# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/81 "2007-10-04T20:01:15Z")
“The way I interpret the question, the OP is asking whether it would be better to experience a whole new life from the age of 5 in a different era or acquire a huge pile of money in our current one.” That’s pretty accurate. But I want to fix that part about retaining your memories. OK, you contain only a very very few of only your fondest memories of time and times, but no, no real all inclusive recollection. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/82 "2007-10-04T20:17:38Z")
Money. Childhood would be a species of Hell. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/83 "2007-10-05T06:09:56Z")
Money. Five is overrated. Tris ---
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/84 "2007-10-05T23:15:29Z")
[QUOTE=Triskadecamus] Money. Five is overrated. Tris [/QUOTE] For Trisk, instead of five, make it 21 years old…what then? If five is too young for this choice, pick your own year. Would ya take the money now? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/85 "2007-10-06T00:48:29Z")
[QUOTE=bonitahi] For Trisk, instead of five, make it 21 years old…what then? If five is too young for this choice, pick your own year. Would ya take the money now? [/QUOTE] If you are willing to barter here then sign me up for 18. Give me a call when it is ready. 5 was a no-go though. ---
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/86 "2007-10-06T02:48:19Z")
I’ll go back and change all the fives for eighteens, and we’ll see how people will come around and give up the damn money. ---
**Author:** ![bundykala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bundykala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bundykala)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/87 "2007-10-06T03:20:35Z")
[QUOTE=bonitahi] I’ll go back and change all the fives for eighteens, and we’ll see how people will come around and give up the damn money. [/QUOTE] Well, I’m 17. So, uh.. no. Money’s good. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/88 "2007-10-06T03:42:13Z")
[QUOTE=bonitahi] I’ll go back and change all the fives for eighteens, and we’ll see how people will come around and give up the damn money. [/QUOTE] If I don’t keep my memories, I don’t care what age you’re offering- I’ll take the money. If my memories aren’t part of the deal, then no matter what age you make me, the important fact is that you’re killing _me_. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/89 "2007-10-06T04:02:00Z")
Gimme the money. Being 5 years old again would mean eventually being 12-13 years old again, and why would I want to experience the hell of junior high school again? But if I could go back knowing what I know now, and have the opportunity to correct my mistakes, I’d do it in a heartbeat. The one big mistake I’d correct? Listening to my parents when they went on and on about getting a “dependable job”. Fuck that - this time around I’m chasing my dream of rock stardom! ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/90 "2007-10-06T20:10:07Z")
Like most above, I’d take the money unless I could go back with my present memories. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/91 "2007-10-06T20:59:26Z")
This hypothetical is not unlike a choice many MMO players wrestle with: should they reset their character? edit: I would reset (go back to age 5), personally. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/92 "2007-10-07T00:27:51Z")
An extra forty-odd years of life (on average) versus a bunch of money? Hello first grade. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079/93 "2007-10-07T22:15:14Z")
Are all the parameters the same as they were when I was 5 the first time? If so–I might still take it. There were times in my life when I knew I was at a crossroads but lacked the courage to take what I see now as the correct path. Maybe I’d take that path this time around–I can’t really say. Then again, the money would come in handy about now. If I were 69 and offered this, I’d become 5 again in a heartbeat. I’m assuming one couldn’t mess with time anymore than necessary for this, so I wouldn’t go back in time, I’d just be 5 year old me in 2007–so I get to see what I wouldn’t see of the 21st century if I had stayed 69 (because I would have died). Now I’m getting a headache… I’ve always wanted a “do over” of my life, starting at about age 13. I would not go to nursing school; I would not marry the man I did; I would not have settled for less than what I wanted, just to name a few things I’d change. And I’d like me a whole lot more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-choice-big-bucks-in-the-bank-now-or-become-5-years-old-again/421079.md?page=4)