"Be careful what you wish for. You just might receive it" what does this proverb mean?

Question

olease tell me the meaning. if anyone has read the good earth....please help me as to how to relate this to the life of wang lung.

otherwise just give me the meaning of the proverb

Answer 1

I'm not familiar w/ the book, but I'll try to help w/ the proverb.  I could sound scholarly & probably confuse you more so let me give you an example from a TV show I saw eons ago.  A woman's husband died & she was being consoled by a male friend.  She said, "I'd give anything to have him back just the way he was before he was buried."  Pounding on front door.  Friend opens it & there's the husband moaning & groaning & letting out screams.  The reason?  She'd wished him back before he was buried but not before he was embalmed.  She got her wish, but she didn't think of the consequences before she spoke.  Hope this helps.

Answer 2

haven't read the book.......but its how you interpret the proverb yourself like it you wish someone dead you just might get it. or you wish for loads of money and then lose friends. it means choose wisely

Answer 3

Well, I could help you with the meaning of the proverb.  Generally, it comes from the idea that sometimes the thing that we want the most is the thing that is the worst for us.  So what you wish for may be something that might lead to your misery rather than your happiness if you get it.  For example, someone might wish for power.  He or she gets it, and then he or she ends up becoming corrupt and assassinated or something similar.

Answer 4

have you seen the movie almighty...if you havent well lets just say...

people dont have a clue about what they want...

Answer 5

it means to be careful what you wish for, like if you word it wrong and it sounds like something else. example:if u wished I wanna be the best player on the team, the wish might just make everyone else terrible, so u are the best. at least I think thats what it means lol.

Answer 6

Haven't read the book..but it means to me that humans don't always know what they truly want and what is best for them. Something you wish in the moment may not turn out to be the best idea for you in the end.

Answer 7

It means that sometimes you can wish something that is not right for you, and when that happens you can have bad consecuences because of it.