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You Have found a genie that grants 3 wishes! What are your wishes, how do you avoid loopholes or "the monkeys paw"? (lemmy.ca)
submitted 3 weeks ago by to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca
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Lets assume that genies grant wishes literally, but will twist your words. How do you wish without unintended consequences? Typical rules of no more wishes, no resurrection, no forced love, no altering the past, can't defy logic, can't break physical laws, can't create paradoxes, and can't affect higher powers (this is one tough genie!).

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[–] 12 points 3 weeks ago* (9 children)

When Fox Mulder encountered a genie like that, his wish was delivered in written form. It was a binder with probably more than 1000 pages. Basically, he wished for world peace, but he had to lawyer his way out of all the usual genie BS. If the genie is playing dirty, you have to design the wish like you would design a law.

Bonus Showerthought: The law is a book series specifically written for assholes.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

    I was just discussing that episode when my son asked me if I pushed a button that killed all assholes on the planet would I push it. I didn't even hesitate in saying yes. He then asked even if it killed me too, and I still said yes.

    This led to whole discussion around this whole concept and the monkey paw theory and I also brought up the episode as well. The ending was the only correct choice to make.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

    I wouldn’t press that button. Getting rid of assholes is a temporary fix. The human nature will always produce more in the next generation. Besides, thanos snapping away such a big part of the population will probably result in some sort of societal collapse, famine and disasters.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    yea, seems likely that it would kill 100% of humanity.

    Babies are fucking assholes. they might not know better, but they are assholes.

    My toddler? often an asshole, does things just to see what happens.

    Teens? totaly assholes Adults: have you met them?

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago

    Yeah, if you use the broadest possible definition, then pretty much everyone would be gone. Even if you restrict it to only adults who are aware of what they are doing and still choose to be an asshole fairly often, you would be removing a huge part of the population. Sounds like a pretty bad move to me.

    That sort of thing might come close to nuking the entire species back to the stone age. Then again, that would be good for the environment in the long run. It could take like 20 000 years for the human species to fully recover from that one button press. I think I'm beginning to see some benefits... nah. Still a bad idea.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago

    Honestly, the crappy part is that you kinda have to be an asshole to get anything or anywhere in this world. Especially when it involves people in charge or powerful, nothing is given, ir must be forcibly taken otherwise you will be left holding your figurative dick while the actual assholes run train on you

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

    The genie is wondering how you managed to get all that done before spontaneously finding him. He claims you must also be a genie and per genie law owes you no wishes!

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  • [–] 2 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

    Nah, I would just put the genie on hold for 7 months while I’m cooking the wish with a team of lawyers.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    If you can leave genie on hold for 7 months genie's leaving you on hold till your dead before granting your wish (genie was pretty damn offended here, this is worse than the war crime stuff for him!)

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