Would You Choose the Future or Past?

Posted by: Josef Essberger

Forward or backward? If time is linear

Somebody locks you in a time-machine and you have to go forward (the future) or backward (the past). You will never come back to “now”.

You can go any length of time, one day, a thousand years, a million years… Which would you choose? Future or past?

And why?

Please leave your comments below :)

time-machine (noun): an imaginary machine that lets people travel in time and go to the future (for example tomorrow or next year) or past (for example yesterday or last year)

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Posted by Josef Essberger June 2015
Contributor: Josef Essberger, founder of EnglishClub. Originally from London, England, Josef is the author of several books for learners of English including English Prepositions List and Learn English in 7.

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44 comments

• Ali says:
  

  I’d prefer to go back to my childhood, I have many good memories that I want to see again, and It would be grateful if I go to past with my mind and knowledges,
  Also try to learn and practice more.

• Someone says:
  

  Future. Amazing inventions, more cool games, good stuff.

• Lily says:
  

  If I was allowed to do both, I would do both. Mostly past, cause like other people said, for lost knowledge and greet family members and stop war.

• Lynn says:
  

  I would go for past. Not only do I want to fix mistakes, but I want to explore and make new stuff. The present is horrible. There is legit about to be a war. Wow. I do not want to see the whatever that lies in front of me but I can’t see.

• Maria says:
  

  That’s a beautiful comment @Darshika. I hope you will meet your Papa in the future.

• Darshika says:
  

  I will definitely go back to the past. My past was very beautiful. Especially the time which I spent with my parents and loved ones. I would never wanna come back from that time. I lost my dad this year and everyday I pray to god to make me meet him. My life has stopped without him. I would wanna go back to my past and never come back. Also I would change the things which I did in my past for which I regret now. I would value my time with my family now. Especially my dad. I would spend more and more time with him and listen to him more. I love you soo much Papa👴. Can someone please send me to past. I don’t wanna live in this present.

• Rose says:
  

  I’d rather foresee the future to decide what to do next than change the past.

• Jemrie louie says:
  

  I want to go to the future because past is past i dont want to go back to those lives i want to see the new one its either because its confusing about the mysteries we never expected or we want to get out of toxic life in the past,so my decision is future.

• Interahamwe says:
  

  Going to the past to correct previous mistakes is better than going into the future and witnessing it. This is because you would have another opportunity to correct yours and other big mistakes created by society in order to develop a better future, it is also good to go in the past to greet some family members who might’ve passed away. Going into the future only gives you an opportunity to see normal ordinary stuff change, it’ll be difficult to adjust to it and you will feel as if you’re an old person who is not familiar to new technology. In conclusion it is better to go into the past and correct mistakes in order to create a better future and also you can meet family members who have passed away this is better than going to the future as you won’t be as familiar with technology and social norms and you’ll feel like an outcast.

• No name says:
  

  I’d go to the past so I could fix my mistakes.

• Vince says:
  

  I choose the past in the its sooooooo fun and freedom and many more but the future is kinda boring,stay at home,always wear mask and their is no freedom it always lockdown after future to future it all became advanced… But later on its getting boring because its to advanced that it getting boring and the nature it became a technology and bad….

  Sorry i was bad making english because im filino

• Rawg says:
  

  I will choose pas because I like past am gonna meet grandfather he will see me in past is look like 1983 or 1997

• Oksana Yudenko says:
  

  I think moving into the future might be at the very least useless and at most dangerous because I could be moved into the time when my person does not exist and I would simply disappear. So I choose moving backward in time to make some changes in my life. But it would make sense only if it was the case that I was conscious of my current personality because if my life was just rewinded I would make the same mistakes and wrong decisions again.

• Dylan Kaulukou-Chang says:
  

  I would go back to the past because I have any decisions to make, I haven’t sign up winterball back in high school years, and finally it would easier to have each other as new friends so I can use my first smartphone. So definitely past would be my good choice.

• KittyWarrior says:
  

  Oh, and I would also go to the future to see all the cool new technology and the new video games and such. And I just feel like the past was a lot… harder to do things in general. Btw ignore following Logan on Tiktok

• Logan kolbuck says:
  

  I would pick the future because i could get newer stuff like phones cars aka flying cars but ya go follow Logan.kolbuck_ on tiktok

• KittyWarrior says:
  

  Yeet

• Ella says:
  

  I pick past because there has been soooo many Tragic things in the last idk to many years, COVID is something that effected everything and anything. So definitely past. 3/8/21

• KittyWarrior says:
  

  I think I would pick to go to the future because I wouldn’t wanna screw up my life even more then I already have in the past, and I would kinda wanna see if the stuff I like was still around in the future. Like for example it would really suck if anime wasnt a thing anymore. UwU

• Logan says:
  

  I pick the future because I want Newer things not the old stuff in the past

• unknown says:
  

  i will go to past where war is about to start between country and state i wiil go there and form a alliance by which i can stop war and misunderstanding among people and form a alliance with country and state And step by step i will start to gain state after that country after that another country if another country dont want to form alliance then firstable manage about the him\her leader then people will follow me after that by gaining 5,6 country thats sure i am the most powerful. after that whole country of world is in fear and i will gain all the land in the world and i become a lord where i stop the invention like explosion.bomb.gun .rifles i will band all things i will allow to study about only medicine not a scientific invention then i make a whole countrys in ones ..after that i will make a rule and make a commander for every country an i bacame a lord of all people who make a rule that people never betray each otherconflct should be settle by talent etc and when i die i give my whole responsibility to a person whos heart is like a ocean where u cant find a single mistake and when i die i say him that word glory is not for a single person .if you want to make a world peaceful then firstable youu should be kind hearted then others would like you so you cant change world world can change you….hahaha lets have fun;because that is tru heaven

• Bayankhuu says:
  

  We have to go back to past and warn the people about the future robot,heat,war,virus,nuclear stuff.I know what will happen in the future.

• Deven says:
  

  I would go to the future and get a giant gun then go back and EAT A DINOSOUR

• phoenix (child) says:
  

  I would pick past because i could see all the cool machines and life would be so much funner. If i were to come back to the present then i could become rich>

  E.g. i see all the sports bet papers and who won and then i come back to the present bet all my money and stuff and then when i win i will be rich
  i just keep on doing this to earn more money… simple!

• Jean says:
  

  It would be interesting to go back to a time to discover what we call mysteries today. Lost knowledge

• monim says:
  

  Thanks for the nice topic…. the past was verey nice time put full of danger but it’s has adventags there is now illnes there are alot of freesh food than now.. all the people were strong they were kicks good….but the disadventags…you could not sleep safe animals could attack you well sleeping….there is was no good clouthes only made from animls skin it’s to hot ….there were no good cover …and all the day and night the animals moving around you …you know i can’t tack it i choce the future

• Abeer says:
  

  I would like to choose past because a live is simple

• Tina says:
  

  i would to go to the past, but that is just a wish not be come true, so i would live in the future it’s hard to live now it’s not mean you left behind

• reza says:
  

  I want to choose future.because that offer you to learn that what we dream today, will be reality tomorrow.

• Adaline Bala says:
  

  I would like to choose my future. The past life is gone and I experienced every thing. I am exited about my future.So I prefer future.

• Rizwan says:
  

  It’s really difficult for someone who have to chose to going back or forward. In my case i will prefer to go back and change all those worsted decision which i made. Gain all those opportunities which i missed at that time. It probably not only make my great present and future but also make good changes in those people who were attached with me at that time.

• Azhar says:
  

  I will chose future to make my life better using my past experience.

• Daniel says:
  

  Au-to be different; the pass is where I would travel. As a child, high scholar, I crossed paths with the school’s Liberian; she was quant, wore the countenance of a loving grandmother and dressed the manner as well. Yet- on her right forearm she wore inked numbers; numbers from her time in the WWII concentration camp. I knew this from a brief battle we were engage in; a battle of page turning. You see-I was photo reader. While flipping through a WWII picture book, turning pages faster than a track star can sprint. Only to watch her finger turn the pages back to one impressively large photo. A photo where she stood behind barb wire with other children and presumably mothers; the numbers matched, her numbers matched; it was her! I would like to show her some love for sparking the need to read.

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• Bholu says:
  

  I would choose past because I want see how the human civilization has evolved in the last 20000 years or so. I want see the civilization of Egypt, mayans , Asia and Europe etc to konw How do they build big pyramids and other mysterious and wonderful things we see today.

• Anah says:
  

  I have lived 18 years of my life in this temporary world and I don’t think I have had pretty charming things or events in my life till now except for my childhood. So, I would choose future over past. And the reason behind my choice is; I want to see how this world and my life would be in upcoming years. I want to see my goals getting accomplished. I want to see what advanced technologies would Science introduce to humans.

• Muchammad taufiq says:
  

  I would go to my past where i can fix any mistake so i Will find better present and future life…

• bakhtawar says:
  

  I would like to choose past because i know i did many stupid dicissions, i want to change them .I want to take addvantages from those pputunite which i missed.

• Mishaikh says:
  

  I would like to choose FUTURE, past I already have experienced, there will be nothing for me to change or modify specifically. So future is more attractive for me to “let see what is there ahead to experience”.

• sarv says:
  

  I would prefer to go to the future because I did my best for making any decisions in the past and I don’t want to repeat that experience again.My reason for going to the future isn’t knowing the events that will happen for me although they are very important.I chose the future for its novelty.

• Amal says:
  

  I would choose both,the future and the past.Because I don’t really know what happened exactly in the past and what will happen in the future .So ,I would try both and choose after that what’s the best.

• Eunice says:
  

  Choosing future or past will change everyones life but as for me, i prefer to go back to the past coz there are lots of stupid dicissions that i wanted to change from my past. I want to grab those oppurtunity that i ignore before and ask an apology to those people that i hurt & offended with my actions and above all i want to experience those WHAT IF’s in my life.

• JUANES774 says:
  

  I would choose going to the future. Because in my case I don’t want to change any thing about my pass despite is not perfect. But thinking about get to know my future and how the world could change by that time sound very interesting. I guess if I know what happen in the future with my life, maybe I’ll try to do my best in my present.

• Mona says:
  

  It’s really difficult to make a choice!!!It’s so risky actually!I think I will choose the future, there’s no dinosaurs at least!!!Just kidding!
  I will choose the future because I think that science will make extraordinary progress by that time!so,there will be less diseases and death and people will have a happier life, of course if there’s no new war on our beautiful planet!!!