# Would you want to see your alternate timelines? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 17, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631 "2005-06-17T00:56:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/1 "2005-06-17T00:56:04Z")
If you had the opportunity to see what your life would have been like had you made different decisions somewhere along the line, would you? I’ve posed this question to many people and most have said no. Option #1: You could see the alternate timeline, have some time to contemplate it, and then have it erased from your memory. Option #2: Find a timeline you like and trade places (you would forget your current timeline). ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/2 "2005-06-17T00:58:58Z")
Option #2. Who wouldn’t want to go back and change things? ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/3 "2005-06-17T01:03:36Z")
I would take option two, without a doubt. I don’t much see the point of option one, if you can’t remember. If I could remember, I would absolutely NOT take option one; I would be far too upset over the ways in which my life could have been improved that there is no way I could go on in the current timeline. I mean, it’s not like I don’t think about that constantly anyway, no need to make me watch it. This would make an excellent idea for a short story. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/4 "2005-06-17T01:06:56Z")
Whenever I asked women who have children, they wouldn’t even discuss it. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/5 "2005-06-17T01:08:03Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > This would make an excellent idea for a short story. They’ve [beat you to it](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289879/). Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/6 "2005-06-17T01:09:10Z")
> [@Stark Raven Mad](#): > > They’ve [beat you to it](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289879/). Sorry. And you know, I saw that movie, and I still thought it was an original idea. Damn. Great movie though. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/7 "2005-06-17T01:10:22Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Whenever I asked women who have children, they wouldn’t even discuss it. They’re thinking that everything they have in the current timeline would disappear, but I say it doesn’t necessarily have to be so. Isn’t there a saying, “All roads lead to Rome”? Not everything has to change, right. I’d go for option #2. ---
**Author:** ![Low\_Key\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@Low\_Key\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Low_Key_1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/8 "2005-06-17T01:13:48Z")
Yes to both options. Option 1 - sure, why not see an alternative timeline just for fun. Maybe I already have and just don’t remember it. Option 2 - of course. Find a better timeline and live in that one instead. I’d be crazy not to. My life is good, but could certainly be better, and given the option of finding one I like before commiting to it I can’t see any drawbacks. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/9 "2005-06-17T01:53:52Z")
Definitely Option #2, but I wouldn’t want to forget this timeline. I can think of dozens of bad choices I’ve made in my life, and it would be great to correct them, but I’d still like to remember this life, to appreciate my new one. The problem, of course, is that I truly love some of the choices I’ve made, and the way my life has turned out, in certain respects. So I’ve got to find a timeline that converges with this one on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/10 "2005-06-17T02:27:13Z")
No to both. Option 1: What would be the point if I couldn’t remember it? Option 2: Can’t exactly put into words why, but my instinct says “no.” I don’t think I believe in fate exactly, but I feel like it would be tempting _something_. > [@continuity eror](#): > > This would make an excellent idea for a short story. In addition to the _Butterfly Effect_ movie, there’s also an excellent book called _[Replay](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/068816112X/qid=1118975936/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-1572653-7534513)_; it’s not _exactly_ the same thing, but pretty close. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/11 "2005-06-17T05:36:03Z")
Option 2 (The Red Pill). This is not the life I ordered. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/12 "2005-06-17T05:53:25Z")
Yes to both, but I’d want to thoroughly inspect the timeline for option 2. I don’t want to get stuck in a timeline that seems good on the surface but turns out to be a living hell. ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/13 "2005-06-17T06:24:47Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > If you had the opportunity to see what your life would have been like had you made different decisions somewhere along the line, would you? > > I’ve posed this question to many people and most have said no. > > Option #1: > You could see the alternate timeline, have some time to contemplate it, and then have it erased from your memory. > > Option #2: > Find a timeline you like and trade places (you would forget your current timeline). Sure. That would be AWESOME. I’m always thinking about stuff like that. But I’d also like an Option 3: Get to see the timeline as it would’ve played out, but not switch places, and still be able to remember what you learned/saw from thenceforth. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-see-your-alternate-timelines/308631/14 "2005-06-17T07:40:44Z")
I’d be interested in #1 if not for the forgetting part. That makes it pointless. I don’t think anything would make me trade, but I’d be fascinated to see. In fact now that I’m in here I’m disappointed I can’t see any of the timelines. 😛