If you knew...

I'd probably try at some points but with things like the butterfly effect, there would be no guarantee that what I would do instead would lead to a better outcome and would always have the potential to lead to an even worse outcome.

 

If I knew for a fact, I would probably try to prevent the bad. But, sometimes the bad is accompanied and tethered to good, and are inextricable. For example, knowing you will have a beautiful daughter who will bring you happiness but will die of a disorder that cannot be cured.

I think we as humans would be categorically unable to not change the future-to-be because our knowledge of the future would change the framework that we use to move forward and would lead to minuscule or colossal changes.

 

Interesting question and I'm very torn about how to answer. Can I sit on the fence and say, I don't know? Actually, I'll not sit on the fence because I once had a bad experience doing that. :eek:

The reason I'm finding it difficult is because I quite like the person I am today. All things considered, I don't think I have turned out too bad, but, I am only that person as a result of some of the bad things that I have been forced to confront. If I'd had the power to manipulate and control those things, would I have turned out the way I am? Probably not.

I suppose I have reached a point where I am able to look back on my past and realise that something good emerged from bad events and circumstances. Even though it was hell at the time and I would have happily traded it for something better, there was a life lesson for me and an episode of personal growth and development that followed, and maybe only now has it become fully apparent what it was/is.

So, on balance I suppose I'm saying that it's best to let the cards fall as they will and do your best to work through it, and come to know yourself in the process.

I don't know, maybe the EC philosophers can come up with something better?

 

I would be tempted to accept those amazing powers if I see how my choices influence a lot of other things. For example, I want to make a lot of money when it won't screw me over in other ways

However, life would be less exciting if I knew everything that was gonna happen. For example, would there be much point in watching new anime!? A predictable plot is one thing, but knowing exactly how things turn out... rargh!

TL;DR; nope, but thank you for the offer!

 

Even if we say we wouldn't, when we had the chance most of us would do it without second thoughts.

 

Ahh yes, the old if I knew then what I knew now question.

See experience is a fickle thing, you never have it until after you need it.

In spite of my best efforts to the contrary I am fairly successful. One of the things I know now, is that I am bipolar. I was diagnosed a little over a year ago. On one hand my manic phases have contributed to my success. On the other hand my depressive phases have caused me problems. Including bad grades in school, job loss, and impacted relationships.

I knew something was wrong back in 2000, but I didn't get help until after a suicide attempt last year. So the question is what would have happened if I got help back then. I don't know. Might I have done better in school and been on a different career path. Most defiantly. Would I have liked that career path, I don't know.

Would my relationships be different? One of the symptoms of my manic phases is hyper sexuality. In my normal and depressed phases I am not very sexual. So there is a chance I would have never figured out I was gay. I might be in a relationship with a woman, or I might still be in the closet. One thing for sure, I would not have made the friends I have made.

I do often find myself reflecting on the past and thinking of what might have been. Good news is that I am still young and I could still make what might have been, what will be.

So the question is would I change things? I honestly don't know.

 

If you don't make mistakes, you can't change and grow. That's what worries me...I'd WANT to change the past. Especially in a lot of things. But it could have a negative effect so I do not think about it.

 

Try and do diffrent stuff, butterfly effect as mentioned.

 

I actually don't think it would be like a butterfly effect..at least not that horrible. Shitty things would still happen because they always do but it's unlikely that something gigantic would change.

I wouldn't want to see these things in a regular way because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I'd try to prevent every bad thing from happening which ultimately would stop me from living my life and enjoying the moment. I also believe in learning from mistakes and all that crap..

But: (and here's the giant inevitable but) If that power means that I can kinda look into the future and shows me the consequences of possible actions I'd totally use it to become a superhero.
I mean if you logically think about it there are many things about that plan and power that would be horrible and would probably make my life a living nightmare but...I'm too much of a fangirl to turn down that opportunity.


Speaking of heroes...if you can predict every consequence of your every action ever you could totally change the world in a big way because nothing and noone could stop you since you'll see it coming. So your life would still suck but you could archive something incredible.

Well...if you mean that knowledge the way I took it ie.continuously knowing your future and not just the one path your life would normally take that is useless if you change a major thing.

If it is the latter then I'd probably regret changing things because there would be things that I wouldn't get to experience in this different life that I did in the "original" one but I'd still do it as a sort of demonstration of free will because just following a path I know would make me feel chained down to that one destiny.

...I'm overthinking this way too much,aren't I?

 

Unless someone I adored was at stake of something I can stop, no, I wouldn't change anything. Everything happens for a reason, and aside from the aforementioned preventable loss of a loved one, I have no problems with that. So I might as well let life happen as it does.

 

There are some periods in my life (thankfully they were brief and not many) that I now view as a complete waste and there is a part of me that would like to see those eliminated somehow, but then, there might not have been any way to avert them (even in this hypothetical scenario) and one can't forget that I did indeed learn from them.

 

I hate temporal paradoxes so I'll skip on the offer.

 

It depends I guess on how happy I was with how my life would turn out. I think it would be very difficult for me to re-go through bad times without being tempted to change things, however if I was very content with how life would turn out, then I'd seriously consider re-surviving the bad times without modification.

 

Tbh I'd only go back to the past just to offer younger me advice to let her know.

 

I thing the only ting I would do...Is tell my younger self to stick up for himself. Do not take everything people say to heart. Have the courage to be yourself and defend yourself.

Yes, don't wait till your 40 to find your sword and shield!

 

The thing with this question is that if I knew how my life would turn out, and if I changed it to alter my future as a result, would I know how that life would turn out as well? If so, how many times would I have to change things until coming across a world that I'm happy with? No life truly exists without struggles, so I honestly doubt anyone can ever be satisfied regardless how many outcomes are changed.

What's more is that many important life outcomes can be traced back to small, seemingly insignificant events that occurred several years earlier. So if I changed something small in an attempt to avoid a minor or immediate struggle, wouldn't there be a chance of me destroying the possibility of having a great, life-changing opportunity in the future? I wouldn't want to risk that.

Short answer: I wouldn't change a thing. Too risky.

 

I'd become too obsessed trying to make things ideal, which would either lead to things turning out completely shitty or me not taking the time to actually enjoy life. Sometimes blissful ignorance is better than knowing.

 

Tricky question...

Provided that it isn't one of those situations where you trying to prevent the bad thing is what actually causes the bad thing to occur, then I would do it for some things. If it was something that in the grand scheme of things was actually quite minor (like a relationship that ended badly), then I'd probably let that happen. If it was something absolutely awful, like something horrible happened to my family or something, then I'd do anything to stop it.

So my answer is... It depends? Mistakes or bad relationships and stuff, I'd probably let happen or I'm not going to learn and grow from them. However, awful things that don't have anything good tied to them, I would prevent.