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A question for true autistic nerds.

Would telepaths be functionally retarded?

Ok, hear me out. I know, that telepathy is supposed to be based around increased brain activity etc etc, but when you think about it, ever since childhood, they had people around them thinking holding all of the correct anwsers just one connection away.

I I don't mean just at school, where the smart kid has the solutions in front of them. I also mean in day to day life, where you know exactly what to say at the job interview, or while dating.

Every single time you need an wnwser, you just need to mention the question and you have a solution. You are like an Ipad kid, but with thoughts.

And the only case, where I ever saw that explored was Code Geass, but nowhere else. But, it does seem like an interesting concept.

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@LukeAlmighty If the telepaths can never "turn off" or at least adjust the amount of information they're taking in, then realistically I'd say they would go insane or at the very least lose their sense of self. If somehow that doesn't happen, I would guess that their problem-solving skills might be impacted for the reasons you laid out, but at the same time the amount of knowledge and empathy they possess would be superhuman.

@ChristiJunior
Why?
I mean, kids who grow up with calculaters don't tend to count better, so why would the knowledge be better instead of worse?

(for empathy, sure. There, they are working with data, while literally all of us are working with assumptions)

@LukeAlmighty Again, realistically I'd assume their minds would eventually be overloaded and suffer a breakdown, but if somehow that doesn't happen, it makes sense to me that the information is actually being effectively processed and stored somehow - alternatively, it might come in as white noise unless the telepath focuses on it - in which case he wouldn't be getting instant answers to every question unless he wants to, in which case he would be to blame for becoming retarded, not his powers.

Your question does remind me of how Anya from Spy x Family gets TERRIBLE grades whenever she can't cheat by reading the minds of the smart kids, but then again, she's younger than her peers and from quite the deprived background, so I don't think her powers made her stupid, if she's even stupid in the first place (which I don't think she is).
It would depend. Its like google and grok. Having the answer at your fingertips isnt a bad thing if you know how to retain and access it correctly. I think they would be more at risk for antisocial personality, schizophrenia, and being hyper manipulative.
@LukeAlmighty Depends on the person.

Mobile Suit Gundam (Universal Century) series has shown what happens when people gain the ability to 'feel' others. There are examples where people understand each other easily and some where people abuse the power to control others.
@LukeAlmighty you need to take into account the extra mentsl strain that comes with being able to read minds
You might be able to read the script but do you really want to? Most people's minds would would not want to look into
I dont want to read the mind of the guy im talking to with the risk ill see their furry vore scat fetish thoughts
Also reading nonstop negative thoughts (especially abput you) would make you severly depressed

@LukeAlmighty thoughts are garbage data, they consist of a mixed bag with a little bit of everything or complete void if the carrier can't think of what he/she would feel like with no breakfast

they'd have to learn how to filter something useful out of the garbage first, and then they would either learn to factcheck or get burnt like ipad kids with chatgpt often do

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