Do you wish you could return to a moment in your past?

 

You could interpret this question however you want -- does it imply that you would be changing some chosen event from your past, or that you would simply stand by and spectate it? Or is it implying that you’d be able to turn back time, taking yourself to that exact moment, being the same you with your current knowledge and life experience, simply transported into the body of your past self?

Let’s take a look through each interpretation. If I were only able to return to a moment in my past to spectate, much like watching a sports game on the sidelines, I don’t think I would particularly wish to do so. The moment I, or most people would return to would probably be something of meaning or impact. Generalizing these two categories, the moments would probably be sorted into (1) returning to the past to see something I enjoyed or (2) returning to a point of regret to see what I could’ve done differently. Even though option 1 might seem like a good idea at first, because I’d be returning to a moment of happiness, I fear that once I’m done spectating that moment, I’ll only feel more unhappy with my current reality. In case 2 mentioned above, the regret from that moment I feel may only get worse if I realize there could’ve been a way to avoid a problem in the past.

Some say it might be cliché to say “don’t dwell on the past” and “what’s done is done”, but it’s wise advice. I believe that if there aren't any changes that can be made, the past is better left alone as time is best spent moving forward, and not looking back. Life is best lived looking towards the future, and not over analyzing the past. 

Now looking at the other interpretation, speculating that I can not only travel to my past, but actively participate in changing it. I could go both ways with this, depending on the circumstances surrounding me. If I were returning to my past self in full form, meaning memories, experiences, and characteristics of myself would revert to those of that moment, I would not want to return to the past. As people often do, I look at my past self and see naivety. As much as there is bliss in ignorance and I could argue that I was so much happier “back then”, I think the experiences I went through are important to remember. After all, we usually don’t know we did something wrong or ill-advised until we experience the repercussions of our actions. And who’s to say that, without all the knowledge I’ve gained through past experiences, I wouldn’t go on to make the exact same mistakes that I would’ve otherwise?

Sure I could turn back time regardless, but what would I gain? I think in this situation, the more important question to ask is: what would I lose? Through the hits we take through life, above everything, we learn. We learn from our mistakes, and this is the knowledge, no matter how painful a certain experience I had to go through was to gain it, I would never give up. 

If I were able to keep my memories as well as change my past however, I think I would indeed wish to return to a moment in my past. Regrets of the past are such a common burden many of us, including me, share. Given the chance within these specific conditions, I would definitely want to redo many situations differently to avoid a number of troubles I went through. Even though I might be led into other difficulties, I would be equipped with the experience and knowledge of my future self to navigate through them better.