Personal Growth and Time Travel

A lot of us, whether we love time travel or not, have uttered the phrase, "If only I could go back and time and tell myself..." You can fill in that blank spot with whatever you like (knowledge about soon-to-be exes, knowledge and who you could have made a potential ex, winning lotto numbers, etc.). This idea shakes some of us to our very core and has become the premise for some of the greatest movies/TV shows. A lot of these movies and shows avoid this simple idea by claiming the world will end if the time traveler where ever to meet a future or past version of his/herself.

Since we don't know much about time travel, lets assume that there is a possibility that the world-exploding-when-meeting-yourself situation doesn't actually happen. Now take an average scenario that everyone wishes they could change, something like asking out the person you had a crush on when you in high school (having found out sometime later that they had a crush on you too). There are a few possible scenarios as to what could happen:

• Nothing (The Grandfather Paradox) - Nothing would have changed at all. Your life would basically follow the same course of events. This can lead to being massively unfulfilled.  

• Minor Change - There might be some change, but it would be hardly noticeable. There would be question if the trip was actually real. While this might somewhat unsettling, it may be uplifting.  

• Major Change - You would wake up and everything around you would look entirely different. Your wife would be someone else, your kids would be different, you might have a turtle instead of a bird. The massive downside to this would be an entirely different set of facts to have to relearn and memorize. If your old significant other was pissy that you never remembered an anniversary, think how shitty the new one will be if you hadn't ever forgotten one before. This is similar to the end of Back to the Future. 

Now those potential outcomes are all well and good, but now lets think of the actual meeting. Let us look at ourselves now and then reflect on how we were back then. By nearly any account one, whether it is past or present, is better than the other. Would your younger self actually listen or be a punk? Would/Could you stand talking to your younger self? This is what would make changing one's own timeline a pain in the butt.



Just Remember: If you aren't happy with how your life is now, change it now. Don't focus on how something several years ago may have impacted your current mood.


-Future_Man_3000


P.S. - If you have any questions you want answered, feel free to contact me by email: futureman3000@yahoo.com