If you could go back in time and meet one person to warn them about something, who would it be?

Answer 1

~Okay, I'll play your game. Now, suppose the person I warn actually heeds my warning and does something about it. From that instant on, all of history changes. And what, praytell do those changes bring? Perhaps the ripple effect obviates my own birth. That being the case, why would I want to take on such a suicidal mission. And if I am no longer going to be born, then how could I have gone back to make the change in the first place? Or maybe I am born, but I'm born into a world something akin to Khmer Rouge Cambodia or Idi Amin's Uganda. Now, why would I want to do that to myself.

If I can travel to the past, I'll assume I can move into the future as well. That being the case, I'll go far into the future and check things out. Then I'll back up a bit and give my warnings to a more recent future, thereby changing the past of the more distant future that I already visited. Then I can go back to that future and see how things worked out. If I don't like the outcome, then at least I can return to the future's past where I made the change and stop myself from making it, thus restoring the future to what it was to begin with. Then I can go back to the different future and try again. I guess I've pretty much got forever to keep making changes then undoing them until I get the result I want. Once I've created the world I want, then I can stay there and enjoy it (and hope that in not returning to the present that I didn't change the future that I've been playing with and molding to suit my own needs. But once I've decided to live in the future, I'll have to worry about some knuckhead coming along from that future's future and trying to change his/her past (which would be my future, although if is actually now my adopted present), assuming my decision to stay in the future didn't alter the past to the extent that my present future no longer exists. Then I'll have to worry that someone else from the past, which may be my former present or even my former present's future - or past - is making changes in the future, (either my future present or my future present's future or even my future present's past) which could be my future (in which case I don't care because I can go back and fix it) or in my present (which I can fix as long as the change doesn't eliminate me) or in my past, which may or may not be may original past - it may simply be an earlier future). Anyhow, the only thing I want, assuming those other party changes didn't eliminate the present to the extent that I no longer exist in the future present - or whenever it - is to be able to go forward to fix my future again.

I've got a headache. Why not just live for today?

Answer 2

I'm not sure if I'm using the phrase properly, but whenever I hear a question like this, I think "butterfly effect." There are many people in history that would have benefited from some advanced knowledge of things to come. Being a survivor of domestic violence and rape in my younger years, I would have wished to know ahead of time what I was walking into. Looking back however, I realize that where I am now is a result of those cruelties and choices I made afterward. If I changed anything, wouldn't things be different for me now? If I warned Kennedy, Lincoln or even John Lennon, what kind of effect would that have? Jesus knew in advance what would happen. What if he had changed his course of action for fear of death? No, I say lets not turn back the clocks. I say instead we should be around for those left behind to help with the future. If anyone really should have been warned, perhaps it was God. I don't think he had any idea what he was in for when he created mankind.

Answer 3

well can I assume this won't have the Back to the future/journeyman affect? Where one small change can have major impacts down the road?

Well, I would most likely meet JFK and warn him about Dallas in Nov of 63.

Answer 4

I know it wouldn't do any good to warn Jesus about the guards coming for him the next day but, I would love to spend my last nigh with Jesus in the garden of Gesthemety on his last night.
I would want to pray for mankind with him and the salvation of man. I would ask him if I could be an apostle and devoted servant. To care for his hold mother and father after the Crucifixion.

Answer 5

I would go all the way back to the 5th day and warn God to stop with the animals.

No one should have to work on saturday!

Answer 6

I would go back to warn myself about the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait! That was the greatest disaster I’ve ever witnessed.

Answer 7

John F Kennedy Jr

Answer 8

if i could go back into time and warn someone about anything... wow, what a great question.

maybe i might warn einstein about nukes
or warn myself about future tests i school
maybe prevent myself from being born 0.0
not sure, there's millions of things i could warn myself about

Answer 9

I would go back and warn myself to NOT get out of the car to confront the guys who cut us off because one of them was going to stab me six times!

Ahh, to be drunk at 21yo again! Such confidence.

Answer 10

Hi,

Well if this is possible surely i would go to Mahatma Gandhi b'cos he was the person who would hav made a difference if he could be alive for few more years not only in India but also to the world he believed in "Vasudhav KutumbKam" meaning "World is one family"

thanks