If you could go back in time and be 18 years old again, with no guarantee of having the life you have right now. Would you do it?

[fivenonrouses]

Just that really. Would you?

The prospect to me would sound very tempting. Undoing the many mistakes I made. Being more serious about my education. Enjoying uni, the fun of being in halls with my friends, and being completely care free.

Youth is wasted on the young, sometimes!

Yes.

I’ve got a great life and I love everyone in it but I’ve learned a lot and if I had the chance to go again, knowing what I know, yes I would.

No because I would grieve for my children
BUT I would like to “step in” to that life, play it like a game, with the knowledge I have now. And when I got bored or had enough, step back to my real life (and no time has passed).

No way.

Pretty happy with my life and no regrets apart from eating too much cheese and chips.

Yes, I was in many ways incredibly happy at 18, and it was the mid 90s. I would take the chance of whatever might unfold differently thereafter.

In the ideal world there are things I would change, but not to the extent it'd change the life I have now. We're just ordinary people with an average house, but I appreciate what I've got and am very lucky that I have a husband who thinks the world of me.

No, not a chance.

My childhood and teens were miserable, every decade since has been better. No chance I'd want to go back! I still pinch myself that life has turned out as well as it has...

I would. And I'd tell myself to not put my phone in my back.pocket. then id never have lost the phone number of the only guy I've ever been with who didn't treat me like crap/had issues/saw me as someone to sneak out the back door.

I wonder what my life would be without the awful choices I made re men. If id love myself more if i hadn't spent years pretending to be cool with only being a bit on the side or a booty call.

I dont think id have kids either. I love them to bits obviously but being a parent is just another thing I suck at. Like choosing decent men...

Theres so many things I wouldn't do.

Or maybe id just kill myself at 20 before it all went tits up and I was actually pretty happy. < joke. Kind of>

Id also tell myself to enjoy my body more. It was never as bed as I believe and at 43 id give any thing to have it back.

If I couldn't do any of those things then I'd just tell myself never to sign up to MN. Least that way id have avoided a few realisations and I could maintain the ignorance is bliss thing.

I’ve been contemplating this lately since the same question came up on Reddit (😳)

My life has been quite extreme with its highs and its lows and I was trying to work out whether it would be possible to sort of edit it so I still got the best bits that I wouldn’t want to be without, whilst avoiding the disaster zones. I concluded probably not, because of the way every step one takes leads to the next ones. All a bit “sliding doors” but made me feel more grateful for where I am at the moment - which I think is no bad thing.

No. I wouldn't risk changing dh or any of the kids.

Yes and no, i wouldn't have married at 22 to an abusive man, concentrated more on my career. However, if i had i wouldn't have moved city and met my lovely husband of over 30 years, had my two lovely children. Times have been tough but we have got through them. No point looking back.

Well, both the good things and the bad things in my life led me to where I am today (kismet, karma and all that) and today I'm pretty happy so no.

Yes but only if I had some sense of my self, self-belief and wisdom. If you just made me 18 again, there'd be no point.

I wouldn't change where I've got to now as I'm pretty content despite it not being the most conventional setup in some ways. But I'd live the years between 18 and now (47) again for sure. Not every moment was happy but overall it was fun and I'd enjoy a repeat or redo. I took some things for granted a little but that was part of the joy, not always realising how quickly everything can change.

I'd go back to 16 in a heartbeat with the benefit of hindsight, emotional intelligence and trusting my instinct.

I'd make the most of the romantic opportunities I had then and avoid the heartbreak at 18. Then enjoy uni life and have more fun.

NOOOOOOOO

I think most of my life has consisted of mistakes but they were mostly honest, if a bit crazy.

The thought of having to do it all again is appalling. I've reached a place of relative peace and being 54 is 8000% better than being 24.

Definatly YES, IF I could still be on my path to being a health professional. Didn't have an unstable husband. Didn't start taking drugs and ruined my career. I would do things different.

I wouldn’t. I enjoyed it at the time, being at uni was fun but I’d never swap that for my subsequent working life and my family.

Only if I had a different face and body.

Yes, I would.

Absolutely yes. I've had a good life, but knowing what I know now I'd have even more fun the second time round. I'd definitely take more care of my health and be more strategic in my life choices. And I'd love to know what the world will be like in 50 years time.

No! There are things in my past that I'd do differently, but not anything that would be worth losing what I have now.

I absolutely would. I've made loads of mistakes and XH is the worst of them, I'd love a second chance and ignore him this time. I love my DC but cats would be okay instead. 😁

I was already a mum by 18 so for arguments sake I'll say my pre child life. But no, I don't think I would. I like my life and wouldn't change anything really.

Definitely!
I'd do a few things differently especially being more financially comfortable

Knowing what I know now... yeah maybe. Wouldn't it be like having an extra 50 years of life, potentially? I would be too curious at the alternative life not to try it.