Shiller touched his forehead, glanced at some data recorded in the medical record, heaved a sigh, and asked the final question:
"Do you see yourself as a god sent to do good in the world, or a good person who just happens to possess superpowers?"
"I ..." Faced with this question, Clark hesitated.
The light from the desk lamp casted on his side profile, highlighting the sharpness of his facial features and deepening his eyes. The reflected light on his eyelashes was like starlight dropping into the sea, now quivering due to its owner's wavering mood.
"Alright, these questions don't necessarily require your immediate answers. You have plenty of time to ponder over them."
"Or rather, throughout the decision-making process, considering these questions will help you maintain a stable personality."
Shiller closed the medical record and continued, "Psychotherapy isn't about me asking questions and you answering, but the questions themselves are the answers I offer, providing a sort of thought process."
"I prefer to encourage patients to find the answers from their own thought process, rather than imposing a mindset on them."
"What about you then, Professor? If I ask you these questions, how would you answer?" Clark quickly grasped the crux of the matter.
Shiller raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested in Clark's response. He stroked his chin and said, "I didn't expect this, but you seem quite suited to studying psychology."
Upon hearing this, Clark brightened a bit and replied, "As I mentioned earlier, I find psychology quite fascinating. Observing people's behaviors and inferring their thoughts is quite interesting."
"So…" Clark looked at Shiller, waiting for his answer.
"The society we live in was built by the common people. The reason they built such a society is complex with a long historical evolution, but one key aspect is that individual abilities were inadequate, necessiting cooperation for survival in the Barbaric Era."
"As a result, during the building of society, different people with different talents contributed to the various tasks."
"But if we reverse this theory, one could interpret it as humans being incapable of becoming omnipotent. Due to their personal limitations, they had to divide into different workforce divisions to improve efficiency and survive."
"If humans didn't need to eat or sleep, or were incredibly powerful like you, flying freely and overflowing with wisdom, each and every individual could adapt to any kind of work. Survival wouldn't be a problem, and society would look quite different."
"Your inability to adapt to this society is because the society itself was constructed by creatures weaker than you. Everything in it is within the limit of their imagination, which is based on their capabilities."
"Your feelings of unadaptability are completely normal. If someone were thrown into a society of wild animals, they would undoubtedly feel uncomfortable."
"If you were living in a society composed of beings more potent than you, you would feel the necessity to sacrifice some qualities."
"For example, the vulnerable groups in society might readily give up their dreams to do more practical work, even if they dislike that job."
"But your situation is the opposite; all the beings in your society are weaker. When you're in a dominant position, your instinct makes you feel that such sacrifices are unnecessary. Since you're so powerful, you want it all. However, this is unattainable."
"Whether above or below the standard line, if you want to fit into a normal society, there will always be something to give up."
"That's why, when I use my special abilities to gain an advantage, I don't feel exhilarated. It's because fundamentally, the process of utilizing these special abilities puts me above the standard line. As I reap the benefits, there are things I'm inevitably sacrificing."
"The benefits gained are evident, but the things sacrificed are not so easily seen until their accumulation leads to a rather unsatisfactory result."
"Therefore, each time I use these abilities, I'm fully aware that I'm making an exchange and I don't take pride in that."
"Zweig said, 'All gifts of fate already have a price marked in the dark.'"
Clark pondered and said, "So… the advantage I obtained in the long-distance race using my superpower came at the cost of the changing attitudes of people around me?"
Clark furrowed his brows, "But I didn't need to gain any advantage in a long-distance race. I also didn't gain any benefits from it."
"That's because you are not a person drawn to fame. Consider this, for an ambitious and fame-chasing individual, being able to become a world champion merely by running would bring them both fame and fortune. The cheers from the audience, doesn't that sound like the best gift to them?"
"True." Clark nodded. He gave it some thought and continued, "So, before I use my superpowers to accomplish something, I should contemplate the benefits I could gain and the costs I would have to bear?"
"What do you most desire?" Shiller posed another very philosophical question.
"I..." Clark hesitated. This question was a bit too broad for anyone. He responded, "I don't know about the future, but for now, I want to go home and eat the pie that my mom makes and chat with my dad. Maybe even help out at the farm. What I mean is, I just want to relax."
Clark immediately grasped the essence of what has been said. Continuing the conversation: "Hmm…I have the power to do all of that right now. I could fly out of this window and go straight home."
"No, no, I can't do that. I have no way to explain to those two strange individuals how I disappeared. I feel if they target me, it could bring trouble."
"Also, the school has rules. There might be a dormitory check tonight, I wouldn't want to be reprimanded. Plus, if my Dad and Mom knew that I ran off from school, they'd be furious."
Clark immediately shook his head and said: "Never mind, going home later wouldn't be a problem, there's still a long holiday period."
After saying all these, he paused for a moment to process his thoughts before finally saying, "My god, I feel like things are beginning to become clearer."
"Originally, I was preoccupied for a long time over this issue. I thought, the snowstorm wasn't my fault, it wouldn't be a big deal to use my power to fly home."
"But now that I think about it, compared to the consequences, it's better to endure a bit longer."