Hypothetical Re: Olympic Glory

[Infected Mushroom]

Please consider the following hypothetical:

You have a choice to live your life as is...

or roll the clock back, have all of your memories wiped, and live a life unknowingly destined towards glory at the Olympics Games (gold medal, world number one status in at least one sport over many games).

However, the cost is that your childhood will be destroyed because they will be restructured by your parents and trainers to push you to max potential. Your whole life will be structured and guided by subconscious forces that lead you to your destiny... ultimate gold medal glory. After that goal is achieved, you will suddenly feel free and you can do whatever you want (though your life have been impacted by your dedication to the sport).

So what do you say? Is this a good deal? Please justify.

I will take the deal because I like the idea of having a purpose and a gift and rising above and beyond in the end. I don’t really like the normal life which seems to oscillate between aimless mundanity and horror survival. While I understand there are social and psychological costs (and I am sure throughout it it will be painful) and that I won’t be “normal,” I like there being A Plan and a Purpose for me.

[The Free Joy State]

I choose my life as it is (and, incidentally "present life" seems better for the poll than "present station" -- which not only has classist overtones, but seems to presume that respondents cannot already have the life they want).

My parents are not the type of people who would have relentlessly pushed me to Olympic glory, with no regard to my own wishes (which this would be because I never liked sport, and the original OP gives no indication that that would change; a child is not a blank slate after all, and emptying my memories will not change a personality) and "destroy" (as the OP said) my childhood in the process. Ergo, I would have had different parents.

The heavy psychological toll of having a childhood destroyed by parents who only dreamed of my achieving Olympic glory, not the mention the physical toll of all the training required (to do something I have no natural interest in), is simply not worth it.

Please consider the following hypothetical:

You have a choice to live your life as is...

or roll the clock back, have all of your memories wiped, and live a life unknowingly destined towards glory at the Olympics Games (gold medal, world number one status in at least one sport over many games).

However, the cost is that your childhood will be destroyed because they will be restructured by your parents and trainers to push you to max potential. Your whole life will be structured and guided by subconscious forces that lead you to your destiny... ultimate gold medal glory. After that goal is achieved, you will suddenly feel free and you can do whatever you want (though your life have been impacted by your dedication to the sport).

So what do you say? Is this a good deal? Please justify.

[Kilobugya]

It wouldn't be "me" but someone else, so option 1 amount to committing suicide, so no thanks.

[Infected Mushroom]

It wouldn't be "me" but someone else, so option 1 amount to committing suicide, so no thanks.

It would still be you and your consciousness, only with certain subconscious and physical parameters altered so that the unconscious destiny is set.

[Kilobugya]

It wouldn't be "me" but someone else, so option 1 amount to committing suicide, so no thanks.

It would still be you and your consciousness, only with certain subconscious and physical parameters altered so that the unconscious destiny is set.

Sorry if you rewrite my childhood it is no longer me. The "me" of now is in huge part the result of the memories and experiences I had all over my life, especially during my childhood. If you could duplicate at molecular level a toddler and raise the two in wholly different environments, you'll end up with totally different adults, to the point were it makes no sense of pretending it's the same person. There is no soul, the consciousness is only information, patterns, if you change them enough it's no longer the same person.

[The Blaatschapen]

Living in what is former East Germany, hell no.

East Germany is quite infamous for its strict regimen of sport talents.

[Infected Mushroom]

It would still be you and your consciousness, only with certain subconscious and physical parameters altered so that the unconscious destiny is set.

Sorry if you rewrite my childhood it is no longer me. The "me" of now is in huge part the result of the memories and experiences I had all over my life, especially during my childhood. If you could duplicate at molecular level a toddler and raise the two in wholly different environments, you'll end up with totally different adults, to the point were it makes no sense of pretending it's the same person. There is no soul, the consciousness is only information, patterns, if you change them enough it's no longer the same person.

That new body continues to move at your mind/brain's literal control

it's just that some things have been switched

[The Free Joy State]

Sorry if you rewrite my childhood it is no longer me. The "me" of now is in huge part the result of the memories and experiences I had all over my life, especially during my childhood. If you could duplicate at molecular level a toddler and raise the two in wholly different environments, you'll end up with totally different adults, to the point were it makes no sense of pretending it's the same person. There is no soul, the consciousness is only information, patterns, if you change them enough it's no longer the same person.

That new body continues to move at your mind/brain's literal control

it's just that some things have been switched

Like every childhood experience you ever had, every early adulthood experience you ever had; every aspiration you ever had will be overridden by your new family (because, if your family were not emotionally abusive people who didn't care about your wishes, only that you reached Olympic success, they will be replaced)?

We are partly shaped by our experiences, our memories, our families and our goals.

If we have a different "destroyed", psychologically abusive childhood, completely different memories, different families, and have our true personality undermined so that we can pursue goals others want us to pursue, we will no longer be the same people.

It is not switching "a few things". It's a teardown.

[Ethel mermania]

I had a good time as a kid, so no.

[The Holy Therns]

My life isn't perfect, but I'd detest fame, so sacrificing a mostly pleasant childhood for it would be absolutely horrible.

[Lady Victory]

My childhood kinda sucked tbh but even so I'd never give up BIONICLES for the Olympics. That's a bad trade imo.

[The Holy Therns]

My childhood kinda sucked tbh but even so I'd never give up BIONICLES for the Olympics. That's a bad trade imo.

Couldn't do without my Classic Space.

[Heloin]

This seems like a crap deal. Lose my childhood and all I get is some dumb olympics shite. And I say this as someone who’s childhood included getting shot at and fleeing my home.

[The Two Jerseys]

Alternate me being forced to do sports despite hating physical work and avoiding it as much as possible?

That's gonna be a no...

[Kannap]

Please consider the following hypothetical:

You have a choice to live your life as is...

or roll the clock back, have all of your memories wiped, and live a life unknowingly destined towards glory at the Olympics Games (gold medal, world number one status in at least one sport over many games).

However, the cost is that your childhood will be destroyed because they will be restructured by your parents and trainers to push you to max potential. Your whole life will be structured and guided by subconscious forces that lead you to your destiny... ultimate gold medal glory. After that goal is achieved, you will suddenly feel free and you can do whatever you want (though your life have been impacted by your dedication to the sport).

So what do you say? Is this a good deal? Please justify.

I will take the deal because I like the idea of having a purpose and a gift and rising above and beyond in the end. I don’t really like the normal life which seems to oscillate between aimless mundanity and horror survival. While I understand there are social and psychological costs (and I am sure throughout it it will be painful) and that I won’t be “normal,” I like there being A Plan and a Purpose for me.

As usual, when a question is asked of whether I'd go back in time and change my life trajectory, my answer is "No." Sure, I wish I was better well off financially and I wish I'd graduated college by now, but everything that's happened and everything I've done has led to who I am as a person today. I have a small number of amazing best friends and a bit larger number of great online friends. I have a boyfriend now as well. It's very possible I'd have never met any of them if I changed some things of my past and did things differently.

So no, I don't take this deal because I've already lived 24 years of life. Hasn't all been beautiful, hasn't all been great, and there are many things I wish could've been better, but I am where I am and I've been where I've been and I'm going where I'm going because of the choices I've made and the life I've lived and am living, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm me and me is not an Olympic athlete.

[Kannap]

It wouldn't be "me" but someone else, so option 1 amount to committing suicide, so no thanks.

Basically, this.

[Chan Island]

To be completely honest, I was born with a freakishly good talent for running. I could comfortably outrun just about every person I encountered until well into my teenage years, and even then only by people who had explicitly trained for running in a serious way. And even now, the talent is still there. I've recently joined a running whatsapp group and yet despite barely any training I comfortably kept up with the experienced guy who initiated me into me with ease.

So I have already had the thought about how my life would have turned out if I had been trained explicitly for the olympics for running. I'm weirdly nostalgic for the life that never happened.

In summary... yeah, I am hella curious how In would have turned out as an explicitly trained olympic runner and trained all my life for that purpose.

[Thermodolia]

Fuck that. As much as I wish to be in a different situation I wouldn’t replace it with that.

[Thermodolia]

Please consider the following hypothetical:

You have a choice to live your life as is...

or roll the clock back, have all of your memories wiped, and live a life unknowingly destined towards glory at the Olympics Games (gold medal, world number one status in at least one sport over many games).

However, the cost is that your childhood will be destroyed because they will be restructured by your parents and trainers to push you to max potential. Your whole life will be structured and guided by subconscious forces that lead you to your destiny... ultimate gold medal glory. After that goal is achieved, you will suddenly feel free and you can do whatever you want (though your life have been impacted by your dedication to the sport).

So what do you say? Is this a good deal? Please justify.

I will take the deal because I like the idea of having a purpose and a gift and rising above and beyond in the end. I don’t really like the normal life which seems to oscillate between aimless mundanity and horror survival. While I understand there are social and psychological costs (and I am sure throughout it it will be painful) and that I won’t be “normal,” I like there being A Plan and a Purpose for me.

As usual, when a question is asked of whether I'd go back in time and change my life trajectory, my answer is "No." Sure, I wish I was better well off financially and I wish I'd graduated college by now, but everything that's happened and everything I've done has led to who I am as a person today. I have a small number of amazing best friends and a bit larger number of great online friends. I have a boyfriend now as well. It's very possible I'd have never met any of them if I changed some things of my past and did things differently.

So no, I don't take this deal because I've already lived 24 years of life. Hasn't all been beautiful, hasn't all been great, and there are many things I wish could've been better, but I am where I am and I've been where I've been and I'm going where I'm going because of the choices I've made and the life I've lived and am living, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm me and me is not an Olympic athlete.

I mean tbh I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to go back in time and never leave the military. Not a lot would change really as I’d still have most of my old friends

[Eahland]

In other words: Would I like to be murdered and have my identity stolen by an Olympic medalist?

That's a big no.

[Infected Mushroom]

In other words: Would I like to be murdered and have my identity stolen by an Olympic medalist?

That's a big no.

It’s more like a reincarnation, with some physical stats and psychological tendencies switched... but your mind would still be the motor that moves the limbs and all the physical equipment

[Galloism]

In other words: Would I like to be murdered and have my identity stolen by an Olympic medalist?

That's a big no.

It’s more like a reincarnation, with some physical stats and psychological tendencies switched... but your mind would still be the motor that moves the limbs and all the physical equipment

The difference is 95% academic.

[Kannap]

In other words: Would I like to be murdered and have my identity stolen by an Olympic medalist?

That's a big no.

It’s more like a reincarnation, with some physical stats and psychological tendencies switched... but your mind would still be the motor that moves the limbs and all the physical equipment

Sure, sure, sure, but you're not understanding that if you took me and reset me to one year old and changed my entire life trajectory then I would no longer be me.

[Infected Mushroom]

It’s more like a reincarnation, with some physical stats and psychological tendencies switched... but your mind would still be the motor that moves the limbs and all the physical equipment

Sure, sure, sure, but you're not understanding that if you took me and reset me to one year old and changed my entire life trajectory then I would no longer be me.

My understanding of identity is that if you can still 100 percent will your (new) body to move then you are still you.

So if I went back in time and became Tywin Lannister and my personality, skill set, proclivities, and abilities got changed to his... I’d still be Me if I still control the body like a video game joystick holder.

...

So the exception would be... I’m Tywin now AND the supernatural entity decides how my limbs move (with a type of command override like how a tank commander can take over the gunner’s controls from his seat)

[The Free Joy State]

In other words: Would I like to be murdered and have my identity stolen by an Olympic medalist?

That's a big no.

It’s more like a reincarnation, with some physical stats and psychological tendencies switched... but your mind would still be the motor that moves the limbs and all the physical equipment

And a whole new, very shitty family who don't care for their child's wishes and who are willing to destroy their childhood.

Anyway, just because New Family, Destroyer of Childhoods (NFDC for short) want a child to do something, just because the child may be forced to train until they're good at it, doesn't mean their "psychological tendencies" will be any different. If you reset me to a year old, and gave me to NFDC to raise, I would most likely still grow up to dislike sport but to start writing little stories when I was three or four.

That was my natural inclination, which needed no encouragement.

Contrary to what people thought centuries ago, a child is not a tabla rasa.