Hypothetical

[goldkin]

Today's question mirrors my thoughts:

Suppose you were presented with convincing evidence that you made a series of bad decisions in the past. These decisions are all rooted at a single point in time. Had more information been available at this time, it would have changed your entire life for the better, achieving a defined set of life goals that you've otherwise failed to attain.

Now suppose you were given the ability to change that decision. The means are irrelevant: this could be anything from borrowing the Epoch to finding a loophole in quantum entanglement. You are able to change this decision with 100% certainty.

But there's a catch. Due to the inconvenience of a single timeline and the grandfather paradox, doing so will end your existence in favor of your beneficiary clone. The exact time it ends is not defined, but if you alter history it is assured. As an indirect result, you cannot return to your original time.

What would you do in this case? Would you take the opportunity to reshape your life, even if it could only be enjoyed it vicariously? Or would you continue to be the person you became despite your definably flawed existence in your own mind?

I'll offer my rationale in the comments, if anyone is curious.

Comments

[arethinn]

I find davv's interpretation of the question puzzling, since it seems to assume you "duplicate" yourself in some way - whereas the question says it will "end my existence". I read it as the current "me" would vanish, in favor of this "other me" - which is an opportunity I would certainly take, if only I had any way of determining just which is an appropriate/crucial juncture, and what is really the correct course of action in that case.

[davv]

My interpretation was based on:

The exact time it ends is not defined, but if you alter history it is assured. As an indirect result, you cannot return to your original time.

If the change just ends yourself immediately, then "the exact time it ends is not defined" would be incorrect, because you know it will end at the moment you do the change.

Instead I interpreted it as that at the moment you inform your previous self, the "you" that did the informing is cut loose from causality. The universe won't like that and will sooner or later end your existence, but how long "time" it takes until it catches up with you is undefined.

[arethinn]

Ah. I read "it" as referring to the other me. Darn pronouns.