Come to think of it. If I didn't go through that utter shitstorm when I was a kid, the "me" I am today would be a completely different man.
Ah! The famous "Nonidentity Problem".
If a person's existence is unavoidably flawed, then the agent's only alternatives to bringing that person into the flawed existence are to bring no one into existence at all or to bring a different person – a nonidentical but better off person – into existence in place of the person whose existence is flawed.
If you want, you could also read up on modal realism, which is a philosophical concept that proposes that all possible worlds are as real as this one. Meaning, in short, that the you that did not go through with it exists, is real, just not accessible to you. :D
That's what I always think, too. Sure, I suffered for a couple years and almost died, but those events made me me. I might go back five years to warn myself about an illness I had for awhile, though.
I completely agree with this analysis however, in my case, telling myself to get the correct medication for my ADD, that only got diagnosed last year (age 25), at an earlier stage would have resulted in me feeling like a real functioning human much earlier on and I can only imagine how much better off I would have been. In the months since I was medicated properly, I have lost a lot of weight, found a bunch of things I am passionate about and actually persued them. I've become a 1000x more productive, I have a much better time remembering things, become a lot more confident around other people and I don't deal with anxiety nearly as much any more. If I had all that from earlier on I often wonder where I would be today.
"don't date your sister's friends. No matter what". Would have saved me 20 years of heartache.
Come to think of it. If I didn't go through that utter shitstorm when I was a kid, the "me" I am today would be a completely different man.
Unsure if I would be better or worse, just different.
I take it back. I would say nothing. I might be covered in scars and a grumpy cuss, but I own all of it.
Ah! The famous "Nonidentity Problem".
-http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nonidentity-problem/
Thanks for the link, /u/Zerei! Wasn't aware of the existence of that particular thing. I think I'll spend a little time reading up on it this weekend.
If you want, you could also read up on modal realism, which is a philosophical concept that proposes that all possible worlds are as real as this one. Meaning, in short, that the you that did not go through with it exists, is real, just not accessible to you. :D
It is a very interesting read that makes you ask yourself about a lot of things we take for granted. Have fun!
Way to live my friend, no regrets!
That's what I always think, too. Sure, I suffered for a couple years and almost died, but those events made me me. I might go back five years to warn myself about an illness I had for awhile, though.
I completely agree with this analysis however, in my case, telling myself to get the correct medication for my ADD, that only got diagnosed last year (age 25), at an earlier stage would have resulted in me feeling like a real functioning human much earlier on and I can only imagine how much better off I would have been. In the months since I was medicated properly, I have lost a lot of weight, found a bunch of things I am passionate about and actually persued them. I've become a 1000x more productive, I have a much better time remembering things, become a lot more confident around other people and I don't deal with anxiety nearly as much any more. If I had all that from earlier on I often wonder where I would be today.