[ WP ] - A old man tells the story of his superpower , and the reason he never used it .

I was 21 years old at a crowded theater. The lights dimmed, the movie began, and all of a sudden, I could hear everyone. Every person's thoughts in the theater. 
 
 The guy up front who had already seen the movie three times before spoiled the ending for me. The couple in the back who were having sex. The man seven seats over who was thinking about his business's finances. And perhaps, worst of all, my date who was wondering why she was stuck with a loser like me and how much she missed her ex-boyfriend. 
 
 I shut it off. I shut it all off. Went back to silence in my head. I do n't even remember the movie. 
 
 The next evening, playing poker with my friends, I opened back up, read their thoughts, won over $ 45 ( a lot of money at the time ). 
 
 And never used the power again. 
 
 I'm sure there is some way I could have used the power for good, but the temptation to use it for evil would also be there. The potential I could hear someone's thoughts and know what they really thought could really hurt me and my relationships with friends and family. 
 
 The power came with a cost, and it was a cost I was n't willing to pay. So I've kept it shut off for the 60 years since.
