this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2024
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You have 3 wishes (lemmy.world)
submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by EfreetSK@lemmy.world to c/comicstrips@lemmy.world
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[–] De_Narm@lemmy.world 249 points 10 months ago (6 children)

Doesn't work, since they are fulfilled sequentially.

Do the opposite of my next wish. -> Fulfilled, he is set to do the opposite next.

Don't fulfill my 3rd wish. -> Fulfilled, the wish does effectively nothing and he's got one left that will be fulfilled. All instructions from the first wish are done with and discarded.

Ignore my first wish. -> Fulfilled, there is nothing left to be ignored about his first wish anymore since it's already done. The wish does nothing and he successfully wasted all 3 by trying to be a smart ass.

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 42 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I wonder if genies are subject to numerical integer underflow.

[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 30 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They can be. If you wish for it.

[–] stupidcasey@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

Not enough wishes or wait if you make a 4th wish does it overflow to -2,147,483,648?

[–] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 25 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Also if the genie is a thinking agent or even just capable of detecting an infinite loop this falls apart.

[–] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 13 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Imagine trying to ward off a genie by yelling: "THIS STATEMENT IS FALSE!"

[–] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 3 points 10 months ago

POV you're about to encounter a little ol' Fate Worse Than Death

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

EVERYTHING I SAY IS A LIE, I ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH!

instant

[–] flerp@lemm.ee 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If everything you say is a lie, then the statements 'everything you say is a lie', and 'you always tell the truth' are both lies. Which means the first statement could be that some things you say are lies and you always tell the truth is one of those lies.

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[–] veni_vedi_veni@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

You are now stuck in an infinite loop with a rabbit and turtle.

[–] nonfuinoncuro@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago

I am a strange loop

[–] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 2 points 10 months ago

I love your username. Is it meant to be a naughty bilingual pun?

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[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yup, the genie just did that last bit to make him feel like he actually outsmarted him or something. In reality he's just glad he doesn't have to be around him any more.

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

I like it, it's a love story, everyone goes home happy.

[–] Asifall@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

I feel like this guy plays mtg

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[–] roguetrick@lemmy.world 62 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

First rule: don't fuck with djinn, hags, or fae. Demons maybe, at least you know what they want.

[–] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 9 points 10 months ago

When the demon tries to trip you up by asking for tea and cookies to be left out at night:

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 58 points 10 months ago (3 children)

You could have had fame, riches or beauty but instead you chose to be a dick.

[–] NABDad@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Do you think I asked for a 10 inch pianist?

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

My smartass genie response would be to summon a severed 10 inch penis in their hands.

[–] TurtleTourParty@midwest.social 4 points 10 months ago

I would send them a jar from an animal in the Icelandic Phallological Museum. They never specified the species.

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[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 46 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Gratz, you played yourself and get no wishes.

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[–] Lightor@lemmy.world 30 points 10 months ago

Then on the third wish he just says "nah, that won't work" and you've just burned 2 and confused yourself.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Again, from the last time this was reposted, none of these are wishes.

[–] rbn@sopuli.xyz 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Why not? If I wish that someone ignores something, that's a valid wish IMO.

[–] CileTheSane 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Because they never say "wish", they just issue commands.

[–] rbn@sopuli.xyz 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I dunno. If he told the djinn 'Give me a nice car' or 'Make Trump eat a pile of dog poop' in response to the offering of 3 wishes, that qualifies as a wish to me even though it doesn't contain the word.

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[–] Lightrider@sh.itjust.works 15 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Those aren't wishes, just commands.

[–] samus12345@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Ever heard of "your wish is my command?"

[–] Lightrider@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 months ago

Yeah... That presumes you made a wish and not a command.

[–] Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

This is also assuming the Genie isn't a spiteful PoS that will just kill the Asker. There's no rule against that.

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[–] Frozengyro@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

And yet... Monkey paw curls

[–] MacNCheezus@lemmy.today 13 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That oughta teach him a lesson

[–] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

How dare he try to grant my wishes

[–] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 12 points 10 months ago

Even if any of the three wishes are deemed valid or invalid the net result will be nothing happens, no?

[–] phoenixz 11 points 10 months ago

Genies hate computer software developers

[–] key@lemmy.keychat.org 11 points 10 months ago

Wish 1 cancels out wish 2, leaving us with the default state of granting the third wish. The genie grants the third wish by biting his tongue and ignoring how stupid the first wish was.

[–] HeapOfDogs@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Does everyone not understand this yet? The only winning move with a genie is to not play.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 19 points 10 months ago

Wrong, and geniephobic.

[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)
  1. I wish to know the true name of the genie who is granting me wishes.

  2. I wish [genie's true name] to be freed, mortal and without magical powers, now and henceforth.

[–] HeapOfDogs@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

You are now trapped in a bottle.

[–] Lumisal@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I think I saw a video once explaining how the only winning move is to make your wish be to let the genie grant you what you desire most.

Because only the genie as the wish granter has access to all possibilities a wish good grant, but you don't, so your wish could always be misinterpreted, while the genies knowledge cannot be.

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[–] unreachable@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)
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[–] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Wish one, genie give me a copy of your private key for the wish granting API

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[–] phoenixz 4 points 10 months ago

I liked the one from that classic twilight zone episode better wherte the (i believe mathematician) told the genie to "get lost"

[–] MustaSpiraali@sopuli.xyz 4 points 10 months ago

Genies hate this one trick.

[–] palordrolap@kbin.run 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

There's often a rule about not wishing about wishing, either directly or indirectly. This rule's not in the story of Aladdin (at least, not Disney's version) because that would prevent what happens with Jafar at the end.

It's also not a rule in Douglas Hofstadter's book Gödel, Escher, Bach..., where Achilles and the Tortoise - characters Hofstadter frequently borrows as protagonists; his Tortoise is sapient and can talk - contrive to wish that a wish not be granted, or something like that.

And if that last paragraph (with its nested asides) gave you a headache, you'll love the book.

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