Would you rather…?

1. Would you rather have the ability to see minutes into the future or years into the future?
   I would prefer minutes into the future as it could prove helpful in making a decision or to prevent a poor choice made in haste. But the true reason I choose the former rather than the latter, is I fear seeing too far into the future in case I find out something I’d rather not know and have to live with it.
   
   
2. Would you rather have telekinesis (the ability to move things with your mind) or telepathy (the ability to read minds)?
   I’m surprised by my instinctive reaction being telekinesis, as I’m fascinated by what people think and the reasons behind their decisions and behaviour. Yet seeing those thoughts without permission being granted feels inherently wrong. Despite being a largely open book, the idea of my unguarded thoughts being read by other people isn’t something I’m comfortable with, so I’m more than happy to stick with having intuition and knowing that people have chosen to talk to me, rather than intrusively reading their mind. Besides, being able to move heavy stuff with my mind would be oh so useful to an old weak body like mine!
   
   
3. Would you rather find true love today or win the lottery next year?
   If you’d asked this question 20 years ago, I’d have chosen the former. But I’ve found a lot of love since then – the deeply unhealthy love of your life kind, the fun kind, the heartbreaking kind, and finally the supportive, utterly reliable and funny kind. I don’t see how I could do any better, so I’ll take the lottery win next year.
   
   
4. Would you rather be chronically under-dressed or overdressed?
   There’s a rule about this somewhere and, while I’ve no idea who made it, I tend to agree with them. Over rather than under would always be my choice. When I stopped to ask myself why, I realised I’d rather be the butt of people’s jokes than feel their pity.
   
   
5. Would you rather have universal respect or unlimited power?
   That’s easy – universal respect. Based upon the state of the world currently, it seems clear that unlimited power is far too corrupting.
   
   
6. Would you rather give up air conditioning & heating for the rest of your life or give up the Internet for the rest of your life?
   There’s no doubting the internet has made all manner of things easier, but I’d still rather have the physical comfort of air conditioning and heating (especially air conditioning, as I’ve had to live without it most of my life). I also suspect we could all live perfectly decent and enjoyable lives with less digital implements in it. That said, if I were to be the only one in that position, I could see life becoming difficult, as so many organisations require people to interact with them via the internet… but I would still vote for heating and aircon.
   
   
7. Would you rather have a personal maid or a personal chef?
   I have a cleaner, so clearly I would choose a maid rather than a chef. Even without the excellent culinary skills of Himself available to me, I’d make the same choice because I enjoy cooking, whereas I absolutely hate cleaning.
   
   
8. Would you rather be an extra in an Oscar-winning movie or the lead in a box office bomb?
   I don’t like being the centre of attention, so being an extra would always be preferable, whether the film was a success or not. Being the lead in a box office bomb would be especially hard to bear when you feel the way I do about attention.
   
   
9. Would you rather cuddle a koala or pal around with a panda?
   I’m pretty sure Koalas can be a bit bitey, whereas Pandas look really goofy and their keepers appear to have loads of fun playing with them, and getting cuddles.
   
   
10. Would you rather watch nothing but Hallmark Christmas movies or nothing but horror movies?
    I started off thinking “duh” Hallmark Christmas films, of course! But then I remembered how many bad and/or truly naff Christmas films there are out there. Still, while those might be hard to stomach, horror films are not for me, so Hallmark holiday films it is.
    
    
11. Would you rather find a rat in your kitchen or a roach in your bed?
    As someone with a rodent phobia, it would have to be the cockroach. I have worked on my phobia, but while that’s allowed me to cope with mice, I’m not sure how well it would work if I came face-to-face with a big rat. Not saying the roach wouldn’t get a reaction, but I did grow up with them running around bathrooms when living overseas, so am slightly de-sensitised to them.
    
    
12. Would you rather have a pause or a rewind button in your life?
    Despite being old, I’d go for pause, as there are times when life becomes overwhelming and a period of time to let me catch my breath, to sit down with a cup of tea and allow my brain to stop feeling fried, would be welcome. The past weeks have had many days like this.
    
    
13. Would you rather be gassy on a first date or your wedding night?
    If you’re someone who suffers with gas, then it seems likely gassiness would’ve occurred well before you get to the wedding stage. And while it would be inconvenient and less than ideal, I’d hope it was something we could laugh at together. Personally, I’d find it awkward and embarrassing if it happened on a first date, as I’m pretty sure there would be no second date if it did.
    
    
14. Would you rather have people spread a terrible lie about you or have people spread terrible but true tales about you?
    The terrible truth has to be better than a terrible lie. At least you’ll have earned the reaction you get from the truth, which I’d prefer to being judged on the basis of a lie.
    
    
15. Would you rather have a third nipple or an extra toe?
    The third nipple, and not just because of Chandler Bing 😉 Surely an extra toe would cause problems with finding shoes to fit, whereas a third nipple is just potentially awkward or embarrassing the first time someone else sees it. And being female, although it wouldn’t be easy to shop for swimwear, they are generally designed to cover the top half of your body, unlike male swimwear.

I’d love to hear your responses to as many of these questions as you feel inclined to answer! 🙂

© Debs Carey, 2026