# Your choice: Big bucks in the bank now, or become 5 years old again? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079 "2007-09-30T23:17:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/21 "2007-10-01T01:37:56Z")
Money. It’s a gas. ---
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/22 "2007-10-01T01:40:59Z")
So far, I think, everybody expressed they would go for the money, rather than live life again, knowing, the neighbors (or you, in the question) are 64 years of age. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/23 "2007-10-01T01:52:10Z")
I’d be fine with twenty-five. But five again? No way. Forget the money. I’d shoot myself first. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/24 "2007-10-01T02:13:57Z")
Money. Now, take me back to 16-17, knowing what I know now, and I might have to sit and think it over. ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/25 "2007-10-01T02:20:55Z")
double post ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/26 "2007-10-01T02:22:45Z")
I’d take the money. I would invest half of it in Mutual Funds and give the rest of it to my friend, Saheib, in Securities… Either that or I’d do two chicks at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/27 "2007-10-01T02:33:10Z")
The money. Five was fun, but I’m not sure I’d make it through adolescence/early adulthood alive next time. I remember being way too miserable for too many years. I always wanted to be an adult! ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/28 "2007-10-01T02:40:18Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Honestly, who wants to be five years old again? [/QUOTE] Because nobody suspects the 5-year-old. 😃 Do I get to choose which parents I have? If not, I’ll take the money. ---
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/29 "2007-10-01T02:51:00Z")
Consensus so far is 100%…money. (Where did my thinking go wrong? I’d dump the bucks and get down for another 100 years of the new world ahead.) ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/30 "2007-10-01T02:52:24Z")
Option 2 isn’t really an option at all. Who wants to be 5 years old again, especially if you’re not at least going to have all the memories of a long-lived life. That’s basically saying you fucked things up so badly you want to erase yourself and start over. Some drug addicts might pick that, but not anyone normal. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/31 "2007-10-01T03:13:25Z")
[QUOTE=phouka] But even with the memories intact, it’s iffy. Seriously, how many of us could stand being five years old physically but possessing adult memories, thoughts, and temperaments. Even if you could redress the wrongs of childhood, a five year old child behaving like an adult would be a freakish oddity. There go your chances of a happy childhood. [/QUOTE] Luckily, I’m pretty childish anyway. I’ll take the five-years-old thingy, please. Think what a breeze school will be! Should give me plenty of time to work on my curveball. Plus, I get to go through high school knowing what I know now. You know, about _girls_ and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/32 "2007-10-01T03:44:26Z")
I would never relive childhood again. It was too long and I feel like my life really started when I was 18 or so. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/33 "2007-10-01T05:31:41Z")
Now, if you gave me the choice between the big money & returning to age 18, and know the consequences of about three choices I could re-do, THAT would be tempting. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/34 "2007-10-01T05:46:40Z")
[QUOTE=bonitahi] Consensus so far is 100%…money. (Where did my thinking go wrong? I’d dump the bucks and get down for another 100 years of the new world ahead.) [/QUOTE] The thinking went wrong in assuming I was afraid of aging and wasn’t so in love with my memories and in not estimating the depth of my greed. That’s okay, I look like a nice girl. Show me the money. ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/35 "2007-10-01T06:10:07Z")
Right at this moment I’ll pick being five years old again. It would be different parents and whole new life. I have a pretty sweet life as is but I know it could be better. I’ll roll those dice since I’m pretty sure I’d get a better rung on the new ladder of life. If I could pick being 5 with my current memories I’d take that deal even faster. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2007, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/36 "2007-10-01T07:06:25Z")
[QUOTE=bonitahi] Consensus so far is 100%…money. (Where did my thinking go wrong? [/QUOTE] In postulating memory erasure. If the price is losing my memories, I don’t care if I get a billion dollars, the perfect peak-adult body, and Superman’s powers. “I” will be dead. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/37 "2007-10-01T07:19:50Z")
Well for me at age 22 there is no question I would take the money… if I was 64 though, it might be another story. But I would still _probably_ take the money. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/38 "2007-10-01T11:00:34Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s basically saying you fucked things up so badly you want to erase yourself and start over. Hehe I’m not a worthless drug addict. But a bit of a perfectionist. I would go back to being 5 for the chance to do things better. I was only a couple 50-50 decisions away from being more than 1.5 million richer. I figure with another chance, even not knowing what I know know, The odds are I can’t make the wrong decision every single time again, and will be in a better place the second go around. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/39 "2007-10-01T11:08:39Z")
[QUOTE=Rigamarole] Well for me at age 22 there is no question I would take the money… if I was 64 though, it might be another story. But I would still _probably_ take the money. [/QUOTE] Even at 64 it’s better to take the money and live a couple more years than to die instantly (which is all the other option is). > [@wolfman](#): > > I figure with another chance, even not knowing what I know know, The odds are I can’t make the wrong decision every single time again, and will be in a better place the second go around. No, _you_ would not be getting a second chance. Some random new human being will get the chance. Big freakin deal. How is that different than what would essentially happen anyway? Some new 5 year old who happens to resemble you genetically will get a chance to have more success than you. Who cares. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/40 "2007-10-01T11:21:17Z")
> [@](#): > > No, you would not be getting a second chance. Some random new human being will get the chance. Big freakin deal. How is that different than what would essentially happen anyway? Some new 5 year old who happens to resemble you genetically will get a chance to have more success than you. Who cares. It’s pure arrogance. I happen think my genetic make-up had a pretty good chance to do important things. I happened to miss eveything and waste it. Another try with the same set-up might actually help things. And ‘me’ was there at 5. I can still remember it. Of course my experiences helped shape me, but they were more the details than the substance of me. If I woke up tommorow in a city I didn’t recognize and total sitcom amnesia back to the time I was 5 and for some reason they couldn’t find out who I was, I would still be me. I don’t see it as any different. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079.md?page=3)