# Things people say they want, but probably wouldn't actually like **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513 "2016-08-30T22:09:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/61 "2016-08-31T22:00:14Z")
1. Whatevs. Being ridiculously wealthy. People think it’s going to solve all their problems. I’ve never seen it solve anyone’s problems. **Sr. Weasel** has a distant relative who is a billionaire and every time we see him, he talks about how miserable he is. Based on observation, I think the ideal level of wealth is to be able to pay all your bills, save for retirement, save for big quality of life stuff (kids’ college, vacations, etc.), have the means to make consistent progress toward your financial goals, and donate 5-10% of your income to charity. While all of that requires some degree of stable income, it doesn’t require you to be insanely rich. Anything over and above that is not likely to improve your life. Money is one of those things that follows the law of diminishing returns. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/62 "2016-08-31T23:28:16Z")
A lot of people I meet express the desire to live in a warm tropical climate year round. I dunno. People say this, but I think only a fraction would really enjoy it. Folks have it in their minds that they’d be able to exercise outdoors whenever they want year round. But no. They don’t understand that palm trees don’t shade for shit. Daily constitutionals just aren’t going to happen in 95-degree heat in direct sunlight and 100% humidity. You will be driving to the grocery store across the street just like everyone else. And you may think you’ll spend all your weekends laying out on the beach. But you probably won’t. The novelty wears off after awhile and sitting in tourist traffic isn’t fun. And you may think it would be so nice to never have to shovel snow again. But is shoveling snow worse than boarding up your windows when the hurricane comes to town? And you may think you’d love wearing shorts in December. But you will miss those crisp fall days. You will stare longingly at all your snazzy winterwear and pray for a stretch of cool weather. And you think your allergies are bad now? When the growing season lasts the whole year, watch out! ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/63 "2016-08-31T23:34:56Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Higher minimum wages. > > It sounds good on paper, and it makes us all want the poor working-class mother to afford to feed her family… > > …but the added cost will either end up eliminating jobs or it will cause your burger that previously cost 1.08 to cost 4.95. I don’t think studies bear this out. At least, not to the degree you are saying on price increases. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/64 "2016-09-01T00:21:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > False. > [@Tzigone](#): > > I don’t think studies bear this out. At least, not to the degree you are saying on price increases. I may have exaggerated the price increase, but if you think that an increase in minimum wage doesn’t directly affect the amount of hours an establishment gives its employees or affects hiring, then you are kidding yourself ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/65 "2016-09-01T05:15:17Z")
Marriage. If you aren’t married, you want to get married. If you are married, you wish you weren’t. (no, I don’t want to hear about all those blissful marriages. Does the amount of bliss in such marriages offset the misery of those who would not object if their spouse were to meet with a sudden death?) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/66 "2016-09-01T13:51:24Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Marriage. > > If you aren’t married, you want to get married. > If you are married, you wish you weren’t. That’s a bit black and white; I suspect most people exist in band of gray shades somewhere not too far off from the mid-point of those two extremes. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/67 "2016-09-01T14:48:16Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I may have exaggerated the price increase, but if you think that an increase in minimum wage doesn’t directly affect the amount of hours an establishment gives its employees or affects hiring, then you are kidding yourself Nice way to move the goalposts there, Butch. You said “price increases,” not “Hiring and hours.” ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/68 "2016-09-01T14:52:14Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Well, lots of people say they’d like to quit work and retire, but when they do, find it is usually boring, dull and mind-numbing after about a week. It boggles my mind that people have this happen because it’s not something I’ll ever have a problem with - there are more books, games, movies, shows, hobbies, and local events than I’ll ever have time to exhaust, and that’s without really interacting with people. I’ve been out of work for around four months on two different occasions (one by choice, one by a job taking a lot longer to start than it should) and the only thing I missed about work was the paycheck. I wonder how true this is in general - I know some people get bored in retirement, but I also know a lot of retired people who completely enjoy not working or only hobbiest work (occasional freelance writing about things you’re interested in isn’t like a 9-5 job). ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/69 "2016-09-01T15:10:07Z")
On a nice sunny day like today I look out the office window and the postie doing his rounds in shorts and think “Man, that looks good!” But in three months time when it’s dark and raining sideways, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/70 "2016-09-01T16:04:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Nice way to move the goalposts there, Butch. You said “price increases,” not “Hiring and hours.” I didn’t move anything, Sundance Kid. The fist thing I said was “eliminate jobs”. I admitted to exaggerating the price increase amount (although there will be price increases too) but I was basically reiterating that I’m not changing my stance on the jobs ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/71 "2016-09-01T17:13:22Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I may have exaggerated the price increase, but if you think that an increase in minimum wage doesn’t directly affect the amount of hours an establishment gives its employees or affects hiring, then you are kidding yourself Why? I mean sure, a huge increase might do so, but a increase in wages generally brings a increase in productivity, morale and retention, too. Got a cite there’s a direct correlation? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/72 "2016-09-01T17:18:29Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I may have exaggerated the price increase, but if you think that an increase in minimum wage doesn’t directly affect the amount of hours an establishment gives its employees or affects hiring, then you are kidding yourself That’s an entire very long thread in the Pit, and should probably be taken there rather than derail this one. ---
**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 1, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/73 "2016-09-01T17:26:33Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > A lot of people I meet express the desire to live in a warm tropical climate year round. > > I dunno. People say this, but I think only a fraction would really enjoy it. Folks have it in their minds that they’d be able to exercise outdoors whenever they want year round. But no. They don’t understand that palm trees don’t shade for shit. Daily constitutionals just aren’t going to happen in 95-degree heat in direct sunlight and 100% humidity. You will be driving to the grocery store across the street just like everyone else. And you may think you’ll spend all your weekends laying out on the beach. But you probably won’t. The novelty wears off after awhile and sitting in tourist traffic isn’t fun. And you may think it would be so nice to never have to shovel snow again. But is shoveling snow worse than boarding up your windows when the hurricane comes to town? And you may think you’d love wearing shorts in December. But you will miss those crisp fall days. You will stare longingly at all your snazzy winterwear and pray for a stretch of cool weather. > > And you think your allergies are bad now? When the growing season lasts the whole year, watch out! I will never ever miss snow if I get a chance to move. I will never look longingly at winter wear. I have lived in some pretty damn hot places. Sometimes when people were actively trying to kill me. I still preferred the heat to the cold. Except Kuwait. Fuck that place. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/74 "2016-09-01T21:39:44Z")
A classic example is “I don’t wear a seatbelt while driving - if I’m in an accident, I want to be thrown clear of the car.” Er, probably not. It’s about like saying “I want to be pitched through a window overlooking a 50 ft cliff.” Very few real people actually want that. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/75 "2016-09-01T21:42:51Z")
> [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](#): > > my brother-in-law is a sailor and I enjoy many sojourns on his boat. A good many things in life fall into the category “Don’t want to own one - just want to know the person who does, and have occasional use.” ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/76 "2016-09-01T22:28:15Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > A classic example is “I don’t wear a seatbelt while driving - if I’m in an accident, I want to be thrown clear of the car.” > > Er, probably not. It’s about like saying “I want to be pitched through a window overlooking a 50 ft cliff.” Very few real people actually want that. Not to mention, it’s very likely an occupant \*won’t \*be thrown clear of the car anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/77 "2016-09-01T23:57:43Z")
Americans love to proclaim, “I like _authentic_ Chinese food!” Um, no you wouldn’t… ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/78 "2016-09-02T00:07:17Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Americans love to proclaim, “I like _authentic_ Chinese food!” Um, no you wouldn’t… Untrue. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/79 "2016-09-02T00:40:08Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Untrue. Ever eaten fried scorpions? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513/80 "2016-09-02T00:43:19Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Well, lots of people say they’d like to quit work and retire, but when they do, find it is usually boring, dull and mind-numbing after about a week. > > Bad habits accumulate faster than dust on a dry lake. > > Pretty soon they dream about a WalMart employment fair. I’m in agreement with \*\*Pantastic \*\*- if someone needs their 9-to-5 job in order to provide relief from boredom, then they must really have a truly interesting and enjoyable job, or they must be absolutely starved of interesting hobbies, pursuits, plans and activities outside of their job…or something else. I have a good job, but if I won the lottery and quit that job, I would certainly not have a boredom problem. There are numerous other more-fun things to be doing than that job. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-say-they-want-but-probably-wouldnt-actually-like/764513.md?page=5)