If you go could go back in time and relive your life from a certain point in time. Would you?

While tempting, I don’t think I would. If I were somehow immune to paradox in this trip, it would be tempting to say I would go back to a certain year and make different decisions with the current knowledge I have. But the truth is that I don’t know what would happen if I were to change a single thing in my life. Would I have met my wife? Would we have conceived 3 healthy children?

More importantly, life is full of chance. Would I have been involved in a car accident the day after I go back, only to arrive here at 44 years old completely paralyzed? Would I even be alive today?

I think I’ll pass.

No way. That would mean risking everything I have for the remote possibility of things being better. I like my life too much for taking this kind of risk.

I probably wouldn’t have gotten into that car.

As much as I would like to undo the last phone conversation I had with my dad at age 12, it’s not worth another 9 years of living with my mother.

Nope. I’m good.

@janbb: There’s ^^^ a story I’d like to hear!

I was thinking that I would have ended contact with a close family member almost a decade sooner, but the possibilities than emanate from that would have changed some things I would not have changed. Too easy to second guess stuff.

I’m not sure. I spent much of my 20s afraid and anxious so I might like to have my physical health and strength back so that I could try more things.

If I could retain the memories of this life and what I know now, but regain the young body, absolutely. The second time around would be twice as fun and much more outrageous, especially if I knew how the events local and otherwise would evolve. And I’d come out richer than God without even trying.

I would definitely go back and continue my education a heck of a lot sooner. That’s the only thing I would change though.

I’m with @Espiritus_Corvus If I could have my awesome 20 year old body and all my energy and muscle tone with the wisdom I have now I’d be quite the force to be reckoned with. Infact, I have been watching that reality series on youtube ” Naked & Afraid” and THAT would be one thing I’d have loved to do, get naked and hit the wilderness to test my survival skills and spunk.
I wish that show was goin’ on 35 years ago I’d have been in the front line. haha

No. Life is a gamble and the house usually wins. But I might consider it if I could choose my parents, siblings, city, state, country, and time period.

No.

If you knew me, you would feel that answer instead of just hearing it.

I’m not sure. I regret the way I shut everyone out of my life, and I think I could have avoided many periods of sadness, and maybe still be in touch with people I care about, if I had felt that I could be honest with myself about what I wanted… At the same time, the pattern of behavior I regret begins back in high school, and I don’t want to step back into all those years of being right next to my dad’s anger and its affects on the family, especially when I don’t think there’s anything I could do a second time around to make it better… He’s still bitter today, but at least I’m not at home.

I would but….it would mean that the kids and grandkids I have now would be gone, so no way in hell.

I always wonder what the answer to this question says about ourselves. Can’t put my finger on it.

One of my favourite books is Replay by Ken Grimwood. The protagonist dies in his forties in the mid 80s. He wakes up in his college dorm as a young man but remembers everything of his previous life. Of course he gets rich by betting and the stock exchange but nothing much else goes the way it did first time round. I love this idea and have read several other books with this plot. But the message usually is that you can’t make things change to your benefit (apart from the betting of course) because of the law of unintended consequences

Anyway, all this reading has made me realise that I don’t need to change the past but I can change the future

There have been a few critical junctures in my life where I would choose a different path if I could go back but I wouldn’t want to. What has happened has happened and I’m happy just to leave it at that.

@longgone I think it could be said that youth is wasted on the young from some of us “older” middle aged peeps, haha

@Coloma Yeah, but I’m wondering what’s implied by the “decision” to change your past, versus its alternative. Does this indicate our happiness level, our outlook on life, our likelihood of taking risks? What else?

@longgone Mmmm…maybe nothing more than nostalgic musings, knowing that to alter ones past also means altering ones future that is the here and now. I’m good with how things are but since I was asked….haha
Hindsight is always 20/20 but regret is a waste of time. :-)

If I can take back the knowledge I have now, sure, but if I have to go back and be as dumb as I was then , then I will skip it.

I see you got the “Mmmmm” thang going on @Coloma. Nice!

I most definitely will. There are so many opportunities that I let go to waste.

Sure! Experiencing depression, manipulation and being unloved again sounds really fun.

Yeah, that first fuck coulda been better, I didn’t have to laugh so much after she farted.

@ucme fair enough lol. Most people see the first time as a practice round.

@NerdyKeith Very much like a game of golf I feel, try & get it in the hole & eventually it will come

@ucme Haha exactly

Don’t forget the fore play

You always gotta preheat!

Well, sometimes it’s like, “Will you get on with it already?”

Gotta savor the moment haha