What would you ask a malicious genie?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > What would you ask a malicious genie?

Ghost of Reagan Past: Oct 7, 2003; rock and roll fun

I wish for the only change to the universe to be that in my bank account there be deposited $10,000,000,000 of legal US currency with no account of origin

If the money comes from somewhere illegally, then something else changed, and so my wish was not fulfilled. If that money then vanishes, then my wish was not fulfilled. If it came from some inheritance, then my wish was also not fulfilled. If it came from some cartel, then my wish was also violated. So the money would appear out of nowhere, with no explanation.

Now, this might make the money vanish because they might take it to be an error, but the wish could be modified to cover that possibility, I imagine.

Ghost of Reagan Past fucked around with this message at 18:39 on Feb 14, 2016

# ¿ Feb 14, 2016 18:36

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 11:50

Ghost of Reagan Past: Oct 7, 2003; rock and roll fun

DrSunshine posted:

I believe I've thought of a good one.

"Grant me the wish that I would wish for if I was infinitely clever, wise, knowledgeable and compassionate."

This works, I think, because it offloads the responsibility for formulating a perfect wish onto that perfect person. It's still a wish that benefits me because I am stipulating that that person is me. However, it's just a version of me that had infinite time to formulate a truly impregnable, perfect wish. Although it takes direct control of the wish out of my hands, it should ensure that whatever that wish is, it would be perfectly suited for giving me the maximum happiness, since that perfect person would know exactly what to wish for.

That's a good solution but you want to put it as that idealized version of yourself as interested in your happiness. What they might wish for for themselves might not be what's best for you. For instance, if you asked your ideal self how they might go about doing something, you might get advice that you're incapable of executing or even understanding. Or, in this case, this person may want some good that they can't otherwise get, but which is useless to yourself. Wish for the thing that your idealized self would wish for you, the non-ideal person.

# ¿ Feb 16, 2016 03:19

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > What would you ask a malicious genie?