Splash No. 178 - Psychic Powers
Psychic Powers
Throughout elementary and middle, nearly every novel I read seemed to center on a protagonist who was the Chosen One and had some special power or gift that would solve every issue they faced by the end of the work. Then there was me, an awkward and shy kid who had been in “Talented and Gifted” programs throughout school and got straight As without too much difficulty. What I figured was that even if I was mostly ordinary, my supreme intelligence would be enough to overcome everything else. Because of this, I staked a lot of my value in myself into how smart I was or appeared. In operating this way, I imagined a world where my intelligence kept me above everyone else, and would eventually allow me to overcome any other issue in my life. In my underdeveloped brain, I had accepted that I was too special not to change the world, and I just needed to get to the part where I would leave my mark, in some way or another.
I’ve been rewatching one of my favorite anime, Mob Psycho 100, a slightly off-kilter and comedic show about a middle schooler named Mob who happens to be the most powerful psychic in the entire world. However, he lives an average life — struggling with crushes, being behind on school work, etc. Even though he could hypothetically use his powers to make the entire world bend at his feet, Mob goes through his life like anyone else, convinced that his psychic powers don’t make him better than anyone else. Throughout the show, Mob encounters other psychics who all think that their powers grant them a Divine Right to rule the world or live a privileged existence. Yet, whenever they’re able to witness the smallness of their power in comparison to 12-year-old Mob’s, they realize their insignificance, that what they thought was most important really didn’t matter that much at all.
It probably wasn’t until some time in late high school or early college before I stopped valuing intelligence as the Most Important Thing. Learning more about the world and life just made me realize how much I’d been focused on just a tiny piece of what life was about. It was only when I met people from other walks of life and was forced to confront the smallness of my own perspective that I was able to really look beyond what I had. Watching Mob Psycho 100 now, I wonder if seeing it in middle school would’ve helped me to arrive at the conclusions that it took me years to figure out.
Despite the supernatural elements of the show, the most satisfying parts of it for me are the mundane moments, where we see Mob gain more confidence or stand up for himself or grow in any of the ways we’re proud to see the people who matter in our lives grow. The show mirrors real life in this way, where the larger talents and actions of the characters in our life are rarely the most important or interesting things about them. More than anything else, I love the show because it reminds me that I don’t love people because of what they’re able to do or accomplish, I love people for who they are and how they treat other people. And maybe that’s the only power I’ve ever needed.
Drops of the Week
ALBUM - Green by Hiroshi Yoshimura - one of my favorite ambient albums!
ARTICLE - "The digital death of collecting" by Kyle Chayka - great piece about the lack of physicality and consistency of digital collecting when we don't really own anything in our digital worlds.
POEM - "We Manage Most When We Manage Small" by Linda Gregg - "The stars do not blow away as we do"
With each day, we can move closer to a more equitable world. Reminders:
Donate to Help Afghan Refugees Settle in NorCal Mutual Aid Networks
Anti-racism resources
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Magically,
Nikhil