Poll: Restart life with current knowledge or large cash sum now?

It’d be interesting to redo parts of high school and college. But I think it’d be 99% boring and redundant vs the 1% worth reliving. It’s like cool I get to redo the undergrad parties, but first I have 12 years of living at home, having a bedtime, doing elementary schoolwork, etc. 
 

posted by friendfromlowry

It’d be interesting to redo parts of high school and college. But I think it’d be 99% boring and redundant vs the 1% worth reliving. It’s like cool I get to redo the undergrad parties, but first I have 12 years of living at home, having a bedtime, doing elementary schoolwork, etc. 
 

I'd be real thrilled to be living through flu, bronchitis, walking pneumonia and whatever other respiratory shit I went through in elementary school for a second time!

If we are not going back in time, I will take the cash in a heartbeat.  If we are going back in time, I would take that red pill easily.  Pull some back to the future II shit.

I'm going back in time for sure. See my grandma and grandpa again and not get so hung up on stupid shit that doesn't matter. I'm also going to fuck a lot of bitches. Lol 

posted by FatHobbit

I'm going back in time for sure. See my grandma and grandpa again and not get so hung up on stupid shit that doesn't matter. I'm also going to fuck a lot of bitches. Lol 

Maybe I missed it, but you don’t go back in time. You just become 6. Everyone you know remains the same age/dead. Have to remake friends. Don’t know future so can’t get rich. You just get to start over as someone who is smart as fuck. 
 

There is literally zero that is appealing about that. 

I'd propose these three scenarios:

A) Go back in time to being five years old. Everything and everyone is exactly the same as when you were originally five years old. But you have all the knowledge then as you do now.

B) Go back in time to being fifteen years old, but everything else in the present remains the same. Let's say you're basically going back to the first day of school your freshmen year. Same knowledge concept applies as scenario A. 

C) No time travel, everything stays the same for you right now, you just get two million dollars. It's obviously life changing money, but it's not going to go buy you a mansion in Los Angeles for example, either. 

posted by friendfromlowry

I'd propose these three scenarios:

A) Go back in time to being five years old. Everything and everyone is exactly the same as when you were originally five years old. But you have all the knowledge then as you do now.

B) Go back in time to being fifteen years old, but everything else in the present remains the same. Let's say you're basically going back to the first day of school your freshmen year. Same knowledge concept applies as scenario A. 

C) No time travel, everything stays the same for you right now, you just get two million dollars. It's obviously life changing money, but it's not going to go buy you a mansion in Los Angeles for example, either. 

These are better. I immediately eliminate anything where I have to make new friends, so freshman year is out. But only $2M makes the 5 year old option better.

posted by friendfromlowry

I'd propose these three scenarios:

A) Go back in time to being five years old. Everything and everyone is exactly the same as when you were originally five years old. But you have all the knowledge then as you do now.

B) Go back in time to being fifteen years old, but everything else in the present remains the same. Let's say you're basically going back to the first day of school your freshmen year. Same knowledge concept applies as scenario A. 

C) No time travel, everything stays the same for you right now, you just get two million dollars. It's obviously life changing money, but it's not going to go buy you a mansion in Los Angeles for example, either. 

B

I know when to buy into bitcoin, and I know when to sell.

I can clear 9 figures with a single minimum wage paycheck.

posted by O-Trap

B

I know when to buy into bitcoin, and I know when to sell.

I can clear 9 figures with a single minimum wage paycheck.

Is all that money worth not knowing a single person? No friends or family? 

posted by Laley23

Is all that money worth not knowing a single person? No friends or family? 

The above example didn't mention that.  Just that I'd be going back to 15 years old with everything else remaining the same.

posted by O-Trap

The above example didn't mention that.  Just that I'd be going back to 15 years old with everything else remaining the same.

I read it as scenario A everyone goes back in time with you. Scenario B, just you go back. Everyone else stays in present.

I don't see the drawback of schooling as a 6 year old with adult knowledge.  Doogie Howser those years, I imagine that you could get a college degree on scholarship, start a career with no tuition debt, make bank and spend weekends with your friends who are slugging thru school.

I'd also like my joints that I had as a youth along with an inner ear, and better vision. 

posted by Laley23

I read it as scenario A everyone goes back in time with you. Scenario B, just you go back. Everyone else stays in present.

That’s how I intended it. Basically scenario A you go back to whatever year it was when you were five years old but you have the knowledge and experience of your current age and life. Your family and friends are exactly how they were in that year also. 
 

Scenario B you don’t know anyone. Say you just got adopted into a new family and you’re starting over in a new school. At first I was thinking it’d be 2020 but you’d lose the advantage of current knowledge/experience so I guess go back to whatever year it was when you were fifteen years old. 

posted by friendfromlowry

That’s how I intended it. Basically scenario A you go back to whatever year it was when you were five years old but you have the knowledge and experience of your current age and life. Your family and friends are exactly how they were in that year also. 
 

Scenario B you don’t know anyone. Say you just got adopted into a new family and you’re starting over in a new school. At first I was thinking it’d be 2020 but you’d lose the advantage of current knowledge/experience so I guess go back to whatever year it was when you were fifteen years old. 

Ah.  My mistake.

Fuck that.  I'll go with Option A.  I can wait the extra ten years.

posted by Verbal Kint

I'd also like my joints that I had as a youth along with an inner ear, and better vision. 

This.  Reminds me of "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" where the main character is 83, arthritic and in pain each day - and finds those aches go away when he goes back in time to his youth.. 

Some also mentioned not wanting to go thru the drama and turmoil of those early years - but if you have your current knowledge (and presumably the accompanying maturity and wisdom), wouldn't you be better able to anticipate situations and deal with them more successfully?  

posted by Zunardo

This.  Reminds me of "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" where the main character is 83, arthritic and in pain each day - and finds those aches go away when he goes back in time to his youth.. 

Some also mentioned not wanting to go thru the drama and turmoil of those early years - but if you have your current knowledge (and presumably the accompanying maturity and wisdom), wouldn't you be better able to anticipate situations and deal with them more successfully?  

I think that'd make it worse. You're there with an adult's knowledge and whatever maturity and wisdom you developed AND have knowledge of anything big happening over however many years, but because you're in the body of a child, it's not like you'd be taken seriously when you're trying to give your parents stock tips. It'd be more like "Awww, our little boy likes eating apples so much he wants us to buy stock in Apple! That's so cute...now go to your room and read one of your Little Golden Books while we finish our grown-up work."

And having already gone through school once, it'd be pure hell to do that again, having to sit still and listen to lectures daily for year after year, knowing that I have to endure it all over again with a smile because if I start letting my true feelings through, I'll be getting that "troublesome" stigma and those years of re-youth will be pure hell simply because I don't have the patience to put up with the "not in actual control" aspects of going back to a day when I was a legal dependent who had to follow all the frivolous rules that children are forced to deal with.

posted by Heretic

I think that'd make it worse. You're there with an adult's knowledge and whatever maturity and wisdom you developed AND have knowledge of anything big happening over however many years, but because you're in the body of a child, it's not like you'd be taken seriously when you're trying to give your parents stock tips. It'd be more like "Awww, our little boy likes eating apples so much he wants us to buy stock in Apple! That's so cute...now go to your room and read one of your Little Golden Books while we finish our grown-up work."

This made me think about tragedies. You get a chance to relive 2001 -- are you preventing 9/11? Obvious answer is Yes, I'd want to. But how? 

posted by Heretic

I think that'd make it worse. You're there with an adult's knowledge and whatever maturity and wisdom you developed AND have knowledge of anything big happening over however many years, but because you're in the body of a child, it's not like you'd be taken seriously when you're trying to give your parents stock tips. It'd be more like "Awww, our little boy likes eating apples so much he wants us to buy stock in Apple! That's so cute...now go to your room and read one of your Little Golden Books while we finish our grown-up work."

And having already gone through school once, it'd be pure hell to do that again, having to sit still and listen to lectures daily for year after year, knowing that I have to endure it all over again with a smile because if I start letting my true feelings through, I'll be getting that "troublesome" stigma and those years of re-youth will be pure hell simply because I don't have the patience to put up with the "not in actual control" aspects of going back to a day when I was a legal dependent who had to follow all the frivolous rules that children are forced to deal with.

Yes, it would be a mental adjustment to overcome.  Probably depend on the individual.  I think I could learn to deal the negatives you've listed, just keep busy with finding more things to learn and do

.Actually it would be very cool to see all of the Golden Books I used to have once again..  I've managed to hang onto half of them over the years. :)

posted by friendfromlowry

This made me think about tragedies. You get a chance to relive 2001 -- are you preventing 9/11? Obvious answer is Yes, I'd want to. But how? 

The Yellow Card Man would try to stop you.

i'd need about tree fiddy.