Have you learned anything?

[Agent Of Fortune]

Take a look at yourself from the past. 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 5 years ago. Just pick some random time. Do you think you've learned anything? Is there anything you would tell yourself from that time, if you had a chance?

I'm choosing myself 11 years ago. I would have been 16 years old. The height of my rebellious streak. I had green hair, and always thought I was completely fine being an ass as long as I had my two or three friends. I wasn't too bad. I never vandalized anything, talked back to adults too much or caused fights, but still did a lot of things I regret. I smarted off to people a lot, and did a lot of things to stand out.

I'd like to think I've become at least a little bit wiser, but I don't really know. I still make a lot of the same mistakes. I would tell myself not to try so hard to stick out so much. I look back and cringe at dumb things I did.

[Bay]

Yes. I was a damn coward, during the last few years of previous millenium. Well, looking back at it, that's when it came to the surface, really. Probably still am, to tell the truth. Would I say anything to that person, I'd like to, but I won't. The bastard needs to learn his lesson.

Good thread, I don't actually remember seeing this before.

[Agent Of Fortune]

I just posted this one earlier this afternoon, so that's probably why you hadn't seen it. I think the reason I posted this thread was because I was looking at myself way back when, and was wondering if I had actually evolved any since then, or if I make all of the same mistakes I made at that time. I keep feeling like I'm so close to where I won't have to regret things, or feel guilty about any of my actions, right before I do something else stupid. So I wonder if I've ever learned anything, other than how to f up my life in a different way?

[tao]

Oh yeah I definitely changed. Or rather, I simply became more reaffirmed of my identity than I ever was in the past. If I could, I'd tell my past self to say "Fuck you" to society's expectations and just do whatever the hell I wanted. You're not a freak, everybody else is-- just look around. Everything they tell you in school is false. You've got a better head than most but you aren't that smart, so get off your fat ass and go learn something. Never settle for mediocrity if you can do it better. Stop being so damned quiet and just say it you wimp. Don't ever do anything you feel strongly against, even if the entire world tells you otherwise. Read Carl Sagan. Watch George Carlin.

Hmmm... at sixteen I had the first teacher that didn't give me any bullshit. It was quite a revelation to finally meet somebody who is so honest and would tell you truth instead of being too scared of stepping on people's toes. I owe a lot to him and a select few other teachers I've had ever since. I look at all the time I wasted as a kid and wonder how far I could have been now.

Hoss, I have the opposite problem. I tend to overthink everything to the point of total inaction. I've probably missed many many opportunities through not doing anything than just going with it.

[Agent Of Fortune]

^I think my problems with mouthing off and saying and doing dumb things when I was younger has made me really afraid to do anything like that now, so I spend most of my time locked in this weird shell of myself, afraid of everything that I might do that would offend anyone or anything. It really drives me nuts.

[Yukupo]

Hoss, I have the opposite problem. I tend to overthink everything to the point of total inaction. I've probably missed many many opportunities through not doing anything than just going with it.

That about sums up my life.

I sure have learned a lot in the last 10 years. After giving up on school in my sophomore year of high school and just coasting till graduation I stayed home and played video games for 3 years until the beginning of 2007 when I finally took a college class. Mostly I was just afraid of the real world to the point of inaction. I could go so many directions but what if I pick the wrong choice? But staying home was still a choice. I wonder how things would've been different if I went to college in 2004 after I graduated instead of 2007. I feel like I probably wouldn't have been as mature. But I'll never know.

I wouldn't talk to my past self because you may think you'd be helping yourself by giving advice, but you could really just make it worse. And would I be ruining the place I'm at now in my life? I need my pain and mistakes because they've made me who I am today. I'm sure I've missed a ton of opportunities, but the reality is: there are always more.

[Agent Of Fortune]

Yes, I often go back and forth on that stuff, regarding on whether or not I would tell my past self anything. In some cases, I would say no, as all your experiences make you who you are today, but then in other cases, I don't think I learned anything from my mistakes, so they might have very well just been failures without any positive outcome.

[Ryudo]

5 years ago I never thought I would die at age 28. It's likely there is no 5 years to look ahead for me

[darkly]

I've learned that I let my emotions decide what decisions I'll make. I tend to not do things until it feels right. I know trust your gut feeling and all that but I'm more like I know what's right and I wanted to do it but then I don't feel like it so I'd rather wait until it feels right even though I know it is right. It's kind of hard to explain but it's about not letting your emotions controll you but rather the other way around.
I'd say I've learned alot over the past 10 years.

but then in other cases, I don't think I learned anything from my mistakes, so they might have very well just been failures without any positive outcome.

I think you need to learn that it is ok to make mistakes Nobody is perfect, it sounds like you are to hard on yourself. Maybe that's the lesson to learn from all those mistakes that you don't think lead to a positive outcome. This one takes some practise, I'm still working on it but it's well worth learning.

[Agent Of Fortune]

Yeah, that's true. I am way too hard on myself. PRobably why I'm drawn to animes like Kenshin and Trigun where they are all about the main character punishing himself.