# How often do you wish someone were dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355 "2012-09-21T03:59:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/1 "2012-09-21T03:59:31Z")
Not (necessarily :dubious:) by your own hand, but how often does the thought, “I wonder whether my life would be any better if so-and-so were hit by the proverbial Mack truck”…enter your mind, even for a split second? Yeah, it’s anonymous. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/2 "2012-09-21T04:03:51Z")
About once a day. Usually me. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/3 "2012-09-21T04:08:30Z")
Never wished someone I knew or interacted with was dead. I often wish injury or minor inconveniences upon them, though. I wish death upon people like Osama bin Laden and serial murderers though. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/4 "2012-09-21T04:50:00Z")
Thank god this poll is anonymous. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/5 "2012-09-21T04:58:01Z")
Completely Facetiously? Very often. In rage but not actually meant (where “die” is mental slang for “I hope a cat pees in your coffee” level discomfort)? Maybe every few months. Seriously? Can’t think of a single time. I’ve thought that maybe the world would objectively be better off if somebody died (like Bin Laden or Hitler, etc), but I’ve never celebrated or actively wished for somebody’s death. Even the people I thought where it’d be better if they died I’d have been much happier if they, say, turned themselves in or changed their minds. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/6 "2012-09-21T05:08:01Z")
Every waking hour. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/7 "2012-09-21T05:19:33Z")
Never, but I don’t think others are sick for doing so. I often wish some people would just leave me alone, but I don’t want them dead. ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/8 "2012-09-21T05:22:06Z")
I really try not to. Certain individuals exist with whom I have bad blood, and the more I dwell on our differences the more stressed and angry and unhealthy I feel. It feels really shitty to hear the phone ring and hope it’s news that your enemy is dead. It feels really shitty to even _have_ an enemy. It makes my guts hurt just to think about it. But these individuals are tenacious, and for all the effort I make to subtract them from my life, they try harder to threaten, harass, intimidate, and annoy me. I truly do wish they were dead, and I honestly feel my life would be enriched if theirs were ended. But I hate to think that way, and I hate to feel that way, and that these persons can make me feel this way is the most severe attack they could possibly make against me. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/9 "2012-09-21T05:27:10Z")
I’ve only wished death upon someone a half dozen times or so early in my lifetime. A couple of those were mercy wishings and the others I stopped wishing for when the episode of rage faded. In all cases my wishing had no effect on the person involved. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/10 "2012-09-21T05:34:46Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > I’ve only wished death upon someone a half dozen times or so early in my lifetime. A couple of those were mercy wishings and the others I stopped wishing for when the episode of rage faded. In all cases my wishing had no effect on the person involved. Huh… mercy killings never occurred to me. Up mine to a tiny handful, then. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/11 "2012-09-21T05:45:28Z")
I may have wished people dead in words in my head, but never really meant it literally. I just wish people would get the hell out of my way and leave me alone. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/12 "2012-09-21T07:18:36Z")
Never really thought about it. Thinking back it’s probably never. My brain just doesn’t work that way. And it’s not like I think that every life is precious. I’m happy when I hear that a monster like Bin Laden is dead. I just don’t spend time wishing particular people were dead. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/13 "2012-09-21T09:05:53Z")
Frequently, but it’s specific people and I always address a mental apology to the hypothetical driver of the hypothetical Mack, since it’s not his fault… ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/14 "2012-09-21T14:30:05Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Frequently, but it’s specific people and I always address a mental apology to the hypothetical driver of the hypothetical Mack, since it’s not his fault… +1 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/15 "2012-09-21T14:39:02Z")
I stopped wishing people dead after it really worked a few times. I went through a few year period where people that I had long grudges with died tragically (one from a brain tumor, one in a car wreck, a suicide, and an early heart attack). I felt really guilty each time even though it is what I thought I wanted. I don’t think I caused it but it made me be really careful what I wished for after I saw how their families and friends suffered from it. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/16 "2012-09-21T15:00:44Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I stopped wishing people dead after it really worked a few times. I went through a few year period where people that I had long grudges with died tragically (one from a brain tumor, one in a car wreck, a suicide, and an early heart attack). I celebrate. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/17 "2012-09-21T15:12:06Z")
I chose “other” in the poll, because I have often wished for certain people not to exist, but never wished them _dead_. And really, it’s okay if they insist on existing, but I would really prefer a world in which they did their existing outside of my sphere. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/18 "2012-09-21T15:36:16Z")
There’s one person I know who contributes nothing to the world, just makes people miserable and always has. He’s old. I often wish he’d just die already… I really do. Every now and then I start thinking about him, and always end with that thought. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/19 "2012-09-21T15:48:57Z")
I can’t say _never_. It is rare for me to use a definitive - because never or always are unlikely. But it isn’t likely once a year either. I will only say that there are some people that, when they die, I will not mourn… ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355/20 "2012-09-21T16:01:01Z")
Wish someone dead? Never. Not lose sleep because someone I loathed died? Quite often. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wish-someone-were-dead/635355.md?page=2)