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Besides the obvious answer of making money, or rather, how would you do it as an 8 year old? What else would you do?

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[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Hug my mom

After that I'd probably start the process of establishing that I'm trans, and I'd actually study and put effort into applying to good schools as time goes on.

[-] myfunnyaccountname@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 hours ago

Convince my parents to put all their money in some fruit company about apples.

[-] yermaw@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 hours ago

I'd spend a lot of its mourning that I'd never be able to replicate my daughter as she is now. I could time it right to get the right egg, but how many wanks, exactly, and when did I have? How could I possibly even guarantee the right sperm even if I manage to secure the same payload?

Probably instead just ride the bitcoin wave hard as hell and start my own game dev company.

Also I'd be better equipped towards mad anxiety disorder. That shit absolutely ruined my life and it took about 3 years before I realised something was actually wrong.

[-] antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 5 hours ago

Go to the library a lot. Learn and master the art of lock picking. Make more friends at school (networking). Wear crocs way before they’re cool.

[-] RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works 5 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

In 1976 give mom and dad a list of large corporations to buy stock in for for my Christmas and birthday gifts. Well into adulthood, buy Bitcoin. Tell my grandmother to go to her doctor and start cancer treatments.

[-] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 12 hours ago

I would wanna see what all this IRC stuff is all about

[-] hedge_lord@lemmy.world 3 points 12 hours ago

Estrogen. If that plan fails (and it probably would) then DIY orchiectomy. And if that plan fails (and it might) or is otherwise counteracted then I would die by my own hand.

The situation of my eight-year-old self is antithetical to the being of my current mind. My knowledge and understanding would force me to take certain paths and many of them lead to situations beyond my make-it-stop threshold. Is it better to walk to one's doom unknowingly, or to be dragged beaten ragged and screaming into the confinement of hell?

[-] RBWells@lemmy.world 6 points 16 hours ago

Talk my mom into putting us into a better school. Cry because I have to be a kid again. Be an academic hyperachiever, then get ridiculously early onset Alzheimer's at like 30 years old.

[-] RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz 16 points 20 hours ago

I'd go insane

[-] Dumbkid@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 14 hours ago

Play ragnarok online.

[-] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 1 day ago
1985.
It's 4 years before my first D&D game.
3 years before I pick up a guitar.
10 years before I start snowboarding.
20 years before I convince my republican parents there's a better way. 
Suddenly I am fluent in several languages, as if by magic.
I have a grasp on global politics and the knowledge of what's to come.
What do I do?
Play.
All day.
I swim. I run. I bike. I draw. I skate. I be. 

And I plot. 
[-] threeonefour@piefed.ca 33 points 1 day ago

Honestly, I think that would suck quite a bit. I would have the intelligence and experience of an adult trapped in the body of an 8 year old and dependent on my parents. I wouldn't be able to live independently for years. It would also be difficult to speak and act like an 8 year old. I have a university degree and an 8 year old with university level education would probably make me some weird child prodigy. Not only would I be dependent on my parents, but everyone would be pushing for me to be some genius by the time I'm an adult. I'd eventually grow up to be a huge disappointment. So really I'd kind of just be reliving the past!

The only saving grace is that I might be able to make some money off investing in tech companies and crypto before their drastic increase in value. At least I wouldn't need to work my entire life.

[-] Oka@sopuli.xyz 2 points 16 hours ago

I think that, while making money would be a primary goal, we would start to act like ourselves again and end up falling back into childish behaviors because that's what the others would expect of us, and we'd just have that freedom.

[-] d00phy@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

Totally agree. At first, they’d think you’re a genius, but you’d only be a genius as an 8 yo. Unless you kept progressing and getting smarter, eventually your age would catch up to your intelligence and you’d just be… well you.

Also, being 8 with the memories and experience of an adult would probably keep us from doing all the dumbass shit we did as kids. Some of it could’ve killed is, but I’m betting most of it was pretty rad at the time.

[-] Soulcreator@programming.dev 2 points 14 hours ago

But here's the fun thing, your brain is incredibly flexible when you are that age. So your ability to learn and retain at the age of 8 would be significantly easier than it is as an adult. So yes if you put your mind to it, you could potentially be significantly smarter than you are as an adult.

Long story short this could easily 2x your education giving you genius level intelligence you'd get to retain even when you become an adult again.

[-] d00phy@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

Fair point, but this assumes I’m relatively intelligent as a middle-aged adult. For the likelihood of that, I’ll refer you to George Carlin’s timeless message about the average person!

[-] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

At first, they’d think you’re a genius, but you’d only be a genius as an 8 yo. Unless you kept progressing and getting smarter, eventually your age would catch up to your intelligence and you’d just be… well you.

That's literally what happened to me in high school.

[-] P00ptart@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

First, I would convince some of those old crazy ass mercenaries that my uncle used to hang out with that Donald Trump touched me. This would be in 1992. Then I'd work my ass off mowing lawns and doing chores and saving every bit of money I could, invest in apple and other big stocks that I could get as they came out before they hit big, id sell them and invest in Tesla before Elon could get in on it, and Bitcoin. Id use my wealth to invest in solar so that it takes off earlier. Create a Superfund to counter lobbyists like the dark roofing lobby. What a completely asinine thing. Just switch to making white roofing materials? Use my wealth and power to become president, reverse citizens United and bring back a 90% tax on the wealthiest people. (Yes, Including myself.) Boom. World saved.

[-] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 8 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

I am sure I would start out trying to excel and impress people but I'd very quickly become depressed and lazy because I can't relate to anyone my age and school would be stupidly easy. I'd probably play more videogames

[-] Olkiss@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago

I would change the professional path, and I would stay most probably single to avoid all the energy lost in that "game".

[-] aramis87@fedia.io 8 points 1 day ago

Am I eight years old now in 2025, or eight years old way back then?

[-] P00ptart@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Back then, I assume. Being 8 today with the knowledge you have now would be fucking terrifying and mostly hopeless.

[-] TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 17 hours ago

Yes, I meant back then.

[-] AstralPath@lemmy.ca 1 points 16 hours ago

Play a bit less video games, focus harder on skateboarding and learn guitar earlier (started when I was 11).

Once I hit high school, I'd focus more so I could go to school at the end for electrical engineering. Once graduated, I'd start building amps and pedals for guitar and bass.

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

Go see Star Wars in the theater again. :)

[-] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 day ago

Immediately begin my global takeover. 1983 would never know what was about to happen. By 1990, the world would be mine.

[-] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I'd have a serious conversation with my parents about the less obvious symptoms of ADD. (It didn't have an H back then)

Besides that, I often wonder what I would do when I meet my ex wife. Avoiding her would save me trouble down the road, but then my three amazing kids would never exist and if the reset happened tomorrow, I'd have so many unanswered questions of whatever happened to them in that other timeline.

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Yeah, super weird. As an 8 year old, my future wife would be 3...

[-] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Ok, so now you got me wondering how creepy it is to start dating in junior high with adult brains.

[-] Oka@sopuli.xyz 2 points 16 hours ago

Theres some anime with that premise :D

[-] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago

This does not surprise me at all.

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 21 hours ago

that would be wierd. or dont date til adult hood, unless there is memory wipe with de-aging process.

[-] TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

Your kids wouldn't exist if any tiny change was made to the timeline at all. You having the memories of an older self at age 8 would certainly be enough to do it. Fortunately, it's just hypothetical.

[-] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Possibly. I do have enough information that I could easily find my ex, even if I didn't take the same path between age 8 and the day I met her.

For example if I studied harder and got into a better college, I still know which one she went to, and where she would hang out. I guess the biggest possible flaw of trying to recreate them would be which sperm hit which egg and how much of a difference that might make.

Actually, I've already raised three kids, maybe I'll just spring for a vasectomy at 18.

[-] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago

Does my depression also go back in time?

[-] TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago

If it's part of your mind, unfortunately.

[-] Drusas@fedia.io 8 points 1 day ago

Just kill myself and prevent the worst of it.

[-] scottmeme@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

I would remember to not drop a dime buying pizza back in like 2016

[-] zonnewin@feddit.nl 7 points 1 day ago

Why 8? I'd be really dependent on my parents again, and it would be impossible to explain my sudden precociousness and knowledge of the future.

Anyway, I'd try to work out and get stronger, and stand up to my bullies. I'd have some choice words for their sorry asses.

[-] Suck_on_my_Presence@lemmy.world 3 points 23 hours ago

Gosh, I don't even know. To be back in that traumatizing household?

I wouldn't make it very long, I don't think.

Maybe I'd steal some money and run away to a different country before 9/11 makes everything harder.

[-] Chozo@fedia.io 4 points 1 day ago

I'd predict 9/11 five years early. Nobody would believe me. How would a kid this young even know these words I'm saying? What can an 8 year old possibly know about Al Queda and the Taliban? How did he even hear about these organizations in the first place, they'd ask. His parents must leave the TV tuned to the news all day, they'd say. What an active imagination this young man has.

I think I'd end up creating my own 11.22.63 scenario.

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 21 hours ago

probably planning to rectify academic track record first, assuming the future remains the same you left it? you would make different choices so you have better outcome in adulthood, careerwise, or relationship wise.(because you know which stem fields you suck and want to pursue and you are failing class, probably changing that, or choose a different major)

[-] helmet91@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Hold on! Can I still do some research before this happens?

One thing I'd do for sure is, transfer to a different primary school. A better one. I just don't know which one, not even now.

Anyway, a 166 MHz Celeron CPU and 32 MB of RAM aren't very performant, most likely I won't do anything insane with it. I won't be able to write Rust applications, as a Rust compiler wouldn't exist yet. Also, my HTML5 knowledge wouldn't be usable either. I'd have to descend to XHTML strict standard, and CSS will be a pain in the ass once again.

I'm just realizing, I wouldn't be able to do much with my current knowledge.

Education and hard work, these are the two things I'd pursue at all costs. One of the biggest fuck-up of my life was at age 6, but it could be still corrected at age 8.

this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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