Would you slap your 17-year-old self in the face? I mean, if you had a time machine?

Yes! And give myself some good advice. Although, knowing how stubborn I can be, I wonder if I would listen to myself.

Why do you ask?

I ask because that will be the first thing I will do when I put my hands on a time machine.

Fuck no, I'd kick my ass.

I was 40 years old when I was 17...I graduated from high school and was working full time and moved out on my own...

I think my 17-year-old self had shit inside the head

But if you go back you will encounter your altered self. Whats happends then?

17 y/o self was actually pretty good. Social, very strong and physically fit. A member of the reserve forces and looking to go to Uni to be an Engineer.

It all fell downhill at 19 when 19y/o self got besotted with Miss Big Tits. :P

But then, that said - she was fun. So perhaps I would hit 25 y/o self and tell him to MTFU when he got binned.

nope! I am a-ok and did things as close to what I should have while still having fun. regrets make serious issues in your life, you must acceot and move fwd, learning is only done one way.

Plus you dont expirience the life you are aboutthe alter. So whats the point anyway?

probably some paradox that will destroy the whole universe

*about to*

Well mabey it is an idea to tell ur younger self that you when he does get rich you share, get your cut in the future and get yiurself a fake id and live in some sunny country.

You clearly didnt think things through.
But its my idea now so hands off

Absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!! I could have used my 50 year old advice at 17!!!!!!!!

No, but I would have fought the damn doctor to the death!

Yes I would. Kids know absolutely zero about the world at 17.

I would Kick the living shit out of myself.

Dam right I would. IN A HEARTBEAT.

I knew who I was going to marry, what my career was, and already had two cars and money in the bank.

I wouldn't slap myself. I'd warn myself of a few things... But at 17 I had all ready finished high school and had a job. I had money in the bank.

I would hug myself to death and flood me with love to let the little me experience how someone unconditionally loved me and it doesn't matter what the me then was or what the me then was doing at that time.
Experiencing the me this kind of love at this age was all that was needed.

well, at least I didn't run in trains with a fucking axe, hurting people

Yes. And I would tell myself why.

No but I would have told myself to take a different career path and get out of this shithole town that I grew up in.

no. my younger self is not the issue here. in my youth i was very bright, very articulate and had an incredibly bright future ahead of me. there are certain things i would do differently however. i would join the military becuase well, looking back it was STUPID not to go after going through all those years of training only to throw it all away. then i woul most certainly get my dream job, and do what i have always wanted to do. now theres NOTHING, no opportunity, NOTHING. right now my past MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND OBAMA SAW TO THAT BECUASE IM WHITE and a FEMALE. the world sees me as NOTHING MORE THAN A BABY MAKER, barefoot and pregnant all the time. but i want more than that. i want what MY PARENTS HAD. they had it all. family, modest house, two 10 year old cars but they RAN and good JOBS even if they were retail.

Nope, cause then i wouldn't be who i am now.

Definitely, would have told my younger self to go into a trade like air conditioning and refrigeration. I could have retired by now....

What you are pointing to, OP, is something that comes
under the topic of "regret."

If you are full of self-doubt (now)--you might be tempted
to believe that going back in time to the age of 17...or
whatever age you think you began making your "grand
MISTAKES"...and this would somehow change the circumstances
of your present life. The irony of it all is that you could
"bitch-slap your 17-yr-old self" and STILL be in your
present circumstances! (Isn't that some shit?)

I have found a wonderful author who deals with many of
the "issues" around REGRET and if you'd like to check it
out, here is one of his presentations. I believe that
"regret" and the illusion that any of us could have made
the different choices early in life that would send us
--NOW--propelling toward a more positive future is one
of the great ideas that CREATES suffering for many of us
over the age of 50.

Don't beat yourself up for being "unconscious!"


[link to youtu.be (secure)]


There are dozens of Eckhart Tolle presentations on
UTUBE right now you can check out. He is the author of
the book "The Power of NOW."

Great thread, OP!!


O'sCookie

Last Edited by TheOracle'sCookie on 07/19/2016 12:04 PM

I would hand the 17 year old me a million bucks and give him some investing advice.