If you were offered a Quantum Leap back into any year of your life would you take it?

[Gingerbread Demon]

If you were offered a Quantum Leap back into your life at any point as a sort of fixed point do-over would you take it?

The condition if the leap being that you leap into your younger self but thats it.

Your present day body was destroyed in the transit and for all intents and purposes tour "soul" from the present day lives in your younger body with all memories intact.

Now because of that would you change or alter anything?
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For myself I thought about this a lot before writing this and to be honest I don't think I would change anything because of the very real fear of changing time.

I know that's one of the really silly things in science fiction that they go on about in movies but I do wonder if it was a real thing if there would be some kind of real world effect.

I might tamper with telling a couple of dear people that they should have a health check done, thus possibly saving their lives.

That's probably as far as I would take with meddling.

I think knowing what I know now I might not do some of the things that I have done and lead a bit more of a different life, same hobbies, same interests just different choices.

 

[Tosk]

Of course I would. We only get one go, so a few extra decades would be most welcome plus the added bonus of making some key decisions differently. And life would be a lot easier with all that extra money I would make from a handful of investments.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Of course I would. We only get one go, so a few extra decades would be most welcome plus the added bonus of making some key decisions differently. And life would be a lot easier with all that extra money I would make from a handful of investments.

I have wondered how that might work in the real world though beyond movies, I mean we probably have some idea how that all might work / play out but do you think it would really be possible to break time by doing things in the past differently?

 

[Daedalus]

I've thought about it a lot over the years. This is mainly because of an illness that mightve been prevented, and the life I could've had without. I think a lot of people who have had chronic illness, or life changing experiences, have fantasised about such a thing.

The one thing that bothers me is that I'd take the mental trauma with me. Not just from the illness, but from everyday life. We've all learned things that cannot be unlearned, you know? Certain biases, or habits, that could conflict with a youthful life. I guess our younger hormones will be there to give us an extra kick when we arrive in our past body? That's a crazy thought.

I think I'd still do it, but it feels like a monkey's paw situation, so id have to tread lightly. I'd hate to do something in my past that somehow makes someone else's life worse, or more horrific, preventing a birth or causing a death. The film About Time is a good example of playing around with your own past.

 

[Tosk]

I have wondered how that might work in the real world though beyond movies, I mean we probably have some idea how that all might work / play out but do you think it would really be possible to break time by doing things in the past differently?

Break time as in cause a problem, or break time as in simply alter the original flow?
Former, dunno. Latter, sure.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

No.

My life is what it is. I don't get to cheat and erase the mistakes I've made.

 

[HIjol]

I would absolutely do it, with one caveat;

No memories of the future, until I get to the point where I Quantum Leap-ed back…it would be interesting to compare my two “lives”, and to see how things came out differently…or not…

Hmmm…screenplay?

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I would absolutely do it, with one caveat;

No memories of the future, until I get to the point where I Quantum Leap-ed back…it would be interesting to compare my two “lives”, and to see how things came out differently…or not…

Hmmm…screenplay?

No just a thoughtful musing I was having... Only it was a one way leap to the past you are stuck there

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Break time as in cause a problem, or break time as in simply alter the original flow?
Former, dunno. Latter, sure.

Break time as in the popular sense in fiction, like changing one event causes the universe to go funny, that kind of thing, that's what I was kind of alluding to if reality worked the same as fiction.

 

[FreezeC77]

I've thought of the ramifications of this a lot. I think one of the issues is going back far enough to make significant changes you could butterfly effect and ruin the lives of those around you. If I was to say go back to my childhood, then you have the 'adult me' taking the place of that younger version so I've now denied my parents raising the an actual 'child'.

I think if I was to do anything it would probably be a small jump for like a recent thing. I wouldn't want to jump back 5 years/10 years/ 30 years and live with knowing someone close to me died because of changes, or a friend or relative never had a child who I've met and seen grow up.

 

[Gaith]

Absolutely, even if there were certain rules such as not playing future knowledge of the stock market for easy money: I'd go back in time and become a physician, when I was still young enough for the massive economic and time investment required for that to pay off.

Whereas now, to become a physician (never mind a specialized one, where the real money is made) would take such a long time, and require so many massively expensive loans, not to mention probably having to give away my beloved doggo, it just wouldn't be worth it. My decision not to aim for med school when I was a younger lad may not have been quite as bad or reckless a mistake as Marty racing those guys and getting in that car accident, but it was a massive missed opportunity.

 

[Jayson1]

I would but only if I knew it would create a divergent timeline. I don't want to kill billions of people by erasing this timeline. I do know it would be the last time I see my family though. That would be hard but I think the idea of doing so amazing would be worth it.. like say one way trip to a alien planet. The chance to experience to not only be younger but also experience a who new alternate timeline form around me would be fascinating.

 

[JD]

Most of the things I would want to change happened because of things out of my control, so I wouldn't really be able to change them. Now, what I would find interesting would be to go to, or at least see, a parallel universe where those things didn't happen, so I didn't make those decisions.

 

[the G-man]

(Insert rueful "meeting ex wife" joke here)

 

[scotthm]

I'd go back to around 2010 and make one conscious change: buy about $20 worth of bitcoin.
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[Nerys Myk]

Five months ago, before I damaged my back.

 

[BillJ]

No. For all the failures in my life, I have some successes, as well, and I don't want to take a chance of not having those successes.

 

[cooleddie74]

Yes. To 17 years ago. To tell my Mom to watch her blood sugar better so she'd be alive by 15 years ago.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Five months ago, before I damaged my back.

Back stuff is the worst...

Arthritis of lower lumbar spine not fun

 

[Starbreaker]

Now that I have kids, definitely not.