--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not asking much,' he said. 'Only a…" description: "\"“I'm not asking much,' he said. 'Only a miracle. Can you do this?' Wong looked down at the briefing papers in front of him for a moment. Then he looked..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/vittachi-285889_miracle_i-m-not-asking-much-he-said-only-a-mirac_2809977.jpg" --- # I'm not asking much,' he said. 'Only a miracle. Can you do… ![“I'm not asking much,' he said. 'Only a miracle. Can you do this?' Wong looked down at the briefing papers in front of him for a moment. Then he looked at Tambi in the eye. 'Miracles we have fifteen per cent extra surcharge. Is it okay?” quote by Vittachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/vittachi-285889_miracle_i-m-not-asking-much-he-said-only-a-mirac_2809977.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/vittachi-285889_miracle_i-m-not-asking-much-he-said-only-a-mirac_2809977.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/vittachi-285889_miracle_i-m-not-asking-much-he-said-only-a-mirac_2809977.jpg) > ““I'm not asking much,' he said. 'Only a miracle. Can you do this?' Wong looked down at the briefing papers in front of him for a moment. Then he looked at Tambi in the eye. 'Miracles we have fifteen per cent extra surcharge. Is it okay?”” Vittachi ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person asks for a miracle, then adds a surcharge, revealing a mix of desperation and opportunism. **In simple terms:** Requests a miracle, then charges extra. Key Takeaway Beware of hidden costs in desperate pleas. Themes miracle exploitation negotiation Mood skeptical critical Type Miracle:1 Time:0 Surcharge:1 Said Miracle:0 Extra Surcharge:1 Miracle Wong:0 Miracles Cent:0 When to use this quote - financial deals - personal requests Key Concepts business ethics human desire Questions to Reflect On - Is it ethical to profit from pleas for help? - How do we balance hope and exploitation? A Different Perspective The surcharge undermines the sincerity of the miracle request. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Miracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miracle/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Tambi’s expression changed again, this time to one of a humble supplicant. ‘I am not asking much,’ he said. ‘Only a miracle. Can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nury-vittachi/tambi-s-expression-changed-again-this-time-to-one-of-a-humble/) [Nury Vittachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nury-vittachi/) > [If by 'miracle kids' you mean innocent test-tube babies whose DNA was forcibly unraveled and merged with two percent avian genes, yeah, I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/if-by-miracle-kids-you-mean-innocent-test-tube-babies-whose-dna-was/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“Did you double the price of Jack and Coke?” “Asshole surcharge.” I laughed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vi-keeland/did-you-double-the-price-of-jack-and-coke-asshole-surcharge-i-laughed/) [Vi Keeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vi-keeland/) > [I know an elderly society matron in Singapore who would rather walk in the scorching sun for blocks on end rather than have her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/i-know-an-elderly-society-matron-in-singapore-who-would-rather-walk/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [“We just wanted to see how you were doing,' Asher said. 'Well, that \*is\* a miracle,' said Perry. She took out her notebook and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wunder/we-just-wanted-to-see-how-you-were-doing-asher-said-well-that-is-a/) [Wendy Wunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wunder/) > [ I hate using this term \[miracle\]. I'm a man of science. I'm a doctor. I don't use this word. But he said, it's a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-hate-using-this-term-miracle-i-m-a-man-of-science-i-m-a-doctor-i/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [Picasso said that everything is a miracle, that it's a miracle that we don't dissolve in our baths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/picasso-said-that-everything-is-a-miracle-that-it-s-a-miracle-that-we/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [“Malcolm Muggeridge, once a keen British social and cultural critic who in his old age became something of a religious fanatic. While working on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-t-joshi/malcolm-muggeridge-once-a-keen-british-social-and-cultural-critic-who/) [S.T. Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-t-joshi/) > [Nothing may truly be said to be a miracle except in the profound sense that everything is a miracle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/nothing-may-truly-be-said-to-be-a-miracle-except-in-the-profound/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [I got quite annoyed after the Haiti earthquake. A baby was taken from the wreckage and people said it was a miracle. It would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-got-quite-annoyed-after-the-haiti-earthquake-a-baby-was-taken-from/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I believe that simple, consistent shifts in our thinking and actions can lead to the miraculous in all aspects of our daily lives, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/i-believe-that-simple-consistent-shifts-in-our-thinking-and-actions/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. Everything was in its place -- the tree, the earth underneath, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/this-at-last-was-where-things-were-as-they-ought-to-be-everything-was/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [“As I do not seem able much to heal, then maybe I can simply be a responsible witness to the miracle of the ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/as-i-do-not-seem-able-much-to-heal-then-maybe-i-can-simply-be-a/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) ## More Miracle quotes > [“As I do not seem able much to heal, then maybe I can simply be a responsible witness to the miracle of the ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/as-i-do-not-seem-able-much-to-heal-then-maybe-i-can-simply-be-a/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. Everything was in its place -- the tree, the earth underneath, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/this-at-last-was-where-things-were-as-they-ought-to-be-everything-was/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. 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