Silly 2012 Question # 2 - Would our world be happier if we're all like Mystique in X-Men, able to shift from one human form to another?

Lol! Nope. Nobody will know who’s who, and trust will die out even faster than it is now.

This… is a really good question.

On the whole, I think “yes.” We’d come up with other ways of identifying one another (eliminating worries of abusing the ability) and get rid of so many issues of bodily discomfort at the same time. Probably not all issues—for some, the psychological issue they have would extend to whatever body they possessed—but a lot of them.

At first I think people would really enjoy some extra power to get who/what they want sexually, use the versatility as a tool or experiment. As time passed though, there would be frustration with core identities and body shapes versus reactions to the shapeshiftings.

How would that impact happiness at all? I don’t see the relationship.

So when do we develop this shapeshifting ability? Instantaneously, like right now our adult selves are suddenly able to shift? During puberty as a mark of maturation?

If the first, then chaos would likely ensue for a period of time, right after a number of us survive the heart attacks we have for getting this ability. Dependent on how many quite a few of us wish to explore our darker sides and on how fast we start exploring the capabilities this ability enables.

As an outgrowth that occurs as a function of our bodies’ maturing into adulthood, a race of shifters could be happier because the ensuing cultural shifts would be seen as the natural order of things. We’d probably be more polite for not knowing who we might be dealing with.