闲人

There are stories like The Monkey's Paw, among others, where wishes are magically granted but bring with them unforeseen side effects, or happen through unexpected means, such that the wisher ends up no better even with the wish fulfilled.

In life perhaps there is no malevolent magic attempting to twist our wishes into something ugly, for we exert our own effort to make our wishes come true. Nevertheless do our wishes not all come with prices to pay, and unforeseen related events? But having expended our own effort to attain our wishes most of the time we convince ourselves that it has all been worthwhile. Maybe we are right some of the time, but how often?

Lacking magical powers, our wishes require time and exertion, which become the bare minimum price we need to pay, and having paid it, how many people are willing to acknowledge they are no better off? Even when we end up dissatisfied after attaining something, we are so adept at convincing ourselves of our own merits and so reluctant to admit fault that we tell ourselves and anyone who cares to hear that the result is worth every bit I've sacrificed for it!

To quote from the original Monkey's Paw, "If you must wish, wish for something sensible."

It is hard to know what is sensible these days. Everyone trying to tell us what we should want, from society telling us we should want good grades/school/work/salary to the bombardment of commercials telling us we should want a variety of things. But it's the normal wishes that are dangerous. I know someone who probably wished for a family, a stable job. Yet he's so miserable at his stable job that provides for his family, that he complains almost every day and is so filled with negativity that it spreads to anyone that comes into contact. He's probably convinced himself that it's worthwhile, even though I think I would rather die than live so negatively. Who knows, maybe to him, it is?

Whatever the case, if you must wish, wish for something sensible.