Be Careful what you wish for...it kind of bothers me

The headscratchers page sums my thoughts on this trope but it still bothers me. Why does often the wish of the individual gets deconstructed by default? Does it have something to do with laws of casuality? Or is it there to deliver some Anvilious aesop about how anting is better than having?

The latter. If wishes actually worked as intended all the time, it's assumed the cultural implication would be not to work for what you get, but to let some magical-giving-tree do it for you.

Aside, however, there's this topic I made a ways back.

I've never thought about it that much, but perhaps because if someone's wish is granted and nothing kicks you in the butt and you get to live in a bliss... There is not much drama in it and the stories might be boring.

That said, I can think about two works off the top of my head where children wishes' are granted by a magical ring in one case and by a supernatural telephone receiver in the second, and usually, they get what they want and all is well.

This trope is sometimes played straight in the stories with the phone (its English title, I believe, is Max, Sally and the Phenomenal Phone) but they can immediately call back and revert their wish. The drama comes when the kids' phone gets stolen.

edited 25th Apr '13 11:21:04 AM by XFllo

Wishes can work as advertized if and only if there is sufficient limits to preserve the plot. Like Dragon Ball Z, the dragon grants wishes correctly, but they can't wish the villains away.

And in the typical "genie in a bottle" story where the whole plot is created by the wish(es), something is pretty much required to go wrong. There's just no story in "Bob met a genie, wished for fame, fortune and love and lived happily ever after."

I think there's a great deal about considering the consequences. What do you want, why do you want it, and what would happen if you actually got it? It can be easy to miss one of those if you're just making a wish, especially a careless or spontaneous one. Aside from how everything is supposed to have a cost equal to the gain.

Equivalent Exchange, Laws of Casuality and Common sense?

Bump

I don't to bump old threads but I feel this kind of gives some insight on this trope. It is a New Age things but it does give some perspective on the topic.