# You have one wish.... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882 "2014-01-27T21:06:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/21 "2014-01-27T23:59:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I wish for fewer wishes. I’d wish for fewer rulz. But, given only ONE wish, I could not then make a second wish that takes advantage of the first wish. But then, someone else could. But that then amounts to making a wish that only benefits others, and not me at all. So wishing for fewer rulz violates the selfish-only rule! Now, if we could carefully put this sequence of wishes and consequences into a proper order, perhaps it could be made to work. [list=“1”] [li] I wish for fewer rulz. This doesn’t benefit anyone else _yet_ nor explicitly fail to benefit myself _yet._[/li][li] At the moment this wish is granted, there are fewer rulz, which I would hope includes the elimination of the selfish-only rule.[/li][li] Thus, at the moment this wish becomes effective, it becomes legal within the remaining rulz.[/li][li] If the limit to ONE wish remains, I still don’t get to benefit from it, although now others would.[/li][li] So if I don’t stand to benefit, the hell with it. 😛 I still couldn’t make a second wish for someone else’s benefit if the ONE wish rule stands.[/li][/list] ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/22 "2014-01-28T00:03:56Z")
I already got my wish (hint-it was already mentioned in the OP)… ---
**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:** [January 28, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/23 "2014-01-28T00:38:37Z")
I wish I could maintain a healthy weight with ease. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/24 "2014-01-28T00:57:57Z")
Well, I can’t do anything really ambitious with all these rules. Screw it, just give me a case of really good scotch. > [@Senegoid](#): > > I’d wish for fewer rulz. But, given only ONE wish, I could not then make a second wish that takes advantage of the first wish. But then, someone else could. But that then amounts to making a wish that only benefits others, and not me at all. So wishing for fewer rulz violates the selfish-only rule! > > Now, if we could carefully put this sequence of wishes and consequences into a proper order, perhaps it could be made to work. > [list=“1”] > [li] I wish for fewer rulz. This doesn’t benefit anyone else _yet_ nor explicitly fail to benefit myself _yet._[/li][li] At the moment this wish is granted, there are fewer rulz, which I would hope includes the elimination of the selfish-only rule.[/li][li] Thus, at the moment this wish becomes effective, it becomes legal within the remaining rulz.[/li][li] If the limit to ONE wish remains, I still don’t get to benefit from it, although now others would.[/li][li] So if I don’t stand to benefit, the hell with it. 😛 I still couldn’t make a second wish for someone else’s benefit if the ONE wish rule stands.[/li][/list] 1. Someone else wishes for you to get another wish. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/25 "2014-01-28T01:53:50Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I would like to take a trip to the moon Granted! > [@](#): > > And I would like to return safety to Earth. Whoa there buddy, no one said anything about _two_ wishes! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/26 "2014-01-28T02:20:14Z")
I wish I had a mint-condition 1989 4Runner (with the V6 please) . ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/27 "2014-01-28T02:55:50Z")
A large, comfortable house - mansion-size, but one that fits in comfortably into the scenery, rather than trying to dominate it - on the beachfront in Wailea, Maui. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/28 "2014-01-28T02:59:03Z")
I wish my house was clean, top to bottom, with no effort on my part. Doesn’t have to stay that way, but it would be really nice to have it happen at least once. ---
**Author:** ![Strangeland64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@Strangeland64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strangeland64)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/29 "2014-01-28T03:37:56Z")
I wish I could die before anyone else that I love does… seriously. That’s my greatest cause of anxiety. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/30 "2014-01-28T03:40:44Z")
I wish my husband’s debilitating genetic medical condition could be magically cured. Or at least the unending chronic pain part. And yes, that is a very selfish wish; if he were healthy and pain-free, my life would be a lot easier and happier. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/31 "2014-01-28T03:50:49Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Here are the rules. (My thread, my rules) > > You get one wish… With this wish, you can do anything in the world that you want to do. > > However, you cannot wish for > > 1. more wishes. easy [https://www.explosm.net/comics/2243/](https://www.explosm.net/comics/2243/) ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/32 "2014-01-28T04:29:56Z")
Ok, you loophole-seeking nutbags! If you can’t or don’t want to follow the rules, fine. I am flexible… You still get only one wish, but it can be anything you want. Hell, i don’t even care if you wish for more wishes or more genies. Knock yourselves out! So yeah, ypu can mphave more than one wish. I’m just forcing you to say "I wish for more woshes, so you can look like a dork. So, you can have x-men comic book number 1 AND a piece of apple pie if you want! Or you can buy a pro football team and QB it to a Super Bowl win! Or you can become an actual hobbit, and be real life friends with Bilbo Baggins! And you can also shoot through a black hole. Have at it, you crazy kids! ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/33 "2014-01-28T04:45:45Z")
I wish for an unrestricted Ish Wish Dish. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/34 "2014-01-28T04:58:05Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Ok, you loophole-seeking nutbags! > > If you can’t or don’t want to follow the rules, fine. I am flexible… > You still get only one wish, but it can be anything you want. . . . We’ve all taken far too many of those test where you have to demonstrate creativity by responding in original and unexpected ways. “I wish that no wishes had ever been granted, in the entirety of the history of time!” “I wish that pi equals 3.0.” “I wish that I were the genie and you were the guy holding the lamp!” But, perhaps more sensibly, “I wish that everything comes out okay, that everybody has a happy ending, and that good triumphs over evil.” Failing that, I’d like $50 million. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/35 "2014-01-28T10:46:20Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > I wish for an unrestricted Ish Wish Dish. The Ish thought they were getting a great deal when they picked up that Wish Dish, but whenever they get near it, they forget about whatever it was they’d intended to wish for, and find the only thing they can wish for is fish. So I hope you like fish. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/36 "2014-01-28T12:13:35Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Haw! > 😃 > > That WAS funny. Not original to me, I should probably admit. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/37 "2014-01-28T12:14:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I wish for fewer wishes. The one person guaranteed to have his wish granted. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/38 "2014-01-28T13:00:49Z")
I wish that rule 1 was changed to “1. You have an infinite number of wishes”. ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/39 "2014-01-28T14:20:33Z")
Well, mine is a silly little wish. But I’d wish that my offer on the house is the winning offer 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882/40 "2014-01-28T15:20:16Z")
I think the point of the OP is more along the lines of “If you had an infinitely wealthy benefactor, what would you ask for (can’t ask for cash)”… I’m sure if someone came up to you with those conditions, there would be much less bitching (or not?) This is actually pretty tough. Real estate? Material things? Once-in-a-lifetime experience? I’d probably either ask for an unlimited lifetime airline pass, a world tour of the 3-star michelin restaurants, or lifetime courtside seats to the Wizards (maybe Lakers, Heat, Knicks, Rockets, and Bulls as long as I’m wishing). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-one-wish/679882.md?page=3)