"be careful what you wish for"?

Question

where does this saying come from, can anyone tell me more about it, mabye from your own personal experience or just what you think ab. it

thanks

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

you know if you made a wish saying..I wish I was the richest person in the world..it would be a problem because u have sooo much money and bill and get overwelmed and go bankrupt..and what if u say I wish I had a rich boyfriend..he can be rich but mean,nasty,and abusive..so be carful what u wish for!!

BEST ANSWER!

Answer 2

Be careful what you wish for means think about what your really wishing for is it really gonna make the situation better or worse

Examples

Wishing for another man
You may be in a good relationship now with the least problems
If you get what you wish for the relationship may be worse like the guy your with now doesn't abuse you and you get in an abusive relationship just remember all relationships aren't perfect

Wishing for more money
You may not have it all but your getting by
You end up with all this money and now you have more problems
You have it made some ppl have no roof over their heads, food or clothing be thankful

Wishing for another car
The car you have now is not the car you want though it gets you from point A to point B and it's been pretty good for a few years
Get that car you want and you have no money for other things like bills, food and clothes all because you want that car and it may just act up faster than the car you have
I've seen this happen before lol

All in all be careful what you wish for because if you get it it may not be what you want

Answer 3

There are a number of versions of this quote and it is attributed to a number of sources such as in the story the Monkey's Paw, which is a classic horror story apparently written by W.W. Jacobs,, first appearing in Harpers Monthly in 1902. The story begins with a quotation "Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it" - unfortunately attributed by the author to Anonymous.

Then there are:
Be careful what you
set your heart upon--
for it will surely be yours.
Attributed to James Baldwin

Or

I write of the wish that comes true--
for some reason,
a terrifying concept.
By James M. Cain

Or

Ambition is a Dead Sea fruit
and the greatest peril to the soul is that
one is likely to get precisely what he is seeking. By Edward Dahlberg

Or

Beware, my Lord!
Beware lest stern Heaven hate
you enough to hear your prayers!
By Anatole France

There are many such variations and there meaning also varys with the situation, but by and large most are in the context of the striving for a goal is what is significant. If you reach your goal (wish) your life becomes meaningless and empty. The truth of these little piece of cultural lore may be in the “lack” of preparation to obtain your wish. The person who wishes to win the lottery and actually does, may have no understanding of how to handle large sums of money and may find that they are fast less happy with the money than without the money. Of course, this could also be an excuse being happy without reaching your wish.