What would be your preferred stage of life?

[Jona]

If you could live your life again and decide at which stage it begins, e.g. as a child, teenager, adult, pensioner. And the respective phases go hand in hand with the usual events that are common in this phase of life, such as school attendance as a child, puberty as a teenager, career entry and midlife crisis as an adult and retirement as a pensioner.

What would you choose (or what age) and why?

I would choose to be an adult, around 40 years old, as I feel I have had much more experience than I would have had as a child or teenager. As a pensioner I am closer to the time when I will have to rely on the help of others and do without things that I was able to do as a younger person due to the circumstances of getting older. This stage of life would be uncomfortable for me

 

[Forever Sleep]

None of them appeal to be honest. I'm tired of all of it. I'm 45 by the way- so, I've experienced first hand what each stage was like for me. Personally, my thirties were my better years but, still not good enough for me to want to experience them again. I just want all this shit overwith.

 

[TBONTB]

I tried to answer this question, but looking at my own life every phase had pain that I would not wish to repeat.

I think generally the 30s-40s-50s have the best chance of being good. Youth is hard because you aren't comfortable in your own skin. And age is hard because...well, age.

 

[Jadeith]

If you could live your life again and decide at which stage it begins

Funeral. Not gonna repeat same mistake again.

 

[Hellis]

After I tried to kill myself in my senior year of school, I spent the next 3 years as a himikomori doing nothing all day. I was fucking depressed but I didn't have to be hated by people because nobody knew I was even alive lol. It was freeing.

Now I try to kill myself and when I fail I still gotta go to work in the morning :(

 

[leloyon]

I wish I could go back to when I was ten years old, so I could undo the many mistakes which fucked my life.

 

[a-fond-farewell]

I wish I could go back to when I was ten years old, so I could undo the many mistakes which fucked my life.

yeah, honestly anywhere from like 8-12, I would go back. I would confide in friends about what my parents were doing and I'd gather evidence for years. I'd also seek mental health treatment earlier. I would've talked to a school counselor earlier. I would've talked to CPS when they came over.

 

[moonlightbeach]

probably child, and take music lessons.
i wouldn't want to live again though, i suffered even when i was a little kid and even if i changed something i would still be impaled by the society. i hate not being a cis girl.

 

[leloyon]

yeah, honestly anywhere from like 8-12, I would go back. I would confide in friends about what my parents were doing and I'd gather evidence for years. I'd also seek mental health treatment earlier. I would've talked to a school counselor earlier. I would've talked to CPS when they came over.

I'd make sure to take my mental health more seriously now that I'd understand exactly what was wrong. Stay in school, don't do dumb shit that I did in this run, do dumb shit that I didn't do in this run 'cuz I actually shoulda lived a little. Could have come out as trans, even if it may have caused me ostracization, I'd at least have no regrets.

 

[FadingSnowFake]

Well I haven't tried pensioner yet, so that would be the only unknown and possible better option I guess. But then I would need enough money to live as one, healthy, and with my partner.

 

[cemeteryismyhome]

I'd like to be a teenager again, but knowing what I know now. Free, single, and not seen as a grandfatherly figure by anyone under the age of 30. On the other hand, it's nice to be older, closer to natural death, running out the clock and not giving a f* about anything.

 

[Cauliflour]

I don't think I've lived long enough to give a proper answer. I would have to at least make it to middle age before I can make my decision as I would be wise then.

 

[darksouls]

I was a preterm birth
disabled and sick
disadvantiged since birth
born into an abusive family
my entire life has been a nightmare

 

[Seered Doom]

Death preferred

 

[divinemistress36]

Anytime before puberty. Puberty was when depression hit

 

[Amile]

before puberty for myself too.
7-12 were the only years i actually enjoyed; before that i do no remember enough, and since 12 everything has been downhill.

 

[chiefkeefe23]

interesting question. probably 12-15 .the last time i had "potential", now i just failed and do random shit

but the realest thing would have been to never get born in the first place

 

[neurotoxic]

i dunno. i was happy before my nonna died and i started getting bounced around every few months, so like before 7 i guess. but i dont wanna go throught that again. so maybe id wanna start from the beginning and hope i just get adopted by a young couple or something that time around.

 

[AnimeSlayersFan]

It's always "not now", "later", till you die. My grandma is getting close to it, and she says how much she regrets, I think everyone regrets a ton of shit, but in the moment, in the moment a lot of the times you can't do anything about it.
Like think about it, why don't you fix your life "RIGHT NOW"? You know that in 30 years you will look back and be like "damn, if I just did X, then I would've: Got Y good result"
But in the moment a lot of the time it just isn't possible.
We do the best we can with what we have at all times I think. Handsight is 20/20.
Or another fun one I heard not too long ago. "La experiencia es un peine que te da la vida cuando ya te vas quedando pelado"
"Experience is like a comb given out by life, but just when you are you're about to go bald."

 

[WeepingWorm]

If I had a choice, I would've chosen not to be born in the first place. The state of the world was satisfactory to me back then, say about 20 years or so, it was far from good but it was fun and I could accept it and look to the future.
Seeing it slowly turn into what it is now, along with anything I cared about rotting into something evil and unrecognizable, no thanks. Plus, the bitter and harsh country I was born in, genetic faults and chronic illnesses of the body that was given to me, the circumstances of almost zero opportunity, etc. Age bracket doesn't have to do much with my gripes about life.

 

[Namelesa]

As I am only in my 20s I can't fully answer this question but with my limited experience I would choose baby cus I don't want to deal with being an adult and the feelings of emptiness I have now or being in any sort of education and dealing with the dysphoria I had before I was able to get hrt so being a baby is the only time in my life that escapes all of those things and I didn't think anything terrible happened when I was baby (tho who knows as we hold very little to non memories of that time.) I just want to be looked aftered and cared for.

 

[TheShadowQueen]

When I was a sperm with no consciousness in my dads ball sack

 

[L9my]

teenager
let me go back to 15, i won't fuck it up

 

[WhatCouldHaveBeen32]

This would be the preferred stage, I don't want to feel like I'm getting pounced on, never again. All my childhood I had this imminent danger feeling that at any moment something will pounce on me; I couldn't speak or think for myself. It's better to be like I am now than to be a toy for others to use, sometimes literally.

 

[broken_stoic]

I would keep it in adulthood. Go back to 29-34. Making three-four key changes would alter the trajectory my life is on right now. Almost had the life I wanted and was almost happy. Best time of my life so far.

 

[Forveleth]

I hated school as a child. High school was a nightmare and college is when my depression fully blossomed. I would go back to my 30s. I started getting my shit together as a functional human mentally, socially, and financially. This time I would not allow my asshole partner to take that decade from me. I would send him packing and live my best decade for myself like I should have. I would probably be in a much better place once I reached where I am now in my 40s.

 

[wine is fine but]

the instant that i earn the little dash between the 2 dates

 

[Manfrotto99]

Id go back to my early 20's when i had some confidence and decide on a different carer path that would have given me financial stability.

 

[Pluto]

 

[otoyikim]

If you could live your life again and decide at which stage it begins, e.g. as a child, teenager, adult, pensioner. And the respective phases go hand in hand with the usual events that are common in this phase of life, such as school attendance as a child, puberty as a teenager, career entry and midlife crisis as an adult and retirement as a pensioner.

What would you choose (or what age) and why?

I would choose to be an adult, around 40 years old, as I feel I have had much more experience than I would have had as a child or teenager. As a pensioner I am closer to the time when I will have to rely on the help of others and do without things that I was able to do as a younger person due to the circumstances of getting older. This stage of life would be uncomfortable for me

2020-2022. There were some bad descions, of course but it was relatively serene compared to other periods of my life.