You have one wish

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 4:03 am

This is an exercise I thought would make for an interesting discussion here in philosophy and theology. This is a multiple stage discussion, starting with this part one:

Through the benevolence of a fae, you have access to one wish. This is a pretty big one, but not absolutely huge and all-powerful. You can't wish for more wishes, a wish for world peace would make the world stop fighting for only five days or so, and the standard word-twisting does apply, especially for the larger wishes.

You have just one wish. What do you wish for?

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 4:12 am

I'll bite.

Okay, so I can't ask for unlimited power(!!!!!, â„¢) or something that affects the entire world, like world peace.

I'll have to go for ready access to (so not dumped around Jupiter or something) an unlimited (yet legal) amount of some rare material that can be traded for money.

That way I'm set for life, everyone I care about is set for life and I can donate to charities and stuff.

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:09 am

I would wish for my father to be back, alive and well.

Scottish Ninja · Post by **Scottish Ninja** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:23 am

I'll have to go for ready access to (so not dumped around Jupiter or something) an unlimited (yet legal) amount of some rare material that can be traded for money.

Two things: first of all, "ready access" could still get it dumped around Jupiter. "It's right there! All you have to do is go and get it!" Second, that rare material isn't going to be rare anymore.

I'll come up with something later when I have more time.

Narsil · Post by **Narsil** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:30 am

I'd wish for all land on Earth to be rendered permanently fertile... should solve world hunger

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:36 am

Two things: first of all, "ready access" could still get it dumped around Jupiter. "It's right there! All you have to do is go and get it!" Second, that rare material isn't going to be rare anymore.

Can I readily access it from around Jupiter? No? Then it isn't ready access.

Also, I never asked for the material to *stay* rare. If I dole it out sparingly enough it'll stay valuable.

But since it looks like this thread is going to descend into unmitigated nitpickery, I'll alter my wish:

I would wish to be the richest man in the world, no strings attached.

Ali Sama · Post by **Ali Sama** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:03 am

That lifespan, youth,health and luck of good people be infinitely increased. Hence, people who are honest, help their fellow man etc live healthy long and happy lives.
This is not based on any religions view of good but on a basic level.

Post by **B4UTRUST** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 8:35 am

Alright, a completely selfish wish:

Access to and the ability to learn true arcane magic. Or learning telekinesis.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:35 am

Remember that sometimes the more powerful the wish, the more likely it is that words will become twisted. The thread could devolve into nitpicking over poorly thought out wishes, true, but the lesson is to be more careful in making wishes. For example, Pcm979's first wish could be interpreted in such a way to give him type O negative blood, or blood with some special quality, like carrying antibodies for HIV. So long as he is alive, the supply is technically unlimited.

Meanwhile, Mayabird's wish is simple and straightforward, there's not much room for twisting it. I'll get into the part of the discussion detailing how some wishes could turn out, but I'll wait for more replies before getting into that. All I'll say now is that wishes are not to be made lightly.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:20 am

Mayabird wrote:I would wish for my father to be back, alive and well.

Hear hear. :sad:

Masterharper · Post by **Masterharper** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:34 am

I would wish that any time I am wearing a necklace--any necklace--that any individual I address would be forced to unhesitatingly obey my verbal commands executing them faithfully to the spirit most importatly, to the letter second. Without it mattering whether they can hear them or not.

A little room for abuse there, but it seems like it would serve me better in the long run than a bajillion dollars, or being able to use the force. At least entertainment wise. I won't have to deal with mustard on my Rallyburger ever again!

Note to self:
Backup wish: become a fully fledged Jedi Knight.

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:40 am

Note to self:
Backup wish: become a fully fledged Jedi Knight.

Likely to find yourself in the Old Republic right before order 66.

Narsil · Post by **Narsil** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:51 am

frigidmagi wrote:
Note to self:
Backup wish: become a fully fledged Jedi Knight.
Likely to find yourself in the Old Republic right before order 66.

Or the Old Old Republic during Revan's tenure as Sith Lord.

Shark Bait · Post by **Shark Bait** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:54 am

hrm... I wish for the most absolutely perfect roast beef sandwich, why because Iâ€™m hungry. If Iâ€™m not hungry at the time how about an absolutely perfect photographic memory where I can recall anything I witness read hear and so on without fail any time I want.

Masterharper · Post by **Masterharper** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:46 pm

Narsil wrote:
frigidmagi wrote:
Note to self:
Backup wish: become a fully fledged Jedi Knight.
Likely to find yourself in the Old Republic right before order 66.
Or the Old Old Republic during Revan's tenure as Sith Lord.

Thats why it's a backup! Not terribly well thought-out. Though I didn't ask to be in the SW universe itself, or even for any gear. (given It wasn't worded to -not- be in the SW universe. But if you take that into consideration, anyone not asking for that could be put into that situation, for sheer fact of not asking.)

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:50 pm

Hotfoot wrote:For example, Pcm979's first wish could be interpreted in such a way to give him type O negative blood, or blood with some special quality, like carrying antibodies for HIV. So long as he is alive, the supply is technically unlimited.

Oooh. That's not too bad. Curing AIDs would be worth it.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:21 pm

Pcm979 wrote:
Hotfoot wrote:For example, Pcm979's first wish could be interpreted in such a way to give him type O negative blood, or blood with some special quality, like carrying antibodies for HIV. So long as he is alive, the supply is technically unlimited.
Oooh. That's not too bad. Curing AIDs would be worth it.

Alternatively, your blood could be made into a heroin-type substance that junkies and drug dealers would pay loads of money for. You'd be set financially, but you'd be a drug dealer that could ruin lives.

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:30 pm

Yes, yes, you've made your point. I've even made a new wish to be picked apart.

Scottish Ninja · Post by **Scottish Ninja** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:43 pm

Okay - I'll go for the simple one.

I'd wish to always have enough money in my pocket to buy whatever I desire to purchase. Because whenever you hear this joke, it's the "chick with long legs and tight pussy" that gets misinterpreted.

Post by **Dark Silver** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 4:51 pm

My Wish?

Complete knowledge and mastery of true Arcane Magicks.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:10 pm

Same here... Ben wants to master the Arcane Arts...

Destructionator XV · Post by **Destructionator XV** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:13 pm

This is a hard one. There is nothing I really want that could be easily explained in a simple wish.

My first thought is simply to pass up the wish, but that would be wasting a big chance. Easy second thought is a large sum of money, like 150 million dollars. Enough to let me be lazy for a lot of years (read: the remainder of my natural life) while having a good amount left to give away.

Sounds a little pathetic considering what could be done, and certainly petty, but that is probably what I would do.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:28 pm

Of course, whishing for large amounts of money doesn't provide for where that money comes from. If you're lucky the Feds come after you. If you're not the Mafia does. Ouch.
That being said I doubt one can formulate a wish that can't be twisted into something decidedly NOT what the people uttering the wish meant.
Let's take Mayabirds presumably untwistable wish. She wants her dad back alive and well. Define 'well', please. It's entirely possible for the wish granter to sent him back alive, well (physically) and a complete psychopath. 'Pet Cemetary', anyone?
I mean no offense to Mayabird or Stofsk.

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:41 pm

*Sigh* I called it.

I wrote:... But since it looks like this thread is going to descend into unmitigated nitpickery, ...

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:57 pm

Batman wrote:Of course, whishing for large amounts of money doesn't provide for where that money comes from. If you're lucky the Feds come after you. If you're not the Mafia does. Ouch.
That being said I doubt one can formulate a wish that can't be twisted into something decidedly NOT what the people uttering the wish meant.
Let's take Mayabirds presumably untwistable wish. She wants her dad back alive and well. Define 'well', please. It's entirely possible for the wish granter to sent him back alive, well (physically) and a complete psychopath. 'Pet Cemetary', anyone?
I mean no offense to Mayabird or Stofsk.

Bats, you're really stretching with some of these. There's a difference between a wish being twisted and being granted by a source of total malevolence and being utterly perverted in the process. One is a lesson in being careful what you wish for, and the other is a lesson in being careful who or what you ask to fulfill your wish.

Wishes becoming twisted is often the result of selfishness, greed, and short-sightedness. Perverting wishes comes from asking a demonic source for the power or some other such evil.

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