A genie appears from a bottle and grants you three wishes. Of course, you can’t wish for infinite wishes, but there is a loophole.
- I wish for a hand-held notebook with infinite pages.
- I wish that anything I write in that notebook is true.
- I wish for the genie to be freed.
Now to go to work. Wishes notoriously backfire, especially when granted by genies, so precautions must be taken. The following would be the first things I write in the notebook, immediately…
- Unless specifically stated, nothing written in this book will have harmful side effects or unintended consequences.
- The notebook will never be lost or stolen.
- The notebook will have infinite pages, but will be three inches by five inches and fit in a pocket.
- The notebook will remain lightweight regardless of the number of pages it contains.
- The notebook will appear in my hands with a pen filled with black ink when I say the words, “Notebook, appear.”
- Unless I write otherwise, I am the only person who can write in this book or even knows of its existence.
- Any powers I gain or actions I take as a result of using this notebook will not bring unwanted fame or attention.
- If I make a statement followed by the phrase, “Make it so,” that statement shall appear in notebook as if I had written it.
- Anything that I cross out and initial will no longer be true.
That should be enough safeguards. Now for some personal items…
- I will retain all of my mental faculties and good mental health. I will not go crazy or insane because of this immense power.
- I cannot be imprisoned, harmed or killed, and I am immune to all diseases.
- I will not die until such time as I become tired of life and have written as such in this notebook.
- I have sufficient funds to purchase anything I desire for myself and others.
- I will have the strength and stamina to accomplish anything I desire.
- My vision is 20/20.
- I have excellent normal hearing with no loss.
- From the time that this is written I shall gradually lose weight over the next six months until I reach my ideal weight of 170 lbs. I will remain at that weight, regardless of how much I eat or drink or how little I exercise.
- From the time that this is written I shall start to age backwards at a normal rate until I reach the age of thirty-five, at which point I shall stop aging.
- I have the ability to play any musical instrument proficiently in any style.
That will do for a start. Now for the tricky bit. Do I wish the above items for others or just myself? For my spouse and family? Where would it end? Would we have a world full of 35 year-old people who could never age? Perhaps I should start with global issues. There’s so much to tackle that this list could go on and on. I’m not sure I’d want a Utopian society where everyone is exactly the same as me. There are also matters of justice and how people treat others. Could I actually control that on a global level? Would I even want to? I don’t think I’d want to eliminate things that give life meaning, such as emotions, or even pain and death. However, I do think there are some non-negotiables…
- Unless otherwise specified, no good deed done for a person or group of people shall result in harm for anyone else.
- Everyone will have enough food to eat.
- Everyone feels loved and wanted.
- Everyone can take pride in their self-worth and accomplishments.
- Persecution is non-existent.
- Pollution is non-existent.
From that point on I think I would be a matter of taking care of things as they arise. I’m sure I’d have to tweak this list over time, but this would be my start. Now I just need to find a genie in a bottle.