Potential?

I got to thinking about what the POSSIBILITIES of being an empath are..the theories...this is the subject of my wild imagination, and the following is a ficticious conversation depicting said theories:


“ OK so how does this become militarily advantageous?”
“Aah, now that is something different entirely: the ability to instill a desired emotion upon another.”
“Like make them feel happy?”
“If I feel the need, yes.”
“Somehow I don’t really believe that.”
“Well then let’s do a very simple demonstration…in fact the easiest one. Anger.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, I’m sorry…did you not understand what I just said?”
“You calling me an idiot?”
“Pretty much.”
“It’s not working.”
“Oh, but it is. See, anger is the easiest. Wanna know why?”
“No I don’t but I bet you’re gonna tell me aren’t you?”
“Now, now…no need for sarcasm…”
“…..”
“It’s a double hitter. You don’t want it to work. Because if you admit it’s working, you are thus admitting to losing self-control. This, naturally, makes you even angrier. I’m making you angry, and as a natural and very effective side-effect, you’re making yourself angry. The downside is…in this scenario, anyways, that if I just cut off my communication to your emotional center, then you will remain angry.
You won’t calm down for some time unless I instill that calmness on you once more.”
“Ok, so how is this advantageous in action?”
“Well think about it…I can walk into a room full of enemies, and have them all start shooting at eachother. I can make them feel such anger and hatred to one another that they wouldn’t even notice the team moving amongst them.
Fear is another one to use. To instill such a fear in the heart of an enemy that he loses self-control. He cannot move. He cannot think clearly. He panics. Probably wets himself.
But to make things more…interesting…would be to play on his subconscious fears while leaving his conscious mind alone.”
“I’m not sure I follow…”
“The human mind can basically be split into two sections. The Rational and Irrational. The Instinct and the Intelligence. The greatest example of this is a man at War. He is terrified for his life. Chances are he will die. He knows this and fears this, but he puts those fears aside and controls himself. The Fear never leaves him, but he remains in control.
Now imagine it in reverse. Imagine your conscious mind not being terrified at all, yet you have lost all control over your body. Your Subconscious has taken over and is petrified. Literally.
You can stare your enemy in the face with anger on your lips and vengeance in your eyes, but all the while you shake and quiver on your knees and sweat a cold sweat and all your muscles go stiff and you are unable to move as if you were staring your worst nightmare in the face.
That, my friend, is the power of sub-empathic control.”
“So: You can read another’s emotions.”
“Correct.”
“You can identify the level and complexity and often the details of those emotions.”
“Through the careful science of deduction, yes.”
“This ability of sensing can, if left to its own devices, overwhelm and consume you.”
“Very much so.”
“You can also, in fact, reverse the polarity of this sense and instill, or rather, enforce, chosen emotions upon a specific subject or subjects.”
“If properly trained and focused, yes.”
“You can also choose whether or not to allow your subject to be conscious of his own body’s emotions.”
“Absolutely.”
“Do you not feel that this is an overwhelmingly abusive gift?”
“Incredibly so. Both upon myself, and those who are at the receiving end. But be it known, that we’ve only discussed the darker side of it. You have yet to hear the stories of men who have survived certain circumstances because they were enforced to not panic. They were enforced to push through. They were enforced to be strong.”
“I think we have all the basic information that we require from you at this time, thank you. Is there anything final you would want to add?”
“Just bear in mind: this Gift is a lonely one. To bear the weight of those around you on your shoulders, and forcing to put yourself below them. To listen to the screaming emotions of others while subduing your own.
You often wonder who is really feeling…the person in front of you, or you yourself?”