What do you think your life would be like if you had made a different choice?

[sserafim]

Maybe in the multiverse, there's a parallel version of you who made a different choice. What do you think their life would be like?

 

[ClaudeCTTE]

The only thing that comes to mind are some decisions I made during high school and college.
There were many decisions I made during high school and college, but for me, the most important one had to do with my high school classroom.

In my country, schools have two shifts: morning (7 am - 1 pm) and afternoon (2 pm - 8 pm).
I always used to study in the morning, but I had the misfortune of studying in the afternoon for my first 6 months of high school. However, in hindsight, it wasn't misfortune, as I had made friendships and everything was going well.
It turns out I decided to switch to the morning shift just because I liked studying in the morning, but it was the worst decision of my life because I ended up in a classroom where I was completely ignored, excluded, and labeled as "weirdo".
None of that happened when I studied in the afternoon, but only because I "wanted to go to school earlier," I ended up sabotaging my life.

Perhaps if I hadn't been so stupid, my high school years would have been pleasant, the pandemic wouldn't have stopped me, and maybe I would have entered college earlier. Although, well, I doubt if that would have taken away the existential doubts I had before high school...

 

[derpyderpins]

Maybe in the multiverse, there's a parallel version of you who made a different choice. What do you think their life would be like?

That's tough. Any big different choice likely would have resulted in a different "me." All my choices were to avoid messing up. Fear and anxiety controlled. A lot of "go along to get along." I feared negative reaction from my mother: from being socially outcast, from not pursuing a prestigious path, and from any event of embarrassment. Being called "creepy" by girls in middle school and not invited to things destroyed my confidence with women, where I would always assume they had no interest until they made a big move, even later when I had proof I was not completely unlikable, so there were plenty of times I didn't shoot my shot. Far too late in life I clung to trying to be in with the "cool kids," or whoever the equivalent may be, when I fit in much more with the outsiders. I was advised not to go to law school while in undergrad, but because that had always been my plan I couldn't consider changing it, fearing embarrassment, like it would tell people I just wasn't good enough.

I know this may not be in the spirit of your question, but I think the biggest change is that - had I made a significantly different choice at some point - it would have changed my development, and this person in a parallel world may be far more confident and self-assured, regardless of where they are and what they're doing.

 

[Malaria]

I'd be fluent in Japanese and would have published many visual novels, maybe even live in Japan

 

[sserafim]

I'd be fluent in Japanese and would have published many visual novels, maybe even live in Japan

I mean like one singular choice, in an instance/situation where it could have gone one way or another. I made this thread because I was wondering what would have happened if I had hooked up with my crush when we hung out

 

[Malaria]

I mean like one singular choice, in an instance/situation where it could have gone one way or another. I made this thread because I was wondering what would have happened if I had hooked up with my crush that day.

Well, in that case, it probably would still count because I made a choice that ultimately prevented me from doing those things.

 

[vadim]

If I'd made different choices in school and in picking a university course I could have been successful, but I'd probably still be friendless because there's something fundamentally wrong with me that repulses people. I think I would have still ended up being miserable, but maybe the suicidal thoughts would have come further down the line.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think I'd be even more unhappy! The most impactful decisions I made were:

When my Dad asked me how I felt about him remarrying. I didn't like to rock the boat and say- I don't want to grow up with a bully. (I didn't know about narcissists then but I suspect that's what one of them was/is.) But yeah- that would possibly have saved me becoming suicidal aged 10. Still- my Dad would have no doubt resented me for it- if he'd even taken it in to account.

The second major decision- or rather, the same decision made over and over was to try and pursue a career in art. Maybe I would have had a less maladjusted life if I hadn't done that but in my experience, creative people are always miserable when they aren't able to create.

The very worst things that happened in my life though were because other people or fate made decisions for me. Close loved ones died, I ended up growing up with a (suspected) narcissist and people believed their (obvious) lies because, maybe it was easier.

But, I don't massively regret many of the decisions I made myself in life. I made the most reasoned decisions I could with what I knew. I wish I'd been less selfish towards the people who gave me the most love and support in life. That's a regret. I wonder if I was always going to turn out like this though. Maybe that's just making excuses though.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

There potentially could be a me out there who decided to stay in my animation degree but that dude probably would have killed himself already by this point from the stress of work even if he got a girlfriend.

I'm usually one to always regret my decisions even though I would equally regret any other outcome I picked.

 

[Silent_cries]

I would've been alot more free, would've never had to deal with my bs ex-psychiatrist and I wouldn't have had to deal with the horrible situation I'm facing rn. Although for all I know I would've already been dead then bc it would've been easier for me to ctb then too bc I would've had access to more reliable methods that way. There's a lot of things I wish I could've done different in life tbh.

 

[sserafim]

There potentially could be a me out there who decided to stay in my animation degree but that dude probably would have killed himself already by this point from the stress of work even if he got a girlfriend.

I'm usually one to always regret my decisions even though I would equally regret any other outcome I picked.

There could potentially be a me out there who hooked up with my crush. I don't know what would have happened after that. Maybe we would be in a relationship or something?

 

[clown_17]

I don't think any choice could have prevented this outcome

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

There could potentially be a me out there who hooked up with my crush. I don't know what would have happened after that. Maybe we would be in a relationship or something?

Maybe that version of you who's with him is already a mother of 4 (two sets of twins) and would absolutely rather have your life because of how stressful raising them are.

 

[surroundedbydemons]

I think I would have been in a different environment, but my mindset and goals would not have changed otherwise.

I decided to transfer to a boarding school to get a better education and connections. Had I stayed in my hometown, I wouldn't have gotten that. And then I encountered a series of similar choices in the following years...

As General Shepherd concisely put it: same shit, different day.





~~~

On a side note, I would have learned to play a musical instrument if I found a more diverse music school. When I was 4 or 5, I wanted to play drums , but the schools I went to only provided lessons for guitar or piano.

 

[sserafim]

Maybe that version of you who's with him is already a mother of 4 (two sets of twins) and would absolutely rather have your life because of how stressful raising them are.

I think that version of me who hooked up with him would probably be a single mom lol (if I didn't abort it). I think I'd only be his side piece