If you could go back in time to a certain point of your life, would you do it?

[Alister]

I would go back to April 25th 2007 and make a few Neopets decisions =P

jokes aside, I think about this question sometimes and I tend to land where Kittyray is at, I'm scared of the butterfly effect. There's things I would absolutely want to go back and change in theory, but when I think about the potential consequences (never meeting my fiancé / adopting my dogs / making some of the friends I'm so lucky to have) I'm terrified of risking those. There's easy cop out answers of yeah, I would totally go invest in Bitcoin or beat Suzanne Collins to writing an American version of Battle Royale, stuff that would presumably keep my current life intact, just improved in some regards.

still, serious answer, if I really were given this chance and butterfly effect or no, I'd go back to February 2008 and stop a very dear friend from getting himself into a fatal accident. There is so much that changed about me and my life as fallout from that and a lot of it is stuff I wouldn't actually want to lose and there is no way my future wouldn't be drastically altered from changing that but fuck it tbh, I'd roll the dice and take my chances.

[Bulbasaur]

It's really heartwarming to read everyone's experiences and wishes, bad or good. It really lets me remember that we're all human and vulnerable, and that it's okay to regret and wish for something more. We're never meant to be living a perfect life, but one that just progresses from day to day. The "live without regrets" thing always gets to me and I try my best to do that but it never really works out all the time.

Here are the three parts of my life I'd like to go back to:

1. A few months before my dad died
My dad passed recently and I was working overseas when he was getting very sick. I managed to rush back in time to spend a few days with him before he went but I really wished I was around to spend more time with him and do some of the things he enjoys together. He and I have pretty different interests and even though he knows it, he tries to get me to join him sometimes. There were many things that I planned to do with him, such as travel to a few countries. I'm really regretful that he left before that could even happen. I really miss him a lot, even if it means just taking a video call with him would make me very happy.


2. When one of my best friends confessed to me
When I was in college one of my best friends confessed to me. I actually liked her first but when she sort of got wind of my interest she backed away. Thinking that it was the end, I set my sights on someone else and went ahead with pursuit. Long story short, I got together with the other girl and when it happened I went to tell that best friend. It was in the middle of a music festival and we were dead drunk. It rained as we were leaving and she actually confessed to me. I woke up the next day not knowing that it had happened till another friend told me what happened. By then, I was quite deep into my relationship and decided to just let that best friend go. Fast forward to today, she's married, I'm single and I'm just left wondering what would've happened if I had remembered what she said the next day.


3. When TikTok first began
This one might be a long shot but when TikTok first began and arrived in the country I was living in, I downloaded it and thought about making some videos. However, at that time everyone was making long videos on YouTube and so I decided to go with my short videos on YouTube (before Shorts came out). No idea if it would've worked but I sometimes dream about living off making content on TikTok had I started during that season.

I always find it so interesting how certain parts of our lives can change us in such a strong way. Like with you and the friend that confessed to you.
If things went differently, maybe you would be at a different stage of your life or somewhere completely different!
As well as with TikTok. If you were able to start it and maybe even got a large following, that would have made a big difference in your life as well!

Im just so sorry about your father ): Its nice to know that he wanted to do stuff with you and wanted to be around you. Even if your interests were different, having that love to still want to be in your company is wonderful!
It sounds like he loved you very much, and you to him

- - - Updated - - -

I agree with you I would love to go back to like 3 years old and know the things that I know now and change my future!

Oh, yes! I would love to be able to change how things are with me. If I kept the knowledge that I have now, Im sure I would at least be in a very different position in life than I am now.
Do I hate my life? No.
I just would love the chance to have done things so much differently and better myself in so many ways.

I can still do that! But I mean in such a dramatic way that I feel starting over would be such a better way

[♥ Yuumi ♥]

The day before I signed up to go to Culinary School

Back to the age of 5

^

Literally the same as OP.
I also went to culinary school, I've completed the course but it's not what I had in mind. I"m not going to work for the industry.
I wish I'd gone to film school for animation instead.

[greatchase]

No need to say sorry, I should have written it differently, it comes off as dramatic... But it's been 16 years so I don't get emotional about this, no worries :x

- - - Updated - - -



Haha are you centuries old? I wanted to say crusader time first but it's supposed to be "back in time in your own life"

I've just realised the question properly xD well in that case probably would go back to childhood and enroll into football/cricket academy at a young age since I used to have so much potential but I focused on studies instead!

[TsUNaMy WaVe]

It's funny, not too long ago I dreamed that I actually went bak in time, to around 7 years ago. And I remember how in the dream I hated it, because I knew I had to relive everything... And well, the majority of my time in life wasn't the best, so going through any of it again is jarring, to say the least.

I also don't really think there is one specific point I could change and make sure it'll end up in my favor. I'll give an example:
In my country, it is mandatory to enlist to the army when you are 18. But, there are many roles you can do as a soldier, some require getting through selections and then qualifications, some not. From an aircraft pilot to a humble secretary, and anything else you can think of that is in between. I personally, wanted to go to a combat unit really bad. As a girl, the road there is harder, and there aren't much combat units that even let girls in. Anyway, this is something I really wanted, and I also achieved - I reached my goal and join the combat unit I aimed to. But my time in the army was probably the worst time in my life. But... it wasn't because of the job I had or the role I chose. It's because I went through it with people (mostly my superiors but not just) that were toxic, ungrateful, underestimating, and just generally doing a lot to make sure my time will be as shitty as it can be and more.
And who knows if the people I would've met if I were to do another role would've been different? No one can promise me that. It might actually have been even worse!

So yeah, as I said in the beginning, many parts of my life were pretty shitty, but recently I'm kinda happy with where I am... so I'd definitely stay here.



Though yeah I understand the bitcoin thing lmao. I remember reading an article about it in 2011 when it just started. I was 2nd year high school back then, and it was so cheap! I remember contemplating if I should buy any, but I didn't have any money of my own back then. I could've found a way to get it if I really wanted though.

[♥ Shazi ♥]

the butterfly effect also scares me because no matter what things in the past i'd want to change, i wouldn't want a life without my daughter. however if i could change things and still end up with her then - i'd have gone to college for something i'd actually enjoy instead of wasting my life in jobs that i hate, and i'd never have touched any drugs at all and also wasted years of my life with that.

[Houndoom]

If I don't have to worry about butterfly effect stuff... I might end some toxic relationships sooner and get treated for depression much much sooner. But a lot of that would've been in very pivotal college years, and I just don't see how that wouldn't have affected my later life! I'm literally in the city I am in because I was running from stuff, but I'm also really quite happy now and dunno where I'd be without my fiance and dumb dogs.

[Bulbasaur]

I'll be honest, I never really thought on the fact of the butterfly effect. Because even though I may want to change my life and do certain things to better where I could end up, what if something I did ended up helping another person in some way to where they ended up in a better life?
I never really think on what my actions could do to another. If it be good or bad.

Me going to the store and just giving a smile and saying hello to a stranger could probably cheer them up and they could end up having a good day?
Where if I didn't, could their day have been totally different?
Im not saying Im saving any lives here lol But just the little things we do could help someone out...
Or if we're angry, it could hurt someone in such a way that it could hurt them more than we know.

Its crazy to think about

I would love to go back and change my own life, but how much will I change another life in me doing so?

[♥ Juna ♥]

Personally for me, I would just like to do it all over again, KNOWING what I know now. I can't trust myself to not make the same mistakes and failures if I didn't have knowledge of future me. But then I leave future/present me all alone suffering with those consequences she made and not able to go back and fix them and idk it's very depressing to think about. I like to playfully daydream about going back in time and inventing Amazon hahah.

3. When TikTok first began
This one might be a long shot but when TikTok first began and arrived in the country I was living in, I downloaded it and thought about making some videos. However, at that time everyone was making long videos on YouTube and so I decided to go with my short videos on YouTube (before Shorts came out). No idea if it would've worked but I sometimes dream about living off making content on TikTok had I started during that season.

I feel you on this. I was friends with KallmeKris before she made a TikTok, her boyfriend at the time(now ex) is best friends with my boyfriend. She has like what, 50 million followers now? I see her journey all over TT, and instagram, YT, etc, seeing how she made Forbes list by making a fortune off TT.. all that. I'm happy for her, and seeing that made me want to make tiktok videos but I just can't do it to that extent. However, I don't think its too late to start, if you wanted to. I think Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, and YT Shorts are becoming very popular right now still. Even TT will still be popular for a long while I think, since almost everyone these days has a smartphone. I probably should start posting more now that I'm talking about it, haha.

[Cinnamoroll]

Listen, man. I've seen The Butterfly Effect. Amazing film, by the way. Highly recommend.

Anyways, I understand how changing one small thing can very easily change the trajectory of your future. So, no thanks. I haven't always had it easy, frankly a lot of the time I still don't. But would I go back and change anything? No, I wouldn't.

Every experience and interaction I have had, from the moment I was born, has shaped me and contributed to brain development, including core aspects of who I am. Brain development is a fascinating subject to learn about as well, by the way. A lot of things play into how the brain develops. You'd be surprised at how cognitive development and early healthy and toxic stress and relationships and interactions can affect many other aspects of human development.

So... As much as certain things in the past may have hurt me, or if I made bad decisions... it doesn't really matter at the end of the day. I still wouldn't change it, because then I wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn and grow from these experiences. It would not have helped me become the adult I am. I wouldn't be where and who I am today without it. Everyone has a complex neurological history behind them, whether they realize it or not. We should look at our experience from a wider, holistic (think: all-encompassing) lens. Why bother thinking about what we could have done differently in the past, or people we could have avoided, etc? Instead, we should be thinking about how can we change the world around us going forward? We can't change our pasts. But we can change what is ahead of us, and we can change how we handle and respond to whatever life may throw at us.