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People are always interested in the idea of powers. Some opt to fly, while others want to control the elements. If you were allowed to see the future, would you like to?

If you were given the chance to know what the future entails, would you grab it?

The thought of seeing a glimpse of what the future holds sounds irresistible. But, at the same time, it also sounds overwhelming. At the first sound of the proposal, the mind might focus on its positive aspects. After all, clairvoyance does primarily offer certainty above anything else.

Seeing the future is, in some way, security for the mind to stop worrying.

However, their lives might change for the better or worse, depending on what people see.

Author Edward R. Lipinski writes a story revolving around this possibility. In his book, Visions of Destiny, readers are introduced to Henry Gainsvort, someone with clairvoyance, or the ability to see glimpses of the future, to what destiny has written for individuals. To readers, this might seem like a dream, but to Henry, it felt more like a nightmare. He had no chance to enjoy his ability, shrouded with the responsibility of using it to help others, especially those close to him.

Edward Lipinski’s take on this ability is among the most realistic in literature. This is what makes his book refreshing as much as it’s exciting and interesting. It tackles a more sensible perspective of what it would truly entail to have such abilities. If people were to be extraordinary, life would be astounding. But this isn’t always a favorable scenario. Above-normal abilities would add a burden on people’s shoulders, responsibilities on their already grappling minds.

In Visions of Destiny, Edward doesn’t only highlight pleasure like what most would do, but he also showcases the often overlooked despair that comes with it. Life as a super isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. It can also be bleak and dreary despite the exciting abilities one has.

In terms of clairvoyance, knowing the future isn’t always appealing.

If the future looks bright, where everything has gone the way one wants it to be, it can denote not having to worry for even a single day in their life. With the reassurance of an optimistic future, people will be comforted by the thought that any decision they’ll make moving forward will bear positive and beneficial fruits. They won’t second guess themselves or brood over possible failure, already knowing what lies ahead. The certainty of their future makes people ease back and live more openly and freely than how they would have otherwise.

But, on the other hand, if the future looks bleak, worry prevails more than anything.

Imagine already knowing your downfall even before the journey has started. This is the kind of burden people will have to live through once knowing what the future holds.

People become anxious about every decision they make in hopes of possibly changing their future. Life becomes clouded with apprehension and joy sucked out of every experience and opportunity. With every decision people have to make, their thoughts and opinions weigh a hundred times heavier, knowing that one wrong approach can lead to the actualization of the nightmare they’ve just witnessed.

The certainty of the future becomes a burden for them to change, a teaser to a possibly unchangeable nightmare. The ability to see the future then is a double-edged sword, more than a favorable and valuable ability. Clairvoyance’s downs weigh more than the pleasure its ups provide, dragging people to a lower and more distressing circumstance.

Hence, it’s no wonder why people hesitate to pick when given this option. Although it’s far from truly happening, the mere thought can make one ecstatic or shudder in distress.

People who would have taken the opportunity without hesitation seek refuge in knowing whether their efforts will be futile. It can be distressing, but at least they’re already certain and knowledgeable of what lies ahead. There is a sense of surrender in knowing the future; they won’t have to do anything as destiny has made its final word.

Whether the future is bright or dark, they’re satisfied in knowing what lies ahead, prioritizing their peace of mind over anything else.

On the other hand, those that decline may believe that knowing the future makes life dull. They are those that bask in the uncertainty of their situations. The certainty makes things monotonous for these individuals, taking the excitement of life’s unpredictability. They perceive life as a game they have to play, and knowing the future may seem like taking a shorter, less exciting route toward it.

It can also be overwhelming to know what the future holds, depending on the intensity of one’s ability. Like what happened in Edward Lipinski’s story, having the ability to see the future adds responsibility over one’s shoulder. Although nobody else might know their capabilities acting like they can’t do anything to change the outcome of one’s experience can eat away their guilt.

Seeing the future doesn’t only make things predictable.

It also makes one play God and attempt to help everyone.