A penny for your thoughts
When I was little I thought it would be fascinating to be able to read people’s minds. I felt it would be interesting to know how the people around me really felt about the things that can only bother little kids. I wondered if other people thought about the same things I did or if their thoughts were as unfocused as mine, which often go from one thing to another before I’ve really finished with the first. And I wouldn’t have hesitated to know what other people were thinking.
But now that I’ve grown a little older, and hopefully a little wiser, I don’t think that reading minds would be that great of an idea. Granted, sometimes I still want to know if other people really mean what they say, but then when I think about it more, I realize that knowing what other people think might not be the best idea. Often we refrain from saying things that pop up in our heads and aren’t very nice. After all, society has rules which must be followed and there might be a lot more fighting if we were all blunt and said the first thing that comes to mind. If we all can say hurtful things than who knows what we are capable of thinking?
So I think I’ll be keeping the penny and you can keep your thoughts, thank you very much.
— Avanti Chajed