I’m a combination of the first and second option. I’d read it with anticipation, but I’m positive I’d cry, too.
This is the lifetime that I made a major life decision (tho at the time it wasn’t obvious that that was what I was doing). The person who wouldn’t have made that decision is dead and buried, as far as I’m concerned now. So, no.
It’s not any fun to gain information that you can’t act on. Unless the genie also gives you the opportunity to rollback time at a junction point and try something different (maybe after reading a few books to preview what will be different), it’s useless.
From my perspective, there’s no reason not to read it —it’s essentially a work of fiction, an alternate history biography. If I can learn things from —or just enjoy —those kinds of books, why wouldn’t I enjoy one that is the biography of an alternate me?
In some ways, the most interesting thing to learn would be how much of my psychological makeup remains constant regardless of the switch in environments. Undercurrents of depression are not magically going to disappear, for example.
The worst scenario I can imagine, honestly, is that it’s boring. “Oh, I [made decision X instead of Y] and everything is still pretty familiar? Disappointing.”
As I described in my post, I think most of the information you’d get from an alternate history of yourself would still be actionable in one manner or another. If you learn that you would have been more successful in a certain career, most people still have some options to change their career. Likewise, most people can still change the relationships they have, the place they live in, etc.
Maybe you learn something subtle like the value of being a kinder and more appreciative person - even someone in their 90’s can put that life lesson to good use.
Once I knew it existed, yeah, I’d have to read it. And probably cry. But even so, I couldn’t ignore it. The overriding impulse of my life has been the need to know.
I chose other.
I’d ask the genie to just sum it up for me. Then give me wishes.
-or-
It would depend on how well written it was. What kind of writing style and so forth. Then I’d ask for my wishes.
-or-
I would ask to see it as an animated short. Then I’d demand my God Damned wishes.
-or-
Just gimme the fucking wishes already and stop wasting my time! If I feel like what-if my life later, I’ll just wish for it. Just gimme gimme gimme!
“Wait–there are other timelines?”
There is no way I couldn’t read it. Even if I was told it would bring me nothing but pain and misery. I have to know.
My life is not very happy? Could it have been much better? Could it have been much worse?
I said I’d only read parts of it. The parts I’d read would relate to childhood.
I’m a firstborn. By the time I was eleven my parents had sat me down and told me “you’re going to have a little brother or sister” four times. One of those times was a few months before my brother was born. The other three… I don’t think I could resist knowing if they’d of been my brothers or sisters, and how happy or unhappy we’d been if they’d lived too.
I’d read it, once.
Once only.
No point in beating myself up.
Cool OP. I think I browse this Kindle almost every day, especially when I’m stressed. But anytime I focus on a particular regret and a possibly missed opportunity, I consider how truly awful someone else has it less than a mile away from me. Maybe my life right now, and who I’ve become, is already as good as it could be? It would suck to know that, because it would dissuade me from dreaming about something better. And to know I’d totally fucked up an opportunity, or many, to be a well-adjusted and happy man of respectable wealth and generosity–just shoot me now for squandering gifts to myself as well as society.
No. Not gonna read it. Let’s instead play that game where we get to learn how OR when we die. (I pick ‘when’)
There is a one decision I am really curious about. But it wouldn’t disturb me to know that it would have led to much better life. So yes, I would read it gladly.
I honestly don’t see how it would be different than reading any other fiction book. I, like everyone, have made good and bad decisions, wise and poor choices. The cumulative result of all of those decisions and choices have made me who I am today. Had I made them differently I would be a different person today. The person who made the different decision/choice is not me anymore than I am he. It’s fiction.
Only if the genie will turn the clock back for me , I see no point in knowing my life “might had been” if I can’t do it over.