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[QUOTE=JamesonAnders;4987411]That's s bad analogy. It's like saying shock therapy doesn't have to be violent.[/QUOTE]
No, respectfully, yours is a bad analogy.
PPL tend to use the terms psychic powers and mind control interchangeably, and, while some characters’ power IS strictly mind control, psychic powers are way more versatile, wide ranging, and can be used to heal.
While mind control is an aspect of psychic powers, psychic powers aren’t only mind control.
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Resurrecting the dead is powerful and isn't very violent... unless you're Herbert West.
None of Superman's powers are inherently violent, of course. It's like saying hands are violent because they can hold weapons. Superstrength has all the same variety as regular strength.
However, non-physical powers or powers than absolutely cannot be directly used violently are interesting. Omniscience, mind reading or seeing the future (like Nic Cage in NEXT) would be cool. Groundhog Day time looping would be fun... or boring depending on what you repeat. Both those obviously would be very powerful without any need to hurt anyone. You could ensure that you win without anyone getting hurt if you knew what was about to happen.
Invisibility would be in that category, I think. Not as powerful as the others, but pretty useful and inherently good at avoiding violent outcomes.
Invulnerability or immortality also very useful and nothing inherently violent to it.
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Resurrection could be one of the most violent powers ever. When you resurrect someone, you could very well be yanking them out of the afterlife, or at the very least, ending their slumber and forcing them to live. I'd be furious at the person that forced this on me. Leave me the heck alone!!
Superman's heat vision is violent, whether it's being used against a person or not.
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[QUOTE=A Small Talent For War;4987846]...None of Superman's powers are inherently violent, of course. It's like saying hands are violent because they can hold weapons. Superstrength has all the same variety as regular strength...[/QUOTE]
IMO, laser stares and hurricane breath are inherently violent.
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[QUOTE=Riv86672;4987639]No, respectfully, yours is a bad analogy.
PPL tend to use the terms psychic powers and mind control interchangeably, and, while some characters’ power IS strictly mind control, psychic powers are way more versatile, wide ranging, and can be used to heal.
While mind control is an aspect of psychic powers, psychic powers aren’t only mind control.[/QUOTE]
Telekinetic blasts are an entirely different form of violence, and a power inherently less violent than mind control.
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[QUOTE=DrNewGod;4988734]IMO, laser stares and hurricane breath are inherently violent.[/QUOTE]
I don't know. There are plenty of non violent uses for high energy lasers and in the real world today. A real high velocity wind machine would be terrifically useful in fire rescues. My point is though that his powers aren't only useful in a fight or to cause destruction. Often, he's not using them for that anyway. In fact, in the case of hurricane breath, it seems like he does use that more often to put out fires than to blast some opponent.
Telepathy is an interesting one in that there is a question if it is violence - in the sense of a violation - or if it is passive. For example, if you're playing poker and you have a tell, is someone violating your privacy by using that against you in a game? No, they are just playing poker. So would telepathy - simply being able to literally know what people are thinking, a violation of privacy akin to a hacker breaking into your computer, or would it be something like perfect mentalism? Is someone violating you by simply being extremely good at reading signals that reveal what you really think and feel that you cannot hide anything from them?
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^^^I am NEVER playing cards w. YOU.
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[QUOTE=A Small Talent For War;4989472].Telepathy is an interesting one in that there is a question if it is violence - in the sense of a violation - or if it is passive. For example, if you're playing poker and you have a tell, is someone violating your privacy by using that against you in a game? No, they are just playing poker. So would telepathy - simply being able to literally know what people are thinking, a violation of privacy akin to a hacker breaking into your computer, or would it be something like perfect mentalism? Is someone violating you by simply being extremely good at reading signals that reveal what you really think and feel that you cannot hide anything from them?[/QUOTE]
Reading minds is inherently passive and may be gross but not violent.
There is no way to suppose that mind control is not an abhorrent violent act
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[QUOTE=A Small Talent For War;4989472]I don't know. There are plenty of non violent uses for high energy lasers and in the real world today.[/quote]Yes, and having been in a corner of the medical industry that used them, I can tell you that - depending on its precise wavelength - even an 60-Watt laser calls for [B][U]very[/U][/B] stringent safety measures so that it doesn't accidentally vaporize the vitreous humor in somebody's eyeball. Heat generating energy beams would carry different, but comparable risks (i.e. fun fact, burning wool or silk can release toxic gasses).
[QUOTE=A Small Talent For War;4989472]A real high velocity wind machine would be terrifically useful in fire rescues.[/quote] YIKES! If you used his super-freezing breath, okay, neutralize the heat. But one of the worst things that happens to wildfire-fighters is to have a stiff wind come along, blowing flaming materials across firebreaks, and pouring extra oxygen into the flames. Even with less fuel, a fire can burn a lot hotter and spread a lot faster if you add more oxygen to it.
[QUOTE=A Small Talent For War;4989472]My point is though that his powers aren't only useful in a fight or to cause destruction. Often, he's not using them for that anyway. In fact, in the case of hurricane breath, it seems like he does use that more often to put out fires than to blast some opponent.[/quote]I guess my counter-point is that Superman's super-breath and heat-vision powers are inherently violent, it's just that he's [B][U]very[/U][/B] skilled at using them (essentially using the safety measures I mentioned earlier; we just don't notice him thinking through all the factors because he can do it so fast).
[QUOTE=A Small Talent For War;4989472]Telepathy is an interesting one in that there is a question if it is violence - in the sense of a violation - or if it is passive. For example, if you're playing poker and you have a tell, is someone violating your privacy by using that against you in a game? No, they are just playing poker. So would telepathy - simply being able to literally know what people are thinking, a violation of privacy akin to a hacker breaking into your computer, or would it be something like perfect mentalism? Is someone violating you by simply being extremely good at reading signals that reveal what you really think and feel that you cannot hide anything from them?[/QUOTE]
I suppose it depends on how it's depicted. Tepes in [I]Babylon 5[/I] actually had to constantly chant internal mantras to themselves to drown-out what others were unwittingly broadcasting (i.e. your poker tell example). However, B5 Tepes also had active techniques to dig into memories and extract information. Don't think that's defensible as non-violent.