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It would probably be fair enough to assume that every single one of us sometimes dreams about traveling a few years (or a few decades) back in time. Some of us would like to go back and change a few things here and there, some would like to experience the best moments of their lives once again, and some, well, some people would simply love to go back to when life felt easier. The list goes on and on. Though despite the reasons behind it, the idea of time travel and being able to change your past itself is an interesting and tempting concept. But here's a thing—what if you could go back in time and meet a younger version of yourself? What would you like to do then?

Let's take a moment to explore this kind of scenario. Recently, Twitter user A_l_a_n__G shared a post asking others what are the 3 words they would tell their 18-year-old self through time travel.

Without further ado, Bored Panda invites you to look through some of the best responses.

#2

Time Travel-18-Year-Old-Self-3-Words

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Ottmar Straub
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

only because you are born into that grace - learn to defend it and do not destroy it inviting unconsciousness - our social system is born on intelligence and insight and not a ressource for everybody

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Brant Johns
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it's the political system that more than welcomes him as a candidate, as well as the people who vote for him, that are the issue. not the individual himself. he's just one person.

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WILLIAM FAULK
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heck, Germany is where a lot of people should go! but i want to go there for the Autobahn, and cheap E36 M3's.

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Nicholaa
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So true, the benefits and social nets are very good compared to other countries.

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Dorothy Cloud
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, can't you still go back there...assuming that you haven't already!

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Carmen Honacker
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with this statement. You can replace "Germany" with Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands and a few others. Look up "Happiest Countries in the World."

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Ottmar Straub
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All these countries are from the same tribes - germanic. The now-adays-countries are the result of politics

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Scar ️
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My family’s so done with Trump, my mom said we’re moving to Germany if he gets elected again.

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Rage Racer
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bye! As a Military member that has lived in Germany over 12 years, I LOVE to visit (omg the food) but I miss freedom to modify my car without TUV inspections and I miss my guns!.

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Χρηστος Λεο
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Germans will treat you like s**t. If you don't have a problem with that, yeah you can go to live there. If you think America has problems with racism, you haven't met a German.

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Ottmar Straub
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow - you met your own reflection - racism is not any problem here in Germany

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Susan Miller
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could never live in a country that killed 6 million people...

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Ottmar Straub
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well in Germany we suffered enough from people coming to us and exploiting us - we lack fatherhood to the same extent like other "modern" countries. We are much more honest, more humble and much less egotistic than most other western nations due to history and I do not like the social system of my country seen as a ressource to be exploited. We do not have many awake people and I do not like to see people from the USA here who are so simple-minded not to see the whole field around the american president - it is so very unconscious that it would be too much for my nation. Trump is egocentric to an extreme extent but he has a heart and he is not a monster like the american modern feminist and suppressive society we see from the outside - things are upside down in the USA to an extent that people misinterpret reality automatically. We do definitely not need more of those egos coming to our country.

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Ottmar Straub
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

oh man - we suffer enough from all the children coming to us - we are the most honest, most humble and least hipocrit people in the world (at least the industrialized "first-world-countries" and we suffered enough from the projections onto us - I do not like to have all the greedy people here - they are such a burden - our social system is breaking apart cause we have nobody who can protect us - people protecting us are defamed as Nazi - our social system is a ressource to be exploited - the German worker is such a beautiful thing for the world living surrender to an extent which makes him a victim of unconsciousness - we need fathers who are awake - there are none - worldwide

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Rickster
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In other words be a bum and suck off the system, and don’t contribute.

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Ian Taggart
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3 years ago

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Stay In America: Good food, English language, better wildlife, no history of housing the evilest group ever known.

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Many of the most popular responses included people advising their younger selves to buy Amazon, Apple, or Microsoft stocks. "I wanted to buy $4000 of Amazon stock very early on. Husband said I was nuts and badgered me, so I didn't. Instead, we put it with the money we had saved for the down payment on a bigger house. Still kicking myself. I knew I was smarter than him," someone commented. "Imagine your future self says 'invest in Apple.' But you don’t know that is. So you pour money into orchards and become the biggest apple (small “a”) magnate in the world," another user added.

#6

Time Travel-18-Year-Old-Self-3-Words

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Also, apparently, many people would advise themselves to marry or not to marry a certain person. For instance, one user shared that their 3 words would be "marry that girl." Someone commented on this tweet by saying this: "Can you find her? Is she legally available? At 77, my uncle found his high school sweetheart on FB. Both sides had spouses dead over 5 years. They are having the BEST time! SO happy! Live 1000 miles apart, so airplane and visit. Look her up!!!"

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One user shared that they'd rather say nothing and give their younger self a hug instead. "I’d give her a big hug because she wasn’t getting many at home and she’d been through a lot of crap in those short 18 years," the user wrote. "Never too late to be kind to yourself. I hope there are many warm, safe hugs in your life now," another user replied.

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#12

Time Travel-18-Year-Old-Self-3-Words

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Eepe
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good advice. I thought putting others first... being taken advantage of... one day someone would do the same for me. Obviously I’m no where near perfect and made plenty of mistakes... but it turns out i should have lived my life the way i wanted to and not let ANYONE get in my way, because no one else gives a s**t. There’s a lot more to unpack on that general statement... but she’s right about ‘like yourself first’ in soo many ways.

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The original post by A_l_a_n__G has since gone viral and it currently has over 20k likes, almost 18k quote tweets, and over 2.5k retweets. What would your response be after hearing this question? Let us know down in the comments!

#16

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Lara Löwenherz
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would say the same thing. And if 4 words were allowed i would ad a"now"

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#20

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Karynne Williams
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know I could have used this advice in my 20's. I know it now, 30 years later.

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#22

Time Travel-18-Year-Old-Self-3-Words

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Night Owl
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Panic never helps anything or anybody (except sometimes in serious life and death situations, like the instinct to run out of a burning building)

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#23

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#25

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Blarrg
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember chatting with my brother who was into tech. He was saying that Apple stock was very, very cheap. He said they were about to introduce a new product that would store and play digital music. The iPod. He said if it took off, which it might, it would go big. If it failed, it would probably be the end of Apple. He said if I had a grand to invest, it would be a good gamble. Neither of us had a grand we thought we could risk at the time...

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#27

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ArhomR
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“Thou shalt not covid thy neighbour’s life. Wear a mask.”

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#30

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