A conversation with my past-self

Summary

The article contemplates a hypothetical conversation with one's past self, exploring the implications of time travel on personal growth and the potential to alter one's life path.

Abstract

The author of the article invites readers to imagine using a time machine to speak with their 7-year-old self, pondering whether they would share future experiences, including hardships and regrets. Drawing inspiration from a television series episode where an older woman meets her younger self, the author reflects on the potential impact of revealing life's outcomes to one's younger self, such as the pain of a broken engagement or the possibility of preventing a family tragedy. The article raises concerns about the consequences of changing past events, as illustrated by the grandfather paradox, and suggests that such interference could lead to becoming a different, possibly worse, person. Ultimately, the author decides that if given the chance to meet their younger self, they would choose to remain an anonymous observer, aiming to understand past actions to improve in the future and possibly rekindle forgotten childhood dreams. The author emphasizes the importance of preserving the journey of life without spoilers, much like the disdain for spoilers in movies or books.

Opinions

The author believes that time travel could be an opportunity for self-reflection and personal growth rather than a means to alter the past.
There is a strong opinion against revealing one's future to the past self, as it would disrupt the natural course of life and potentially lead to a less desirable outcome.
The article suggests that our current selves are shaped by past experiences, and changing them could fundamentally transform our identity.
The author expresses a personal preference for being a silent observer of one's past, gaining insight without direct interference.
The author values the element of surprise and the natural progression of experiences, equating spoiling one's own life story to ruining a movie or book.
The article questions whether readers would take the risk of changing their entire life trajectory and potentially disrupting the space-time continuum through a conversation with their past self.

What would you say to yours?

Have you ever thought about talking to you as a kid? Yeah I know, that’s impossible. But what if it weren’t? Let’s use our imagination for a while.

I don’t know how old you are right now while reading this but if you have a Medium account you must be older than 18, right? So you’re not a kid anymore but you once were.

Imagine you could find a time machine, go back in time, and talk to you at the age of 7. Would you talk about your future? The pitfalls, mistakes, regrets?

I was watching an episode of a tv series a few days ago and this was the plot of the episode. I’m not going to mention which one so I don’t spoil for anyone, but the moment that we find out that the older woman and the little girl are the same person is interesting.

I’ve always thought that time traveling would be fun but I never stopped to consider how I would react seeing myself as a kid.

Would I tell my younger self that everything was going to be okay at my dad’s funeral?

Should I come clean that the first girl I proposed would later call off the wedding? I would have saved some money, that’s for sure.

Could I have stopped my brother from a near-death experience?

Aren’t we the result of our past experiences?

What if we change the outcome as the grandfather paradox shows us in hundreds of time travel movies? What if we become different people? What if we become worse people?

After thinking for a while and almost considering not going back in time if I had the chance, I found the solution. If I had the opportunity to go back and talk to my younger self I would not reveal who I was. I would be only an observer of time. I would try to understand my actions at that time so I can be a better person in the future.

Maybe recover some dreams lost in the fires of life. I know I didn't want to be a writer as a kid but I'm glad I did. I know I wanted different things, so maybe I can go after some of those childhood dreams that every kid has.

My answer to my own question is that I would try to have a conversation with no spoilers. Like I said before, I wouldn't reveal myself as me. I'd be just a wanderer sharing pieces of wisdom.

I hate spoilers. Even when I'm watching a movie or reading a book, and someone spoils the ending, I get really mad and frustrated about it. I can't believe one's so evil that could take this experience away from me. I would hate myself for ruining the great journey of life for myself.

What about you? What would you say to you in the past? Would you risk changing it all? Would you be bold enough to maybe crack the space-time continuum because of one conversation?

Think about it.