You obviously can’t go back in time (as far as I know), but it’s sure fun to think about, isn’t it?
Especially if you were able to keep everything you’ve been through and learned in your brain…just think about the possibilities!
What would you do differently if you could travel back to being 15-years-old with all your current knowledge?
AskReddit users shared their thoughts.
1. Just do it.
“Ask that girl out.
Stop being cringe, just straight up go for it.
She’s going to reject you and ask your friend out instead but it’s better to get rejected in person than over the phone.”
2. Got it all figured out.
“I immediately write down every financially advantageous date and event I can possibly remember. All of them: Beany Babies to Bitcoin.
Give that information to my parents but I know they’ll need convincing that the info is good.
Tell them things about themselves AND thoughts they’ve shared with adult me about themselves in different stages of life that 15 year old me couldn’t possibly know. Tell them minor predictions like ball game outcomes and what will happen on tv shows before they air. They need to know what I say is worth listening to.
Go back to school and be very confused about who I should find attractive, what’s allowed versus what’s wise, and get absolutely bogged down in the deeper implications of what it all means.
Struggle (again!) to find meaningful relationships among my peers but this time it’s because I’m mentally an adult and hanging out with kids OR weirding out adults because I prefer adult company to that of kids…again, struggling with the ethical values of attraction.
Find myself in fairly consistent trouble with teachers because my consciousness is that of an adult and you can’t unring that bell! Every idle and arbitrary word that they can get away with in a classroom full of kids becomes a labor for me.
Having done all I can to secure my family’s immediate financial future, I begin working on their psychological stability and mental well-being. Nothing so overt as offering counseling, though. Just little nudges in the right directions.
Realizing that I already possess the knowledge to ensure whatever standard of living I want takes a lot of pressure off of learning. I finally start to connect with my schooling and learn algebra for the first time.
Profit. Prosper. Peace.”
3. No sweat.
“This would be quite some fun.
No problems with school subjects, no depression, no anxiety.
Would make the maximum out of it.”
4. Movin’ out.
“Move out as soon I become 16.
My parents were very toxic and harmful for my mental health.”
5. Be happy.
“Ditch my “friends”, nurture my real friendships.
Learn to embrace my own interests instead of trying to fit in with others.
Smile more.”
6. From an older guy.
“I’m an older guy; I was 15 in 1982. So…
Reread Replay by Ken Grimwood for pointers.
Seek out absolutely new experiences.
Take better care of my teeth.
Enjoy rewatching every “twist ending” movie new in the theaters; squirm with discomfort in having to keep from spoilering everything.
Get into computer science earlier.
Squirm in more discomfort from the cognitive dissonance in, say, watching The Cosby Show or The Apprentice.
Keep a journal to keep my brain sorted right.
Stress about if I could do anything to stop 9/11, etc. Probably decide I couldn’t.
Build a nest egg and leave home earlier.”
7. Two big ones.
“Keep exercising.
And learn how to cook.”
8. All figured out.
“Save more money from that part time job. Invest it. Don’t date… yet.
Actually finish university (and probably get more therapy earlier).
Invest in Bitcoin when it’s tiny.
Travel even more than I did. Spend more time with my grandparents before they passed away.”
9. Forget about the drama.
“The usual “buy XYZ stocks” but also tell myself not to be so occupied with drama in my friendship groups it’s pointless and most of those people you won’t even talk to again once you start college.”
10. Big turnaround.
“Drop ALL the friends I had, study until I couldn’t open my eyes any more, and commit to a bodybuilding regimen.”
11. Cherish the time.
“Cherish seeing Led Zeppelin in 1977 more, even though it wasn’t a very good tour for them.
Cherish seeing Star Wars “for the first time” again. Even though I’ve seen it many many times, it would be fun to see it with an audience again who had zero knowledge of Star Wars.
Invest all my savings in a little, unknown group of guys out in California starting up a new venture in personal computers, out of a garage. I’d tell my parents it’s just a “fruit company” or something.”
12. All this stuff.
“Tell my parents I was depressed and go through therapy/get medicated.
Ask that girl out. She’s a wonderful person and she absolutely has a crush on you.
Talk to more people and stop pushing them away. You won’t disappoint them and they won’t hurt you.
Fix your relationship with your mom. She will have cancer later so make the time count.
Learn Viet. Your grandparents will get sicker and you’ll want to be able to talk to them before they leave.
Stop worrying about embarrassing yourself. For every person that may think you’re cringy for your interests, there’ll be another who’ll think they’re cool.
Stop playing CSGO all the time and explore those hobbies that you always wanted to get into. I know you’re depressed but you’ll regret wasting all that time on a game you h**e.
Things will get better.”
Now we want to hear from you.
In the comments, tell us what you’d do differently if you could be 15 again with all your current knowledge.
We can’t wait!
