If I Ruled The World Danny Wallace

Comedian Danny Wallace is the bestselling author of Yes Man (turned into a film starring Jim Carrey) and Awkward Situations for Men. He’s also an award-winning presenter on radio and television, and writes a regular column for Shortlist

I WOULD CREATE A VOTING TEST. It’s not enough simply to be of a certain age in order to vote. People must also show a basic understanding of what it is they’re voting for. I’d create a test which, like the driving licence, must be aced before people are permitted to wield such power over their fellow citizens. It would need to be taken every decade to ensure changing political policies are understood. After passing the test, voting would become compulsory and, in order to encourage greater engagement, be rewarded by a lovely morning off and a sandwich.

I WOULD RID THE WORLD OF RUDENESS. All confrontations would, by law, begin with the words “I’m so sorry to say this, but…” in order to mitigate the likelihood of any subsequent anger. So much can be accomplished—and so much anger dissipated—by approaching our interactions with basic politeness.