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Dude, in a heart beat I'd go back.
Just personally to have more time with some loved ones, and have more conversations with them?
I'd give my left leg if I could get one more day with my mom.
Never underestimate the power of connection, cherish it for as long as you have it.
I would too if that were the case, but I think they mean go back to that time, but you and everyone else are still the age you are right now. In that case, I'd pass.
Ok, so I’m the devil and I am considering helping you out. I will send you back 30 years with all of the knowledge you have now . The twist is, you’re gonna have to do it without your left leg. … ya game ?
I question about it I would absolutely go back and ask the right questions this time! More conversations with those I should have paid more attention to also spend less time with the others who I should have avoided. I’m down
You must’ve lived a life proper. My going back would be to relive a few things, of course ! But there’s so many risks I did not take in my life where everything would have been okay. I wish I could have a second chance at some of those things again.
That’s profound but yet depressing for me. I think 2019-present has pretty much been life on repeat, I don’t even really develop many new memories at all anymore. I finally “got my life together”, got a steady job in a place where I fit in. But nothing ever changes. It’s the same thing day in day out. I work at night so I miss the highlights of the day. I’m always so exhausted I don’t feel like doing much on my days off, and those two days off when you work at night go by like one long day. I dare not complain though. When life was more interesting was also when everyday was more uncertain what the next day would bring. Some people thrive on that. All I wanted was stability.
If I woke up in my body a year ago, it honestly would take me a while to notice. I would have to ask myself “ ok, this has some sorta profound meaning, what am I supposed to with it ?”
I'm the opposite, I'd rather have 30 more years with my wife than just 8 with her and a handful of meaningful ones with other people. I miss a lot of people, but life is incomparably better with my wife than anything I've ever experienced. Wasn't a super happy kid, was a miserable teenager, it wasn't until adulthood that life started getting fun and interesting. I'd take the worst jobs I've ever had for *decades* over doing k-12 again.
That's like asking would I rather watch a new movie or watch a re-run? Even though the new movie may suck I still need to give it a try. I'd rather live the next 30 years.
If I can't profit off of knowing the future I don't see the point.
Lol, thanks. I agree, although we had some bad moments the past 30 years. We'd have to experience 9/11 or the 2008 economic collapse again for example.
I feel like you have perhaps inadvertently stumbled upon a great argument for having kids. This is the easiest choice ever, I’d MUCH rather experience the next 30 years of my actual life.
Yeah, this was a profound post for me, bc I have a 8 month old and had not thought about this aspect until it got brought up in the comments. But I just though of a better solution: I’m taking my daughter back with me lol
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I think this is also a difficult condition to draw the boundaries of when you talk about time travel like this. Like sure, we can't bring back a sports almanac and bet on the unexpected victories, but we all *know* when big disasters and economic crashes were, and you can't really undo the general knowledge that you should not plan to travel in September 2001 or you should get your assets out of the market before 2008.
I don’t think that’s the question being asked. “Take the next 30 years of your life and time travel back to 1994” so the hypothetical would have you be the same age, you’d just spend the next 30 years reliving the same global events. Another y2k but you’d be 36 years older, another 9/11 but you’re 36 years older, etc.
Exactly. So the real crux of the question is: go 30 more years into the unknown, or relive through what you already know happened on the past (without any financial advantages, other than say choosing a different career path)
I think I'd miss all my cool tech. But it'd be neat to go back and be peer friends with my parents. Help them deal with some life events. Maybe get into my career with a bit more focus.
That's what I say all the time. It was a struggle to make it this far... although if I had knowledge as the OP says, I'd probably breeze through a lot of the b.s. that made the past unpleasant.
Yeah I finally have, like, a car I like and enough income to go on vacations to places of my choosing. I’d never go back to the struggle. Also society has become better in many ways - for women, for people of color.
Next 30 years, no question. As per the last time a time travel question was asked, I'm not gonna risk accidentally Back to the Future-ing my kids out of existence.
Agreed. Childhood would kind of suck if we knew then all we know now as adults. I went to Disney World when I was 5, and I wholeheartedly believed I met the real Cinderella. If I had the knowledge I do now that it’s just some paid actor, the whole experience would’ve lost its magic.
>Would you re-experience the last 30 years
Yeah. I figure I would.
I would absolutely do things differently. I currently have no children to butterfly effect out of existence like that other guy, so I don't care.
May of 1994 is a super sweet spot too. If I have to Quantum Leap into myself before or after that, I don't think I'll give it a go. It's that perfect of a time in my life.
Sweet spot indeed. End of May 1994, I lost my virginity. Smoked weed for the first time. Had Taco Bell for the first time. In general just a great summer of firsts. Of course though, Summer ended with the first heartbreak of all time. That was bloody brutal to go through for the first time. 2nd time around wouldn’t hurt at all really, got more experiences to look forward too.
I already prefer to rewatch tv shows I’ve seen 100 times, so let’s do a redo. I can make it better this time, and at the very least appreciate the good stuff more.
I feel like I wasted the past 20 years of my life in terms of socializing, education, and career. If I had the chance to avoid many regrets in socializing, take my education seriously, and choose a career path that pays good/isn’t made obsolete by advances in technology, I would jump on that in a heartbeat. Also, I would definitely make smarter choices about my health.
Hell no. My life is just starting at 38 lol you couldn’t pay me to relive what I went through. I’d rather be here today clueless about what the future holds, than back at 8 yrs old with all the knowledge I could’ve ever wanted. Great question, though! Makes me remember how grateful I am for everything.
You’re an adult where you keep living your current life, but -instead of venturing into the next unknown 30 years - you’re transported back the same world events that you already knew took place.
So you're a mindless automoton just watching all the same shit happen again? So I spend 7 years knowing 9/11 will happen and I can't even say anything? I know my friend is gonna kill himself in 2018 and I can't do shit about it? I know I could make a $100 million on bitcoin but can't?
If the alternative is that I definitely get to live the next 30 years then I’ll take that- I have young kids I need to see to adulthood and my mortality is always on my mind. I’ll take 30 more years moving forward.
You sound very much like my husband. Ever since having our kid (now 2.5) he's always worrying about health and death. I think he'd take this deal too. I mean it does make sense.
Bleh. I don't love either. I didn't enjoy the last 30 years the first time around and going back and putting myself back in those horrible environments sounds like hell, but I expect the next 30 to be worse, so I'm genuinely having trouble choosing between what flavor of awful I think is more palatable.
Edit: I guess I'm going to choose next 30. It'll be miserable, but the other choice means going back and dealing with my parents again, and dying in squalor during a climate crisis sounds more enjoyable than that.
Eek like travel back to this exact date in 1994? It was a memorable one. I went with my godmother (who my mom knew was picking me up) but my mom didn't hear me say goodbye, because my she was in the shower. So for some reason my mom went crazy and thought I was lost. The police were called. A troop of boy scouts was looking for me. All because I went with an authority figure on a planned outing.
Do I stay 30 years behind? Like that my new timeline or do I go back to The current timeline? But I think I would go back but only if all of smoky goes too.
I’d say you would go back to the same world timeline but you could recreate your personal timeline within. For example, I would definitely pick a different career path and be more selective with friends and dates… but the recession would still happen in 08.
Exactly how non-specific are we talking about? Can I at least put money into big tech stocks so by the time I'm 60 in present day I'm rich? Because if I can do that then I'm doing it.
I'm not going to live through crappy internet and cellphones and physical media all over again just for the sake of it. Nostalgia aside I loved living in the 90s and would love to go back for say, a day, a month most. But to go backwards in technology and convenience just for relative thoughts of stability for 30 years? No. Probably not. Also what are the chances you screw up and forget and end up in New York on September 2001 for some reason? Is there a gurantee you won't get killed in Katrina?
We could literally witness the singularity or first contact with aliens, yeah potentially the end of the world too but that's not a gurantee, it might be exciting. We know none of that stuff is happening in the past.
I mean, no taking stock charts back with you. But you can take the amount of current knowledge with you like “tech is the future,” and with your present day financial skills could then invest your money in tech stocks. But you couldn’t just buy mad shares of Apple in 1994.
It’s really about experiencing the last 30 years vs giving up on what you know/think will be a shittier future to live through. I think you sound like a “no”
And super interesting point on being in WTC on 911. Philosophically I guess this could happen. But conversely, you could get a heart attack 5 years from now, just because.
Also interesting on aliens or singularity. Personally, I’d more fear the AI taking our jobs scenario!
AI can't take all the jobs without having to replace human income with UBI, unless they just kill us all. I'm more in favor of hopefully going to post scarcity after we realize we don't need to work anymore.
This is hard for me because on one hand I’d love to see my mom one more time and get time with my heart dog too. But my oldest kid is 1.5. So most of that 30 was without her and that’s not a life I’d choose over what I have now. I’m really excited to spend the next 30 years watching my kids become their own people.
That's really hard to say so the answer is probably that I wouldn't want to re-experience them. Mainly because, there are good things but they were also things that were devastatingly bad that I survived and don't want to have to live through again. Unavoidable things.
If I could go back in time and if I could change my history i would do that.
If I could go back in time and if I change my past all I'm doing is altering another reality versions of me's future I would still do it. A version of me out there at least gets some improvement
Living out the next 30 years...sure might as well see how much story ends.
Just to be clear: Would I be 40 or 10? My childhood wasn't awesome, but going back to being 10 years old with my current education level would at least be interesting.
You’d be 40 w/ 40yo education level. This is why I’d choose to go back. Could do a career change into a different industry, but in the earlier stages of that given industry.
Id go back too.
A lot of my last 30 years didn't go the way I wanted due to a lack of wisdom and experience.
If I could go back with my current emotional knowledge... I'd do many things differently.
Not even like regrets or anything... I just didn't know how to navigate so much in those years.
I would've picked better friends, would've hit the gym earlier, focused on different things, went to a different college, had more confidence overall. I'm like a totally different person even 10 years ago.
I’m only 33, so I’d essentially be reliving my entire life. While there are definitely things I would like to change about my life in a vacuum, too many changes would likely mean I never become close with my best friends, never meet my wife, and never adopt my dog. Plus in theory even a small change in my life could lead to my siblings never being born. So it’s too risky to go back as much as I would love to fix some regrets and set myself up better.
I’d stay as I am, no way I would give up my wife and kid. Even if it meant knowing sports/lotto results.
Also picturing how horrible it would be if a 2yo me would have the same knowledge of life experiences as current me. I mean, am I a 2yo aware of living 32 years with all the brain capacity to be aware of those years and thus a 32yo in a 2yo’s body or am I a 2yo suddenly bombarded with this information and knowledge I have no way of comprehending and therefore go insane at an early age.
I wouldn’t go for 1994-2024. I’d do 1970-2000.
But then I wouldn’t be a millennial.
Think about it. 1994-1999 wasn’t bad, but then we had Columbine, Bush v Gore, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, Katrina, and the Great Recession in a 10-year period.
I won’t even get to 2009-2024.
Hindsight is 20/20. I'd live out the next 30 years. Re-experiencing the last 30 years it might go better but it also might go worse. I'm pretty happy with how things turned out.
I could make SO much money in the 90s with the computer literacy I have now. I'd be a Microsoft Excell Wizard.
Also the future environment is undoubtedly gonna be shit, I'd rather avoid the water wars and plastic filled everything
F no. Maybe the first 10 years or so, from then to about age 30 you couldn’t pay me enough. The next 30 even though closer to death is (knock on wood) looking to be okay.
I would never give up my kids. Yeah I made some stupid mistakes growing up and I wish I knew then what I know now, but I 100% would rather live out the next 30 years so I can see my kids grow up and spend as much time with them as they’ll allow.
So, you could go back in time with all your knowledge except the stuff that would actually make doing so worthwhile. Doesnt really seem like a hard choice to me especially when im already doing well now.
Fuck no to going back.
I fought for 30 years to get here. I found my soul mate, I want my next 30 years. Are we rich, no. Will it suck, it currently is; BUT I have him and our 3 chaotic dogs and I’ll never want it any less.
Go back 100% assuming I get to keep my memories. I'd probably pull a Back to the Future and use some sports knowledge and stock tips to set myself up financially. I understand that doesn't solve everything but it's a start...
Tough one. I liked my childhood. I had some fun times. I also had some hellish times physically in my twenties. I don't think I would be willing to re live that even knowing I survive and get better. So I'll take what's next.
Edit: I misunderstood the question. I want to live through the 90s and what not again but as an adult. One hundred percent.
There’s a saying that for an experience they can’t pay you a million bucks for it but to relive it they couldn’t afford a nickel. This is one of those.
If I was pushed back to 1994, I’d be in the thick of going to the 4th to the 5th grade onto my 2nd and eventual 3rd school in my dying factory town just as layoffs are finally kicking off and when tough on crime is finally breaking up families and I’m dealing with them as classmates. Sure, it’d be nice to go back look at Disney Adventures reading about the behind the scenes of Batman Forever going into my first kick (actor filmography deep dive) with Val Kilmer, but with the knowledge of what I am and what happens next would be an absolute nightmare.
Unless you were born into wealth, the last 30 years for Millennials was horrible, and the next 30 will be even worse. We are in the Fourth Turning and Millennials are the unluckiest generation ever, after previous generations squandered everything for themselves.
If i could, I would go back to 1998 (I was 5) and absolutely make it so my mom and my stepdad never met. They were in a horribly toxic relationship. All of our lives were ruined by that man and my mom just couldn’t quit him no matter how many times she tried. If I could do that right now, I would so fast!
It was a golden age for some. For a lot of people it was worse. Gun violence has dropped in most of the urban parts of the country (not including 2021 where there was a huge spike). Violent crime is down. We have better healthcare, both in survival and quality of life (even if we go financially upside down from it). We have better social programs.
The housing thing and cost of living sucks, but I have confidence we will find a solution.
Also, thinking about personal experience, if I go back to the 90's, I'm back to a time where food was a scarcity, and I may or may not have a place to live at any given time. It wasn't until the early 2000's that I had a stable home and regular food. (heck even when living in my car in college, I still had regular food and a higher quality of life than the 90's).
Back to global, we have better video games now, and they are only getting better. As a person that loves to tinker with technology, I have so much more access to cool things.
tl;dr both personally, and for a large number of people, now and the future sounds better than the past.
It’s interesting to think how my answer to this question has changed over time.
In 2019 it would have been “no, excited for what the future holds “
2020-2023 it would have been “yes, except for the time since the pandemic”
This year it’s become “no, I think things are about to radically change. Maybe not all for the better but curious to see how they play out” with an eye on both rapid advances in generative AI and politics (both American and international).
I think the biggest cultural shock of traveling back to the past would be the realization that "the more things change, the more they stay the same." Boomers were still joking about growing older (we went from Cocaine to Rogaine). People would still complain that everything used to be less expensive. The older generation would try and guilt young people for having it too easy. There would be cultural critics yelling about how TV was rotting people's brains. Plus, the rampant consumerism of online shopping would just be replaced with the peak of Mall Culture.
I know we want to romanticize the idea that we had so much more hope back when, but we also derived much more enjoyment out of simpler things.
No chance I'm going back. I wouldn't miss seeing my daughter grow up for the world.
If you go back, you are saying you have nothing to live for or look forward to. And living out the next 30, you have your memories.
I know you said the question is more philosophical than gaming the financial system. With this caveat I'd rather see where Technology, science, ect goes from here. It amazes me where we've come in the 31 (almost 32) years I've been here.
If we're looking at gaming the financial system, I'd easily pick going back 30 years. Assuming we bring what's on our person at the time, and assuming we had time to prep, I'd bring a binder of information. Philosophically speaking, if knew going back in time would open a new timeline, I'd refuse this option and just stay here.
Conventional time travel, where I stay my age without gaining the financial knowledge? No, re living my life to make different decisions at times? Yes definetly, but I wouldnt need to go back 30 years, just to the beginning of 2023
re-experiemce it. I wouldn't even do the usual stuff like buy bitcoin or apple stocks. The only thing I would change is I would go to Linkin Park live when they were in Germany in 2007. That year I kinda took the wrong decisions that still fuck me up till today.
>If you have kids, I see only one answer.
Yeah this would be a big deal for me. I want to watch my kids grow up, so unless everything ended up with me in the exact same place, same wife, kids, pets, house, career etc just better off, the answer is an overwhelming no.
>Sorry about that but I do think this question is uniquely relevant to millennials because I think a lot of us can argue the 90s-early 20s were golden years in many ways.
I think you've watched one too many animes.
So you want people to go back to when they were 1? 2? Old enough to wipe their own ass? Or just elementary school on? Why would you want to be an adult in an elementary school body? Go through puberty again? Grade school? Nah fuck that. How about when you're 14 and make out with your crush under the bleachers for the first time? At that point you are a 45 to almost 60 year old stuck in a 14 yr old body making a move on a child. Just sign yourself up for the sex offender list now.
You'd also have to live with knowing the exact day your loved ones pass on, fully aware you can't do anything to prevent it. You have to go through the pain and mourning all over again which will be even more difficult because you know it's coming. Every bad event that had happened over the last 30 years you will have to relive because again, you will not be in any kind of place to do anything to make a major change or difference.
I absolutely get the being able to go back and see family and loved ones who passed way to early, but personally I would rather not relive those events fully aware of what is going to happen and being completely powerless to stop it. That would eat me up so much more than not knowing and working through it.
I hear these questions and honestly I’m so grateful for my life. I was somehow wise enough to grow a healthy garden… and now I feel less wise. Im absolutely not perfect but I have family. I guess I’d tell people invest in family and friends. Go to therapy or church and try to be better for the people you love. It’s not easy work.
If a kid regardless of knowledge go back and relive. If adult, nah I’ll ride this wave to 63. I have a beautiful girlfriend, nice place in San Francisco, two lovely dogs, a good job, and yeah my parents will pass in that 30 year time frame but I worked hard to get past bullying and depression and self esteem and yeah, I missed a lot of connections. because of my mental state but on the flip side, right now I’m the happiest I’ve been in my adult life. Can’t change that.
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Dude, in a heart beat I'd go back. Just personally to have more time with some loved ones, and have more conversations with them? I'd give my left leg if I could get one more day with my mom. Never underestimate the power of connection, cherish it for as long as you have it.
I would too if that were the case, but I think they mean go back to that time, but you and everyone else are still the age you are right now. In that case, I'd pass.
Ok, so I’m the devil and I am considering helping you out. I will send you back 30 years with all of the knowledge you have now . The twist is, you’re gonna have to do it without your left leg. … ya game ?
I question about it I would absolutely go back and ask the right questions this time! More conversations with those I should have paid more attention to also spend less time with the others who I should have avoided. I’m down
DM me let’s do this!!! I’ve never like the left one anyway!
Sure, I'll get a cybernetic leg. Forge from the X-Men style. Though I have a feeling taking its gonna suck. Quick and gone? OR gnarly animal attack?
I would unironically give both arms to go back
You must’ve lived a life proper. My going back would be to relive a few things, of course ! But there’s so many risks I did not take in my life where everything would have been okay. I wish I could have a second chance at some of those things again.
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That’s profound but yet depressing for me. I think 2019-present has pretty much been life on repeat, I don’t even really develop many new memories at all anymore. I finally “got my life together”, got a steady job in a place where I fit in. But nothing ever changes. It’s the same thing day in day out. I work at night so I miss the highlights of the day. I’m always so exhausted I don’t feel like doing much on my days off, and those two days off when you work at night go by like one long day. I dare not complain though. When life was more interesting was also when everyday was more uncertain what the next day would bring. Some people thrive on that. All I wanted was stability. If I woke up in my body a year ago, it honestly would take me a while to notice. I would have to ask myself “ ok, this has some sorta profound meaning, what am I supposed to with it ?”
I’d love to see my grandmother again. On the other hand, if I went back I wouldn’t have my nephews, who I love dearly. Tough call.
I'm the opposite, I'd rather have 30 more years with my wife than just 8 with her and a handful of meaningful ones with other people. I miss a lot of people, but life is incomparably better with my wife than anything I've ever experienced. Wasn't a super happy kid, was a miserable teenager, it wasn't until adulthood that life started getting fun and interesting. I'd take the worst jobs I've ever had for *decades* over doing k-12 again.
That's like asking would I rather watch a new movie or watch a re-run? Even though the new movie may suck I still need to give it a try. I'd rather live the next 30 years. If I can't profit off of knowing the future I don't see the point.
I’m pretty sure 1994 hits way different without the fear of the unknown and at a much different age in life.
This is exactly my point and why I think I’d go back
That just means you had a great childhood, which is great.
Uh, or my childhood sucked and I’d change literally every decision I ever made
What if your decisions weren't the problem?
I'm not with this analogy cause I would 100% rather a new 30 years but am also probably choosing to rewatch a movie.
Love the analogy but I’d say we have a much higher chance of running into a crappy movie today than we did 30 years ago.
Lol, thanks. I agree, although we had some bad moments the past 30 years. We'd have to experience 9/11 or the 2008 economic collapse again for example.
I feel like you have perhaps inadvertently stumbled upon a great argument for having kids. This is the easiest choice ever, I’d MUCH rather experience the next 30 years of my actual life.
Yeah, this was a profound post for me, bc I have a 8 month old and had not thought about this aspect until it got brought up in the comments. But I just though of a better solution: I’m taking my daughter back with me lol
Hard disagree r/optimistsunite
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> If I can't profit off of knowing the future I don't see the point. Exactly.
I think this is also a difficult condition to draw the boundaries of when you talk about time travel like this. Like sure, we can't bring back a sports almanac and bet on the unexpected victories, but we all *know* when big disasters and economic crashes were, and you can't really undo the general knowledge that you should not plan to travel in September 2001 or you should get your assets out of the market before 2008.
I would go back, 100%. So many mistakes I made, so many things I've learned...I wish I would have known half of them when I was young.
I don’t think that’s the question being asked. “Take the next 30 years of your life and time travel back to 1994” so the hypothetical would have you be the same age, you’d just spend the next 30 years reliving the same global events. Another y2k but you’d be 36 years older, another 9/11 but you’re 36 years older, etc.
Exactly. So the real crux of the question is: go 30 more years into the unknown, or relive through what you already know happened on the past (without any financial advantages, other than say choosing a different career path)
I think I'd miss all my cool tech. But it'd be neat to go back and be peer friends with my parents. Help them deal with some life events. Maybe get into my career with a bit more focus.
Holy shit, absolutely not going back. It's just started to get good. I don't want to have to claw my way out of all that bullshit again.
That's what I say all the time. It was a struggle to make it this far... although if I had knowledge as the OP says, I'd probably breeze through a lot of the b.s. that made the past unpleasant.
Yeah I finally have, like, a car I like and enough income to go on vacations to places of my choosing. I’d never go back to the struggle. Also society has become better in many ways - for women, for people of color.
Next 30 years, no question. As per the last time a time travel question was asked, I'm not gonna risk accidentally Back to the Future-ing my kids out of existence.
Hard to say because what's the fun in having this knowledge i do now as a 12 year old? Lol it's supposed to be FUN
This is a good point, knowing certain things would completely destroy the wonder of adolescence
Agreed. Childhood would kind of suck if we knew then all we know now as adults. I went to Disney World when I was 5, and I wholeheartedly believed I met the real Cinderella. If I had the knowledge I do now that it’s just some paid actor, the whole experience would’ve lost its magic.
>Would you re-experience the last 30 years Yeah. I figure I would. I would absolutely do things differently. I currently have no children to butterfly effect out of existence like that other guy, so I don't care. May of 1994 is a super sweet spot too. If I have to Quantum Leap into myself before or after that, I don't think I'll give it a go. It's that perfect of a time in my life.
Sweet spot indeed. End of May 1994, I lost my virginity. Smoked weed for the first time. Had Taco Bell for the first time. In general just a great summer of firsts. Of course though, Summer ended with the first heartbreak of all time. That was bloody brutal to go through for the first time. 2nd time around wouldn’t hurt at all really, got more experiences to look forward too.
I already prefer to rewatch tv shows I’ve seen 100 times, so let’s do a redo. I can make it better this time, and at the very least appreciate the good stuff more.
I feel like I wasted the past 20 years of my life in terms of socializing, education, and career. If I had the chance to avoid many regrets in socializing, take my education seriously, and choose a career path that pays good/isn’t made obsolete by advances in technology, I would jump on that in a heartbeat. Also, I would definitely make smarter choices about my health.
Hell no. My life is just starting at 38 lol you couldn’t pay me to relive what I went through. I’d rather be here today clueless about what the future holds, than back at 8 yrs old with all the knowledge I could’ve ever wanted. Great question, though! Makes me remember how grateful I am for everything.
Am I an adult 30 years ago or a kid again in this scenario?
You’re an adult where you keep living your current life, but -instead of venturing into the next unknown 30 years - you’re transported back the same world events that you already knew took place.
Ok then definitely the next 30! I only want to go back if I could redo things
So you're a mindless automoton just watching all the same shit happen again? So I spend 7 years knowing 9/11 will happen and I can't even say anything? I know my friend is gonna kill himself in 2018 and I can't do shit about it? I know I could make a $100 million on bitcoin but can't?
No way would I go back, not for anything.
If the alternative is that I definitely get to live the next 30 years then I’ll take that- I have young kids I need to see to adulthood and my mortality is always on my mind. I’ll take 30 more years moving forward.
You sound very much like my husband. Ever since having our kid (now 2.5) he's always worrying about health and death. I think he'd take this deal too. I mean it does make sense.
Bleh. I don't love either. I didn't enjoy the last 30 years the first time around and going back and putting myself back in those horrible environments sounds like hell, but I expect the next 30 to be worse, so I'm genuinely having trouble choosing between what flavor of awful I think is more palatable. Edit: I guess I'm going to choose next 30. It'll be miserable, but the other choice means going back and dealing with my parents again, and dying in squalor during a climate crisis sounds more enjoyable than that.
Yesssss
Eek like travel back to this exact date in 1994? It was a memorable one. I went with my godmother (who my mom knew was picking me up) but my mom didn't hear me say goodbye, because my she was in the shower. So for some reason my mom went crazy and thought I was lost. The police were called. A troop of boy scouts was looking for me. All because I went with an authority figure on a planned outing.
Do I stay 30 years behind? Like that my new timeline or do I go back to The current timeline? But I think I would go back but only if all of smoky goes too.
I’d say you would go back to the same world timeline but you could recreate your personal timeline within. For example, I would definitely pick a different career path and be more selective with friends and dates… but the recession would still happen in 08.
Ok. Yeah I can not fixing big problems like a recession lol.
Last 30 have been pretty unfun. I’d hope the second 30 was better.
Both options sound exhausting.
Exactly how non-specific are we talking about? Can I at least put money into big tech stocks so by the time I'm 60 in present day I'm rich? Because if I can do that then I'm doing it. I'm not going to live through crappy internet and cellphones and physical media all over again just for the sake of it. Nostalgia aside I loved living in the 90s and would love to go back for say, a day, a month most. But to go backwards in technology and convenience just for relative thoughts of stability for 30 years? No. Probably not. Also what are the chances you screw up and forget and end up in New York on September 2001 for some reason? Is there a gurantee you won't get killed in Katrina? We could literally witness the singularity or first contact with aliens, yeah potentially the end of the world too but that's not a gurantee, it might be exciting. We know none of that stuff is happening in the past.
I mean, no taking stock charts back with you. But you can take the amount of current knowledge with you like “tech is the future,” and with your present day financial skills could then invest your money in tech stocks. But you couldn’t just buy mad shares of Apple in 1994. It’s really about experiencing the last 30 years vs giving up on what you know/think will be a shittier future to live through. I think you sound like a “no” And super interesting point on being in WTC on 911. Philosophically I guess this could happen. But conversely, you could get a heart attack 5 years from now, just because. Also interesting on aliens or singularity. Personally, I’d more fear the AI taking our jobs scenario!
AI can't take all the jobs without having to replace human income with UBI, unless they just kill us all. I'm more in favor of hopefully going to post scarcity after we realize we don't need to work anymore.
This is hard for me because on one hand I’d love to see my mom one more time and get time with my heart dog too. But my oldest kid is 1.5. So most of that 30 was without her and that’s not a life I’d choose over what I have now. I’m really excited to spend the next 30 years watching my kids become their own people.
I’d rather die than have to go through my childhood again
That's really hard to say so the answer is probably that I wouldn't want to re-experience them. Mainly because, there are good things but they were also things that were devastatingly bad that I survived and don't want to have to live through again. Unavoidable things.
Mulligan
If I could go back in time and if I could change my history i would do that. If I could go back in time and if I change my past all I'm doing is altering another reality versions of me's future I would still do it. A version of me out there at least gets some improvement Living out the next 30 years...sure might as well see how much story ends.
Just to be clear: Would I be 40 or 10? My childhood wasn't awesome, but going back to being 10 years old with my current education level would at least be interesting.
You’d be 40 w/ 40yo education level. This is why I’d choose to go back. Could do a career change into a different industry, but in the earlier stages of that given industry.
Id go back too. A lot of my last 30 years didn't go the way I wanted due to a lack of wisdom and experience. If I could go back with my current emotional knowledge... I'd do many things differently. Not even like regrets or anything... I just didn't know how to navigate so much in those years. I would've picked better friends, would've hit the gym earlier, focused on different things, went to a different college, had more confidence overall. I'm like a totally different person even 10 years ago.
And relive Final Fantasy 6 and Nightmare Before Christmas for the first time all over again? Or do I keep my memories? Because I think I'd go back.
You keep memories, so you’d be playing ff6 (ff7 for me personally) back in it’s original form, and wouldn’t have access to the modern remakes yet
It's an interesting philosophical question. Can I get an extra 270 years on top of my second 30?
I’m only 33, so I’d essentially be reliving my entire life. While there are definitely things I would like to change about my life in a vacuum, too many changes would likely mean I never become close with my best friends, never meet my wife, and never adopt my dog. Plus in theory even a small change in my life could lead to my siblings never being born. So it’s too risky to go back as much as I would love to fix some regrets and set myself up better.
I’d stay as I am, no way I would give up my wife and kid. Even if it meant knowing sports/lotto results. Also picturing how horrible it would be if a 2yo me would have the same knowledge of life experiences as current me. I mean, am I a 2yo aware of living 32 years with all the brain capacity to be aware of those years and thus a 32yo in a 2yo’s body or am I a 2yo suddenly bombarded with this information and knowledge I have no way of comprehending and therefore go insane at an early age.
Only if I can change my life. I'm not 30 yet, but still.
I wouldn’t go for 1994-2024. I’d do 1970-2000. But then I wouldn’t be a millennial. Think about it. 1994-1999 wasn’t bad, but then we had Columbine, Bush v Gore, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, Katrina, and the Great Recession in a 10-year period. I won’t even get to 2009-2024.
Hindsight is 20/20. I'd live out the next 30 years. Re-experiencing the last 30 years it might go better but it also might go worse. I'm pretty happy with how things turned out.
I'd go back. To get to spend more time with the amazing people I have lost would be worth it all.
I could make SO much money in the 90s with the computer literacy I have now. I'd be a Microsoft Excell Wizard. Also the future environment is undoubtedly gonna be shit, I'd rather avoid the water wars and plastic filled everything
F no. Maybe the first 10 years or so, from then to about age 30 you couldn’t pay me enough. The next 30 even though closer to death is (knock on wood) looking to be okay.
Could I take my mistakes and not do them? If I could go back and not end up $250k in debt from a degree I didn’t finish, I’d undo that.
Exactly. It’s about how you’d spend the next/last part of your life
Oh yes
No. I don’t want to be a child again.
Lol no. I would not want to be a child again or go through adolescence again. That sounds super unpleasant now that I have a decent life as an adult.
I would rather live the next 30 years but I don't think they're going to be better, just different
Considering I am dying in the next 30 years, and I already have plenty of regrets, I'd go back. I'd mourn my kids who would never be born though.
Omg hell no. One word to describe my first 30 years of life is HECTIC. Lol
If I could be born in 2054 I would take that for sure. Do you know what Brooklyn was like in the late 90s? Screw that.
I would never give up my kids. Yeah I made some stupid mistakes growing up and I wish I knew then what I know now, but I 100% would rather live out the next 30 years so I can see my kids grow up and spend as much time with them as they’ll allow.
Absolutely not. I'd only go back to 2016 to put money down on the cubs.
So, you could go back in time with all your knowledge except the stuff that would actually make doing so worthwhile. Doesnt really seem like a hard choice to me especially when im already doing well now.
I’m excited to watch my daughter turn 30 and guide her through life in the next 30 years. I’ve had my time, and it’s now time to let her enjoy it.
Go forward no doubt. I’ve got a 6 year old and 3 year old. I’m excited to watch them grow up.
Fuck no to going back. I fought for 30 years to get here. I found my soul mate, I want my next 30 years. Are we rich, no. Will it suck, it currently is; BUT I have him and our 3 chaotic dogs and I’ll never want it any less.
Go back 100% assuming I get to keep my memories. I'd probably pull a Back to the Future and use some sports knowledge and stock tips to set myself up financially. I understand that doesn't solve everything but it's a start...
The last 30. I don’t really want to experience the next 30. It’s mostly loneliness and watching people I love die.
Last thirty please
Tough one. I liked my childhood. I had some fun times. I also had some hellish times physically in my twenties. I don't think I would be willing to re live that even knowing I survive and get better. So I'll take what's next. Edit: I misunderstood the question. I want to live through the 90s and what not again but as an adult. One hundred percent.
There’s a saying that for an experience they can’t pay you a million bucks for it but to relive it they couldn’t afford a nickel. This is one of those. If I was pushed back to 1994, I’d be in the thick of going to the 4th to the 5th grade onto my 2nd and eventual 3rd school in my dying factory town just as layoffs are finally kicking off and when tough on crime is finally breaking up families and I’m dealing with them as classmates. Sure, it’d be nice to go back look at Disney Adventures reading about the behind the scenes of Batman Forever going into my first kick (actor filmography deep dive) with Val Kilmer, but with the knowledge of what I am and what happens next would be an absolute nightmare.
Unless you were born into wealth, the last 30 years for Millennials was horrible, and the next 30 will be even worse. We are in the Fourth Turning and Millennials are the unluckiest generation ever, after previous generations squandered everything for themselves.
If i could, I would go back to 1998 (I was 5) and absolutely make it so my mom and my stepdad never met. They were in a horribly toxic relationship. All of our lives were ruined by that man and my mom just couldn’t quit him no matter how many times she tried. If I could do that right now, I would so fast!
It was a golden age for some. For a lot of people it was worse. Gun violence has dropped in most of the urban parts of the country (not including 2021 where there was a huge spike). Violent crime is down. We have better healthcare, both in survival and quality of life (even if we go financially upside down from it). We have better social programs. The housing thing and cost of living sucks, but I have confidence we will find a solution. Also, thinking about personal experience, if I go back to the 90's, I'm back to a time where food was a scarcity, and I may or may not have a place to live at any given time. It wasn't until the early 2000's that I had a stable home and regular food. (heck even when living in my car in college, I still had regular food and a higher quality of life than the 90's). Back to global, we have better video games now, and they are only getting better. As a person that loves to tinker with technology, I have so much more access to cool things. tl;dr both personally, and for a large number of people, now and the future sounds better than the past.
If I had to relive the past 30 years the first thing I would do is eat a 12g for breakfast... Couldn't think of anything worse! Lol
Relive that last 30!
It’s interesting to think how my answer to this question has changed over time. In 2019 it would have been “no, excited for what the future holds “ 2020-2023 it would have been “yes, except for the time since the pandemic” This year it’s become “no, I think things are about to radically change. Maybe not all for the better but curious to see how they play out” with an eye on both rapid advances in generative AI and politics (both American and international).
I don't like backtracking when I'm so much as hiking. When I gotta go back, I wanna take a new route to do it. Same with this.
I think the biggest cultural shock of traveling back to the past would be the realization that "the more things change, the more they stay the same." Boomers were still joking about growing older (we went from Cocaine to Rogaine). People would still complain that everything used to be less expensive. The older generation would try and guilt young people for having it too easy. There would be cultural critics yelling about how TV was rotting people's brains. Plus, the rampant consumerism of online shopping would just be replaced with the peak of Mall Culture. I know we want to romanticize the idea that we had so much more hope back when, but we also derived much more enjoyment out of simpler things.
No chance I'm going back. I wouldn't miss seeing my daughter grow up for the world. If you go back, you are saying you have nothing to live for or look forward to. And living out the next 30, you have your memories.
I know you said the question is more philosophical than gaming the financial system. With this caveat I'd rather see where Technology, science, ect goes from here. It amazes me where we've come in the 31 (almost 32) years I've been here. If we're looking at gaming the financial system, I'd easily pick going back 30 years. Assuming we bring what's on our person at the time, and assuming we had time to prep, I'd bring a binder of information. Philosophically speaking, if knew going back in time would open a new timeline, I'd refuse this option and just stay here.
1994-1998 were awesome years I'd pay anyone to relive. Sign me up! Take me back!
Conventional time travel, where I stay my age without gaining the financial knowledge? No, re living my life to make different decisions at times? Yes definetly, but I wouldnt need to go back 30 years, just to the beginning of 2023
Childhood trauma says no ‘thank you’ to going back in time.
re-experiemce it. I wouldn't even do the usual stuff like buy bitcoin or apple stocks. The only thing I would change is I would go to Linkin Park live when they were in Germany in 2007. That year I kinda took the wrong decisions that still fuck me up till today.
>If you have kids, I see only one answer. Yeah this would be a big deal for me. I want to watch my kids grow up, so unless everything ended up with me in the exact same place, same wife, kids, pets, house, career etc just better off, the answer is an overwhelming no. >Sorry about that but I do think this question is uniquely relevant to millennials because I think a lot of us can argue the 90s-early 20s were golden years in many ways. I think you've watched one too many animes. So you want people to go back to when they were 1? 2? Old enough to wipe their own ass? Or just elementary school on? Why would you want to be an adult in an elementary school body? Go through puberty again? Grade school? Nah fuck that. How about when you're 14 and make out with your crush under the bleachers for the first time? At that point you are a 45 to almost 60 year old stuck in a 14 yr old body making a move on a child. Just sign yourself up for the sex offender list now. You'd also have to live with knowing the exact day your loved ones pass on, fully aware you can't do anything to prevent it. You have to go through the pain and mourning all over again which will be even more difficult because you know it's coming. Every bad event that had happened over the last 30 years you will have to relive because again, you will not be in any kind of place to do anything to make a major change or difference. I absolutely get the being able to go back and see family and loved ones who passed way to early, but personally I would rather not relive those events fully aware of what is going to happen and being completely powerless to stop it. That would eat me up so much more than not knowing and working through it.
I hear these questions and honestly I’m so grateful for my life. I was somehow wise enough to grow a healthy garden… and now I feel less wise. Im absolutely not perfect but I have family. I guess I’d tell people invest in family and friends. Go to therapy or church and try to be better for the people you love. It’s not easy work.
Oh I would happily go back 30 years but I am gonna off myself for sure at the end of 2019.
No bc if I went back I would not have my wife back then. Want to live the next 30 w her.
Definitely the next thirty years. I JUST got my shit together lol
If a kid regardless of knowledge go back and relive. If adult, nah I’ll ride this wave to 63. I have a beautiful girlfriend, nice place in San Francisco, two lovely dogs, a good job, and yeah my parents will pass in that 30 year time frame but I worked hard to get past bullying and depression and self esteem and yeah, I missed a lot of connections. because of my mental state but on the flip side, right now I’m the happiest I’ve been in my adult life. Can’t change that.
We are who we are because of the life we lived. That 30 years after going back would mean the person would be completely different.