What Your Wishes Say About You (2024)

What you wish for may say much about who you are. Men wish for sex and power, and women wish for happiness.

By Annie Murphy Paul published November 1, 1997 - last reviewed on June 9, 2016

Be careful what you wish for—it could reveal who you are, says Laura King, of Southern Methodist University. In a study published in the Journal of Personality, King administered a personality test to 405 college students, then asked them a simple question: "If you could have three wishes, what would you ask for?" Responses ran the gamut, from the obvious ("to be healthy and happy") to the impossible ("to have sex with Marilyn Monroe") to the peculiar ("to eat Chinese food at every meal every day for the rest of my life"). When examining these wishes and the people who made them, King discovered some interesting connections:

The most common wishes were for friends, happiness, health, marriage, money, success, self-improvement, and to help other people.

Although men's and women's wishes were generally similar, men were more likely to wish for sex and power, while women were more likely to wish for happiness, a better appearance, and better health.

Extroverted people often wished for happiness and positive feelings, and frequently included other people in their wishes. Neurotic people wished to be more sociable and more emotionally stable—in other words, to be less neurotic. "The chances of that wish coming true are practically zero," says King, noting that personality traits are notoriously hard to change.

Those who were already satisfied with their lives were the most likely to believe that their wishes would come true.

What Your Wishes Say About You (2024)

FAQs

What are your top 3 wishes? ›

7. If I Could Have Three Wishes Granted, What Would They Be?
  • I want love. Always. I want to be surrounded in it. ...
  • I want good health. For me and for those around me. ...
  • I want happiness. This is a given.
Mar 7, 2023

What is the most common wish? ›

So, what are the most common wishes? There are some things that are wished for more than anything else. Most commonly, people wish for wealth, success, self-improvement, love, health, happiness and friends.

What are people's greatest wishes? ›

Including the Surprising Choices Others Made
  • Wish #1: Wealth or Happiness. A no-brainer, surely? ...
  • Wish #2: Success or Happiness. ...
  • Wish #3: Fame or Happiness. ...
  • Wish #4: Status or Happiness. ...
  • Wish #5: Attractiveness or Happiness. ...
  • Wish #6: Sex or Happiness. ...
  • Wish #7: Health or Happiness. ...
  • Wish #8: Enlightenment or Happiness.
Jan 16, 2017

What are three wishes? ›

The 3 Wishes Project is a palliative care initiative that aims to improve the end-of-life experience for patients, families, and healthcare team members by working to fulfill wishes for a dying patient and their loved ones.

What are the 5 types of wishes? ›

There are five types of wishes: to have, to give, to meet, to be and to go.

What are the 4 types of wishes? ›

Our wishes give seriously ill children the chance to do something extraordinary. For many children, it's an opportunity to choose something just for them – a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Wishes can be divided into four key themes, to have, to be, to meet, or to go.

What is 100 wishes? ›

One Hundred Wishes captures the wisdom and wit of Candappa's spectacularly successful Little Book of Stress while perfectly blending a bit of whimsy. With this beautifully packaged gift book you can bestow a multitude of good wishes upon any special person in your life.

What is a secret wish? ›

Everybody has a secret wish, a wish to do something or be somebody other than what they actually are. Such wishes mostly manifest themselves during childhood — like a famous cook fuelling a desire in one to be a chef, or a danseuse stoking the fires of dance.

What can a girl wish for? ›

These are some of my wish that I want to accomplish in my life....
  • I want to be a complete self dependent girl who can pay all her bills without anyone's help.
  • I love to travel. ...
  • I wanna Life partner who is humble, kind, helpful... a Wiseman.
  • Want to make my parents proud of me... ...
  • Last but not the least...
Mar 16, 2016

What to wish for yourself? ›

Health and Well-being: Good health, both physical and mental, is a common wish. People often wish for themselves and their families to lead happy and healthy lives. Success and Fulfillment: Wishing for success in personal and professional endeavors, along with a sense of fulfillment.

What are examples of wishes? ›

We use the verb wish or the phrase if only to talk about things which we want but which are not possible: I wish I could see you next week. If only we could stop for a drink. I wish we had a bigger house.

Why are best wishes important? ›

Sending best wishes can have a positive impact on the mood and energy of the recipient. It can be a source of inspiration, motivation, and encouragement for the person receiving the sentimental wishes. It can also help lift their spirits and create a positive aura around them.

What are the 3 wishes for end of life care? ›

The 3 Wishes Project is an EOL intervention that provides direction for individualized care with 3 goals: dignify death, celebrate the patient's life, and support family members and the intensive care unit clinicians caring for the patient.

What are the two types of wish? ›

One common type of wish is a regretful wish, which is used to express regret for something that did not happen or is not currently happening. For example, "I wish I had gotten the job." Another type of wish is an unreal or hypothetical wish, which is used to express a desire for something that is not currently true.

What wish to ask from girlfriend? ›

Random Questions for Your Girlfriend
  • What's a question you've wanted to ask me but haven't?
  • What should everyone know more about?
  • What do you like to do when it's rainy?
  • What book changed your life?
  • What's the best compliment you've ever gotten?
  • Have you ever sought (and gotten) petty revenge on someone?
Nov 29, 2023

What are some examples of wishes? ›

Wishes
  • I wish I could see you next week. If only we could stop for a drink. ...
  • I don't like my work. ...
  • I don't like this place. ...
  • I wish I was/were taller. ...
  • I wish I had worked harder when I was at school. ...
  • We should phone them in case they are lost. ...
  • Imagine you won the lottery. ...
  • Suppose you hadn't passed your exams.

What to answer to best wishes? ›

To respond appropriately, you can consider the following options:
  • "Thank you! That means a lot to me."
  • "I really appreciate your kind words. Thank you."
  • "Thank you for your good wishes. I wish you well too."
  • "That's so kind of you. Thank you for your wishes!"
  • "I'm grateful for your support.
Aug 8, 2023

What is 3 wishes and a star? ›

Use this activity to help younger children think about their goals. Say, "Today we will think about three stars and a wish. Stars are things you can already do well. And wishes are things you want to work on to do better."

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