# Would you want to be 16 again? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 29, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540 "2014-05-29T04:49:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/1 "2014-05-29T04:49:33Z")
If you were magically 16 again, that would mean that your memories would only be 16 years old as well. You can’t go back and fix the stupid shit you did as a teenager because you wouldn’t remember…but you might possibly make new stupid mistakes. So…who amongst us wants to go back to that age of angst, insecurity and hormonal upsets? ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/2 "2014-05-29T04:51:00Z")
Without any new wisdom gained, I’d likely make the exact same decisions I did back then, so no. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/3 "2014-05-29T04:52:15Z")
The only reason I’d want to go back to being sixteen would be to change things I fucked up, so no. (Well, that and the music. Music was better in the 90s.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/4 "2014-05-29T04:54:39Z")
Hell no. Once was enough and I might not do as well a second time around. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/5 "2014-05-29T05:20:18Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I might not do as well a second time around. Hard to imagine I’d do worse. I think I’ll take the deal! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/6 "2014-05-29T05:35:31Z")
Fuck no! Let’s see. At 16 I was in charge of two depressed, one bedridden parent, and two boys too young to be much help. They were old enough to prepare the table and straighten their beds, not old enough to buy anything more complicated than bologna and couldn’t be trusted to prepare their own afternoon snack, as they would have used normal amounts of bread and whole-month’s-worth of filling. I’m sorry, why would I want to go back to that particular year? I already survived it once! ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/7 "2014-05-29T05:38:42Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > If you were magically 16 again, that would mean that your memories would only be 16 years old as well. You can’t go back and fix the stupid shit you did as a teenager because you wouldn’t remember…but you might possibly make new stupid mistakes. Hmm. Would I know it was a repeat? If I knew it was a do-over (I liked that show, btw) but didn’t know why, yeah, I’d go back. Just knowing it was a repeat would have me considering things more carefully. Though it might drive me crazy wondering “Wait - did I do this last time?” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/8 "2014-05-29T05:39:42Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > The only reason I’d want to go back to being sixteen would be to change things I fucked up, so no. (Well, that and the music. Music was better in the 90s.) Laughs with you. Yes, I agree that the music was better back when I was that age…but I understand that we imprinted on it during our time of angst and playing MY/OUR song over and over. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/9 "2014-05-29T06:19:55Z")
It was hell for me. Pass. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/10 "2014-05-29T06:28:47Z")
Can I just have my sixteen year old body back? I promise I’ll take better care of it this time. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/11 "2014-05-29T06:29:20Z")
I wouldn’t mind it. I liked my teenaged years. I like my life now, too, so for the purposes of the OP, I’d say no, but I had a good time at that age, so either way works for me. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/12 "2014-05-29T06:53:33Z")
if i don’t remember, then this current me would be dead and gone if i go back. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/13 "2014-05-29T06:53:38Z")
Knowing no better than I did then? No way in hell! ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/14 "2014-05-29T07:01:13Z")
If you mean 16 now, in 2014, absolutely: Good chance of living to 2080, and beyond. Instead of growing up waiting for tape-based games to load (then trying to figure out what the burger-like thing I’m controlling is supposed to be) we begin with…whatever generation current tech is supposed to be. And it’s no problem moving to a new town and finding social events now…was pretty tough when I was in my early twenties. If you mean back in time to when I was originally 16, still yes: I fucked up my teens so bad I have nothing to lose from rolling the dice again (I assume we’re re-rolling, not just repeating everything). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/15 "2014-05-29T07:34:55Z")
It wouldn’t be me if I don’t remember, so I don’t see the point. ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/16 "2014-05-29T08:14:48Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It wouldn’t be me if I don’t remember, so I don’t see the point. Pretty much this. I mean, flip a coin. I’ve had some shitty years in between but I got where I am, in large part, due to mistakes I made. If I had the chance to do it over with the knowledge I have today, sign me up. If I don’t remember anything, I’ll probably make the same stupid mistakes and may not get as lucky next time. Ask me the same question on any particular day in my future and the answer might change, but today the answer is “no thanks.” Not to be overly dramatic, but how would this significantly differ from suicide, from a personal perspective? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/17 "2014-05-29T08:17:19Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > if i don’t remember, then this current me would be dead and gone if i go back. Another vote for this position. It’s just a fancy form of suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/18 "2014-05-29T08:43:02Z")
Wow, three in a row fighting the hypothetical. I assume that the OP is saying it is the same instance of consciousness. Which, yes, is problematic to define, but hardly a problem unique to this hypothetical. We have to make certain assumptions about identity every time we talk about our past and future. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/19 "2014-05-29T09:01:04Z")
One word: premature ejaculation. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540/20 "2014-05-29T09:28:14Z")
No. Losing the memories of everything I’ve learned and done, that’s the same as dying and being reincarnated as my 16 year old self. If that’s an option when I actually die, I’ll take it but I aint going to volunteer to go now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-16-again/689540.md?page=2)