause a lot more order in that we would find things out quicker. Initially there would be more chaos but if it were permanent it would lead to more order.

You'd be surprised how often we already read minds subconsciously through body language or tone of voice. Illiteracy was already an "epidemic" through US history, but resolving it brought us to positive change. Imagine the present with illiteracy...

It appears people in Maine already can read each others minds and it's not working well.

I would think mind reading would create more order, not chaos

mind reading would be total chaos. .. just ask Sookie!

Can you imagine the chaos in big cities with everyone hearing everyone's thoughts as they get within 25 feet of each other?! That would drive me nuts! :P

No one can read, rather than a select few? The South with rise again!

Be more harmful to lose ability to read/write. We would adapt to become an honest species. Now big governments cant lie! Woohoo!!

I wouldn't survive the day. The rude and disrespectful things I be thinking during the process of one day would get me burned at the stake.

People survived before the written word. Can you imagine the riots if mind wading were possible? No thank you!

This is the hardest question I have ever had to answer on SoH

I'd think mind reading. If you encountered someone truly evil, they would take advantage of what you were thinking.

Women don't need to know what we're thinking.

The fear of mind reading makes me think people do not live very honest lives and are afraid of their hateful thoughts. What is it people will hear you think that you are so afraid of?

I can see all the politicians walking around with no one allowed within that 25' mind reading bubble.

Lose books, Internet, computers, and all records and maps... Yep. We boned

I'd rather lose the ability to write. they invented sign language for a reason. not the same as this, but you get my point. there's a solution. mind reading! we'd lose a lot of personal information quickly.

We could always send flash drives with our voices on it instead of sending a word document!

If EVERYBODY could read minds, we'd get used to having no secrets or block out thoughts with white noise. Pink elephant pink elephant bahama mama...
Unable to read means unable to write. Without that kind of communication most business would stall, far worse.

Mind reading starts fights, no reading starts prerecorded messages!

If everyone could read the minds of everyone else wouldn't they all be thinking the exact same thing?

Would you do a tradeoff of losing the capacity to read any written language to be able to read anyone's mind within 25 feet of you?

Apparently Congress has already lost the ability to read anything.

Man! Look at that body. That's what I call a good looking....SLAP. Yea I think mind reading would be worse.

Est-ce qu'il vous fait chier que vous ne pouvez pas lire ce que j'ai ?crit ici?

Hdbsjeisns snenshsbe dkeve sha. Anybody follow?

The spoken word would still work. The world would go on.
The ability to read minds would, imho, have more drastic effects. It is the ultimate invasion of privacy.

Student- " gosh she is such a b****"
Teacher- " note to self fail scotty"

Are the discussions died because of the new iOS update? are we all the leftover android users? :/

Since street markings are arguably a written language, I forsee a lot of car accidents on multi-lane roads, should the latter happen. Also, a LOT of medical mishaps, and probably a few nuclear meltdowns.

People would kill each other over the first one. But they'd die because of the second.

The Tower of Babel resulted in a few thousand years of confusion. I'm thinking Babel 2.0 would be about the same.

Cfhbkjb cfsgjn ouvbjj chaff!! Orrtm$?$b.
Irving kink Godfrey okitrf xff!!

In today's technological age where we all communicate through written letters, emails, texts, etc. and our laws are written out, the amount of chaos and confusion that would pursue would be horrible.

I hope I could tune out people, instead of getting random blather of everyone near me. Of course the wacko playing with himself on on the bus or BART would be the loudest mind-voice, sigh.

If people could read minds, that would be their communication.

Reading minds would only be chaos for politicians and used car salesmen.

The written language would devastate us right now. Over time we could probs find some way around it tho

I'm not use to controlling what I think about... illiterate please.

There's always sign language!

people lived for a very long time with only verbal communication. if we knew what everyone around us was thinking it would take along time to adjust life to fit this new talent.

I think not having the ability to go on show of hands would create more chaos than reading minds.

Reading everyone's mind would most likely result in an information overload for most folks. This would conceivably be enough to shut down independent thought and actions.

If everyone could read everyones elses thoughts...oh shiitake mushrooms there would be absolute Hell.

Possible effects on politics:
1) It would be illegal to come within 25 feet of a politician.
2) No effect.

"Holy cow, he really was just speaking his mind the whole time!" -my neighbors

I've worked in customer service a longtime and feel like no one knows how to read VERY clear signs and/or instructions anyway. So I choose mind reading.

mind reading would cause some chaos at first but eventually would be like another sense and used as a tool in everyday life. Not being able to read would be complete chaos. Nobody could read road signs or know how fast they are going. Industrial workers wouldn't be able to read guages or take

Kwondb Shen shejeoslen vskske.

Most likely, anyone who's gained the skill to read minds would keep it to themselves.