Aren't having superpowers really, really inconvenient?

Shamol

Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
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    Like if you had world-saving capabilities, wouldn't you be morally obligated to contribute much more to making the world a better place? I know the uncle Ben quote has been cliched ad nauseum, but it's true in a very literal, straightforward way. That would mean you have to set apart time from your daily life to either 'patrol' the country at night to be on lookout for crime, be in correspondence with world leaders, figure out effective ways to solve things like global warming, the middle east crisis or the lack of clean water in Africa, get muddled in a lot of bureaucracy against your will, probably never have time to raise up a stable family...

    Of course, if saving people and making the world a better place was the reason you asked for superpowers to begin with, then that's a supremely noble wish and I respect you immensely for that. But most people while wishing for super powers only do so only because of the more gimmicky things they could do with super strength or speed or flight.

    This is somewhat relevant too:

     
    you could also become a supervillain

    [PokeCommunity.com] Aren't having superpowers really, really inconvenient?
     
    Do you mean a sympathetic morally ambiguous one? Or the "well, well, well" variety from the old Bond flicks?
     
    If I had superpowers, I don't think I'd be morally obligated to help anyone; at least to this extent, as I would indeed help someone in need should I be a passing bystander. But I wouldn't bother helping whole cities nor nations with the cause being "you've been blessed". I'd rather use my powers for my own whims.

    ...Of course, being obligated and being approached are two incredibly different things.
     
    Taro Tanaka said:
    If I had superpowers, I don't think I'd be morally obligated to help anyone; at least to this extent, as I would indeed help someone in need should I be a passing bystander. But I wouldn't bother helping whole cities nor nations with the cause being "you've been blessed". I'd rather use my powers for my own whims.

    ...Of course, being obligated and being approached are two incredibly different things.
    Click to expand...

    So you disagree with uncle Ben when he said "with great power come great responsibility"?
     
    Shamol said:
    So you disagree with uncle Ben when he said "with great power come great responsibility"?
    Click to expand...

    No, I just chose to interpret it differently. Being a powered-up being doesn't give you the right to govern others, which is not just a responsibility, but a virtue that all humans should adhere to by default; which is why doing things for society due to simply having power is a no-no in my book.

    But like I said, being approached by officials to contribute is a different thing altogether; and I don't work for free. Mighty deity or not, I'm completely useless when I'm starving. XD;
     
    But there are other ways of helping the world without explicitly "governing" them, or assuming any sort of authoritative position. For example, if you can fly, have super strength and speed, then you can very easily save all the people that accidentally fall off their buildings. Doing so doesn't entail governing of any form.

    Maybe your criticism applies to things like Dr. Doom becoming the dictator of Latveria or Superman wanting to stop all crime (in the Injustice series), but that's a really tiny subset of things you can potentially do and people you can potentially help with your powers.
     
    Shamol said:
    But there are other ways of helping the world without explicitly "governing" them, or assuming any sort of authoritative position. For example, if you can fly, have super strength and speed, then you can very easily save all the people that accidentally fall off their buildings. Doing so doesn't entail governing of any form.

    Maybe your criticism applies to things like Dr. Doom becoming the dictator of Latveria or Superman wanting to stop all crime (in the Injustice series), but that's a really tiny subset of things you can potentially do and people you can potentially help with your powers.
    Click to expand...

    There are lesser extents to governing than having authoritative power, truth be told.

    And even with all those abilities, there's no possible way one could ever always conveniently know when someone is in help, unless you're always patrolling for such notifications or use a cop radio a la Peter Parker. And while it's true that a hero's job would cut into one's personal life, it shouldn't take priority over such a life. So I'd rather be a punch-clock hero/mercenary instead; that way, I get paid for the services I do on a commissioned-basis, which doesn't distract from a personal life.

    And while I'm off the clock, regular heroes like firefighters, doctors (-ish), or philanthropists have the honor of picking up the slack. They gotta put bread on the table too, you know. XD; (They're punch-clock heroes too, just not to my hypothetical extent.)
     
    Afaik, what kind of superpower you'd have depends on the type of person you are, which means that it shouldn't be too hard to figure out a way to help people. So even if I had any obligation to help, it would pretty much be within my capabilities in both thinking and handling.

    Then again, I'd just use them for my own good and not for the others. The term Anti-Hero is a thing, afterall.
     
    Postive obligations dont exist, but that doesnt mean you will feel guilty.

    Having superpowers gives you no extra obligation than if you are rich, have skills, or ability to help others now.

    Also no one is entitled to your labor.

    With this being said, its probably a good thing to use your powers for good. Rationally, you shouldn't regret not helping others. But you still would feel guilty. Personally, I would use my superpowers for good and you should too.

    ---------

    Some people are talking about governing with your superpower. In my opinion, this is legitimate for two reasons:

    1) Governments originally were a natural aristocracy- the best people that gained the respect of the people from their wealth and ability. With this, they gained the power to tax and rule.

    2) Governments arise from need (although they are only sustained if people think they are needed).

    So by being a superhuman, you are clearly superior to other humans and can easily gain prestige, which fulfills the first point. Second, superpowers solve problems. If you can solve problems better than anyone else, you can fulfill the second requirement.

    Congrats, you are now the government assuming you can outcompete the existing institutions.
     
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