If You Had 3 Reality Altering Wishes, What Would You Do?

[Guest Coda]

So, I was discussing morality with my brother and we somehow got on this topic. He, being a generous person, said this:

1. Make everyone generous(defined as maximizing happiness)

2. Make necessities plentiful for everyone

3. Prevent weapons of mass destruction from being created.

I had drastically different answers:

1. Make everyone utilitarian.

2. Make everyone egalitarian. 

3. Make everyone more aware of their impact on the world(climate change, etc.)

What would you do? Don't think about it, just reply with things of the top of your head. That's what we did.

[Nathrangking]

Give myself the maximum amount of creative power possible in a human being.

I would end world hunger.

I would make people forget war.

[Guest Coda]

Just now, Nathrangking said:

Give myself the maximum amount of creative power possible in a human being.

I would end world hunger.

I would make people forget war.

You have become Brian David Gilbert. What happens when they remember war? 

[Nathrangking]

Just now, Coda said:

You have become Brian David Gilbert. What happens when they remember war? 

You assume that they ever will. I could always stipulate that no one be able to remember.

[NottTheBrave]

-World peace, so no wars, no murders, etc.  

-Vegetarian diets for all.  Can't stand eating most veggies, but its so much better for most things if I did lol.

-Clean up our planet and set it on a healthy course.  

Pretty lame descriptions but I'm tired and this is a first draft!

[NameIess]

1. I wish for omnipotence, omnipresence, and immortality

2. I wish that no one else can make any wishes from this source

3. I wish that human bodies were perfected, ridding them of things like aging, allergies, genetic diseases, etc, etc, etc. 

[Kidpen]

Off the top of my head? Alright.

First, although I would geel like it's a bad idea to make any wish at all from this strange thing, I would wish that I would be able to fully understand all the consequences resulting from a wish before making it.

Second I would wish for omnipotence (no saying that it's arrogant to think I would do the best for the world, it's no less arrogant to make wishes at all. If I'm omnipotent, I can make myself make the right decisions.)

Third doesn't matter.

[Draginon]

1. Make veggies taste like candy, but still be healthy, so that more people would eat them.

2. Everyone has the equivalent of $2000 in their bank account at all times so that they can pay rent and eat.

3. Sanderson can get a book completely published in one month no matter how long it is.

[Snakenaps]

Whenever I stumble across anything with three wishes, my brain immediately goes to a incredibly dumb joke I stumbled across on Reddit once:

(Edited for language and content)

Three men are hiking through the woods when they come across a lamp. 

One of them picks it up, rubs it, and out pops a Genie.
It booms, "You have finally freed me after all these years, so I'll grant each one of you 3 wishes." The first guy immediately blurts out "I want a billion dollars." POOF, he's holding a printout that shows his account balance is now in fact 1,000,000,003.50
The second man thinks for a bit, then says "I want to be the richest man alive." POOF, he's holding papers showing his net worth is now well over 100 billion.
The third guy thinks even longer about his wish, then says "I want my left arm to rotate clockwise for the rest of my life." POOF, his arm starts rotating.

The Genie tells them it's time for their second wish.
First guy says: "I want to be married to the most beautiful woman on earth." POOF, a stunning beauty wraps herself around his arm.
Second guy says "I want to be good-looking and charismatic, so I can have every girl I want." POOF, his looks change and the first guy's wife immediately starts flirting with him.
Third guy says "I want my right arm to rotate counter-clockwise until I die." POOF, now both his arms are rotating, in opposite directions.

The genie tells them to think very carefully about their third wish.
First guy does, and after a while says "I never want to become sick or injured, I want to stay healthy until I die." POOF, his complexion improves, his acne is gone and his knees don't bother him any more.
Second guy says "I never want to grow old. I want to stay 29 forever." POOF, he looks younger already.
Third guy smiles triumphantly and says "My last wish is for my head to nod back and forth." POOF, he's now nodding his head and still flailing his arms around.

The genie wishes them good luck, disappears, and the men soon go their separate ways.

Many years later they meet again and chat about how things have been going. First guy is ecstatic: "I've invested the money and multiplied it many times over, so me and my family will be among the richest of the rich pretty much forever. My wife is incredible, and I've never gotten so much as a cold in all these years." Second guy smiles and says "Well, I built charities worldwide with a fraction of my wealth, I'm still the richest guy alive and also revered for my good deeds. I haven't aged a day since we last met, and yes, your wife is pretty dang incredible."
Third guy walks in, flailing his arms around and nodding his head, and says:

"Guys, I think I screwed up."

[SingingMosaic]

I would make humans naturally more sensitive to their effects on their surroundings. People in general, I suppose, where they seem not to know, assuming we're talking about all of existence. This specifically wouldn't control their actions, but it would give them finer mental senses designed to make it so that avoiding awareness of consequences would be very difficult. It would be interesting to see how people would react if you couldn't stick your fingers in your ears and ignore the results of what you'd just done, or if you automatically knew if you'd made a mistake in an interaction because you could hear/sense the bad reaction. So while people could still be terrible, it wouldn't be easy to abuse someone and have no one find out for years, for example.

As for the other two, I don't know. I feel in my day to day life like I have a desperate lack of information, and like most of us do, and like I wouldn't feel so helpless if I had more of it. It wouldn't be a quick fix. We'd still have to work out what we need to do, but we'd do so with more data, and it would be harder for people to obscure data they don't like from others. I can't think of more because everything I can think of right now seems like quick fixes, and quick fixes feel wrong to me because I feel they lower people's chances of surviving and coming into their potential.

[Retrac]

1. Give me a doctorate degree in neuroscience, engineering, astrophysics, psychology, and in mathematics.

2.Multiply my muscle mass by 10 but make it so I don't look it.(this way I can still get in fights but will always win)

3. See I was going to say end pain and suffering but I am were I am partly because of pain and suffering. Sooo give me the courage to help people.

[AonEne]

On 1/9/2020 at 9:45 PM, Kidpen said:

I would wish that I would be able to fully understand all the consequences resulting from a wish before making it. 

Second I would wish for omnipotence. 

The same as Kidpen for the first two, then I would wish for myself to never turn evil, get bored, become jaded, or hate humanity. 

I would also add an extra stipulation to the second wish - that I can fully control my omnipotence and how it works, and that I can turn it off and on at will. 

[ShadowLord_Lith]

1. I would wish for the ability to grant any wish- reality altering or not- whenever I chose to do so.

2. Then I would wish to know generally whether the wishes would have a positive or negative effect based on my personal moral compass.

3. Third, I'd wish that once I'd granted their wish, no one, including the reciever of the wish granting, would know who had granted their wish- only that their wish had been granted, with the exception of myself. (I'd like to be aware of my ow wish-granting adventures.)

I would then grant the joking wishes of my friends that I was immortal, and systematically get them all dates and fantastic lives while also ending world hunger and world peace with the ease of a few sarcastic quips and racist jokes. I'd continue to do so until I'd become a functional god, granting the wishes of all those that prayed to me with desires that fit my own moral compass's version of good (Which would hopefully improve and grow as I gained power and knowledge) and- in effect- become a living god very similar to the one that most Christians believe in. Unless he doesn't do this sort of thing for a reason, in which case I'd probably stop granting wishes at that point and just watch the world while granting wishes where it'll do the least harm and most good, and where no one would actually believe something miraculous had happened so that whatever reason that god who- may or may not, depending on your beliefs- exists has for their perceived 'silence' will be maintained. :3

Edited March 9, 2020 by ShadowLord_Lith
For clarifying ease.

[Guest Coda]

Wow, this has been a busy day for genies. All of you are very good wishers. Will Smith approves. For a twist, see if you can ruin each other's wishes by making them go horribly wrong. 

[ShadowLord_Lith]

... Wow... 

Would I want to though? I could just run through the scenarios presented... 
 

Spoiler

(1. Nathranking)

1. Where would it come from, your creativity? And how long would it last? Please be more specific or you'll end up like the poor creator of the codex in Oathbreaker...
2. What's to stop it from beginning again? Long-term, sustainable solutions solve problems, not simple quick fixes- and wishes are notoriously bad at making things better if given wiggle room. 

3. As mentioned, unless you add stipulates to it, people will rediscover it. It was invented in the first place, so it'll be invented again somehow. Maybe change war so it must be fought in certain, non-violent or at least non-lethal ways? War is remarkably useful for advancing technology after all... Still lawful, but everything has good and bad in it. 

(2. NottTheBrave)
1. You specified! It'll still most likely pop up again later, but you're on the right course. Maybe add something to prevent it's resurgence? Reappearance? Whatever the best word might be, I assume you understand what I mean...
2. Some people have dietary problems that prevent them from living such lifestyles. Gluten prevents people from eating wheat and other things, some have higher protein needs than others, and some cannot drink milk. Though it's rarer to have conditions preventing you from eating certain plants, they do exist. Maybe make it so they will enjoy vegetarian meals more, are capable of ingesting them by removing allergies and such? Or maybe create a plant that makes a meat substitute that tastes like meat but is effectively a vegetable? You have a good idea, maybe expand on it so it becomes more feasible?
3. What specifically would happen? If all pollution vanished, great! But could that be sustained? Maybe find a way to wish for a sustainable, pollution removing animal? Or plant? Or machine? I'm not sure, but I like your idea regardless. Good wishes. 

(3. Nameless)

1. Godhood. You're asking to be god. Is this your intention? If so, you're good. If not, please clarify. 
2. Selfish, but understandable since you don't want others to screw up what you've done. Maybe also add a clause that simply prevents other from finding it so it doesn't end humanity or something. 
3. Perhaps don't end death itself? Considering a lack of death by natural causes will mean either suicide or purging is needed to end the ever-increasing number of human bodies on our planet that no longer have room to exist together without starving/dehydrating/infecting/murdering/exposure/etc... each other to death? Find a way to sustain infinite humans, or you'll create a terrible, self-massacring species...

(4. Kidpen)
1. Very good. No complaints. 
2. Dangerous, but also okay. You'd get extremely bored, but still. Okay. 
3. N/A

(5. Draginon)
1. No complaints- only changing taste, therefore very few consequences other than much higher numbers of vegetables sold than candy, effectively destroying the sweets industry. 
2. At all times? Even right after withdrawal of the money? Wrecks the economy. Absolutely worthless money constantly increasing in size and decreasing in value, ad even if that wasn't true, some would just draw endless amounts for whatever, or cigarettes, or alcohol... maybe change this to be more restrictive and contained, and responsible so it doesn't end the world as we know it... and probably also all banks on earth...
3. Beautiful, perfect, only one complaint: please stipulate that time decrease doesn't decrease the books final quality... please...

(6. SingingMosaic)
1. Interesting wish. Would solve many problems, well thought out... I like it. 
2. Wish for more information, but no automatic solution. Wonderful. Humans need things to work towards- instantly solving things like cancer, or disease, or death, would remove human desire to progress because it has no value. Sure it's cool, and fun, but it's pointless and nothing takes much effort, so what even is the point? I like your wish because it avoids that trap. Good job. 
3. N/A

(7. Retrac)
1. I hope you also have the information that comes with those degrees. maybe specify?
2. So... how heavy are you now? And how hard is it to build visible muscle mass? You'll never look fit, and people will wonder how your bones haven't snapped under the insanely increased weight over such a short span of time and area affected. Which the most likely would. Perhaps adapt wish to better prevent such problems...?
3. I love this. It has no negative consequences, because it's only courage. You can, but you'll also know when you shouldn't- hopefully- so no downside that I can see here. 

(8. AonEne)
1. Already answered. 
2. Already answered. 

3. Good, you also fixed a wish. 

 

[Kidpen]

3 hours ago, ShadowLord_Lith said:

(4. Kidpen)

1. Very good. No complaints. 
2. Dangerous, but also okay. You'd get extremely bored, but still. Okay. 
3. N/A. 

  Hide contents

 

 

See, but the thing is that if I was omnipotent I would just make myself not bored anymore.

Also it occured to me that the first wish may result in me understanding every wish I could possibly make, resulting in an overload of information, possibly putting me in a vegetative state, unable to make any wish to undo it.

That's why I would have a friend poised to undo the wish should such a scenario take place.

Edit: Also, interesting thing on wishes.

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/4ARaTpNX62uaL86j6/the-hidden-complexity-of-wishes 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Kidpen

[AonEne]

On 3/9/2020 at 8:11 AM, ShadowLord_Lith said:

(8. AonEne)
1. Already answered. 
2. Already answered.
3. Good, you also fixed a wish. 

Wait, so you don't think I did anything wrong? (Also, nice breakdown!)

[ShadowLord_Lith]

21 hours ago, AonEne said:

Wait, so you don't think I did anything wrong? (Also, nice breakdown!)

Nope. Not much it's wrong about your wishes specifically. They could be better wishes, used better, but they were all good. 

[AonEne]

2 hours ago, ShadowLord_Lith said:

Nope. Not much it's wrong about your wishes specifically. They could be better wishes, used better, but they were all good. 

*shrugs* I’m not perfect. But with omnipotence, I could at least accomplish a ton without having to use a wish on it, because I have more power even than the genie. 

[+ILuvHats]

1. Vaccine for the coronavirus.

2. Vaccine for the coronavirus.

3. Vaccine for the coronavirus.

Eh, I’m not feeling creative today, and the outbreak’s on my mind since the first case on my college campus was confirmed yesterday. 

Edited March 14, 2020 by ILuvHats

[Elend Venture]

1. Delete weapons of mass destruction from existence and make them impossible to construct.

2. Remove all human illnesses that came to exist after the year 1900.

3. Let it be that no one could ever use their genie powers to change human nature. We aren't perfect, but a life where one is forced to conform in all manners to someone else's wishes is not one worth living.

[SingingMosaic]

That's kind of what made me uncomfortable with some of them. I was like I want it to be possible for people to be overall more aware, but I don't like the idea of just changing someone's ability to make decisions based on an arbitrary idea that, even if for some reason you couldn't poke a single hole in, would still lock people's context. If someone had the ability to lock people's context in some way and did so, they would doom them. In a lot of ways.It's interesting reading what other people would like to see happen to the world.

I liked the poke holes in our own/each other's wishes idea but I didn't end up doing one, because I'm better at those conversations verbally.

[Kidpen]

2 hours ago, Elend Venture said:

1. Delete weapons of mass destruction from existence and make them impossible to construct.

So suddenly anyone can invade and wage war without the threat of nuclear destruction? Cause I think that would basically result in everyone invading everyone else at once.

[Elend Venture]

12 hours ago, Kidpen said:

So suddenly anyone can invade and wage war without the threat of nuclear destruction? Cause I think that would basically result in everyone invading everyone else at once.

     Maybe, but I don't think that the following would would happen exactly like . . . that. World leaders' actions are driven by more concerns than simple fear of mutual destruction. Most are trained in critical thinking. They don't usually invade another nation unless they believe that such is necessary, and would know better than to invade a nation with a much stronger military force. A madman leader might attack anyway, but the same would still happen if he had nuclear weapons. If Hitler had nuclear energy harnessed you bet he would have used it too.

   And even if another world war started, it would be worth it to avoid the release of  genetically engineered biological weapons. It's kind of inevitable that some day such weapons will be used, and it is unlikely that the world could ever recover.

Edited April 12, 2020 by Elend Venture

[Snorkel]

Disclaimer, these are terrible ideas and would probably make a setting for a future distopia horror film

 

1 - We'd all be fixed, and babies would be created in a lab.  As our vets tell us - our pets are much happier without having hormone-induced urges, and it lowers the risk of cancer as well!  Surely the same applies to people.  No more will our emotions be influenced by hormones making us angry and competitive or weepy and exhausted or whatever. Nuh-uh!  And everyone could then act as masculine or feminine as they felt like, and nobody would be jerks to each other about it.

2 - (this is the REALLY unethical one).  People would be psychologically screened for sociopathy/psychopathy.  People with certain traits could be denied a certain class of employment (bye-bye psychopaths in management!), or just sent straight to prison before they get to do really bad things to people.
... OK this is terrible.  I'd at least make it standard practise for companies to do anonymous employee surveys for those in positions above them.  If you're a jerk in a leadership position, the company will find out and replace you with someone who isn't a jerk!

3 - a puppy