[blurb]

Upon reading Solomon II's post The Elevator Speech it made me do a lot of self-reflection and contemplation. If you could go back in time, what would you tell the 18-year-old version of yourself? If you could be 18 again, what would you do differently? Would tell yourself to live life regret-free? What mistakes would you warn yourself about? What wisdom will you have learned to impart?

[Vitriol]

Less focus on education, more on socializing and partying. The return on investment for sitting around and reading books all day really isn't that great.

[Dash Global]

I would try and graduate highschool and college as EARLY as possible.

Id major in education and get licensed and graduate when I was 19-20

Since I would be a certified teacher from the states I can get the TOP / REAL teaching gigs at International Schools pretty much anywhere I wanted.

Make a sick travel, work, and life blog focusing on living abroad and slaying local lizards. After a few years of building an solid following id look to monetize it.

Id do my first year in Lima Peru.

Second year in Barranquilla Colombia.

I would look to purchase a small condo or house in the States to rent out. Also I would try and develop an E-Commerce website.

Third year in Rio De Janeiro Brazil.

Fourth year in Sao Paulo Brazil.

Then id head Asia.

Fifth year in Tokyo Japan.

Six year in Bangkot Thailand.

At this point id be roughly 25-26. Id focus my attention to saving money to round out my 20's.

Then at the age of 30 id return to the US with aprx 50 - 100 g's and start investing in real estate full time!

After 1-2 years id be able to have the time and financial freedom to work when I want and travel when I want.

[Excelsior]

I'd say to myself:

1. Stop talking. Don't be a try-hard.

2. Study more. You lose money chasing women, but you never lose women chasing money. Knowledge is strength.

3. Pussy is not a rare commodity.

4. Learn to enjoy your own company. Never depend on the presence of other people for validation and affirmation.

5. Patience is a virtue.

6. "When in doubt, remain absolutely silent."

[K-man]

He-he. I would say to myself, get out of the stock market in 2000, get back in in 2001, out in 2008, back in 2009, out in 2011...

Really, what's the point of these thought experiments? I think we should save them for running on chicks we are gaming as routines.
If you were 18 again, you'd be the same person you were when you were 18. The only way to gather wisdom and life experience is to live, make mistakes, and learn from them.

[blurb]

(08-12-2011 02:11 AM)K-man Wrote:  

If you were 18 again, you'd be the same person you were when you were 18.

Read the post carefully again.

Quote:

If you could go back in time, what would you tell the 18-year-old version of yourself?

[OSL]

Learn game earlier and bang a lot more chicks. Get out of your comfort zone now and make mistakes when you are younger. A great blowjob is better than mediocre sex.

Don't go to graduate school, join a startup. School will be there for you if it fails, which it turns out it didnt.

Trust your instincts, they are usually right. Even if they aren't, you will learn a lesson.

Don't take advice from people who have nothing to lose from the decision you make.

Find a mentor as soon as possible.

Travel even more than you are already planning on doing. Don't do environmental engineering, focus on international business and languages.

[Pete]

1. I'd stop partying and losing my time. I could've finished my bachelor's long time ago if I wasn't partying 'til 6am every week since I was 16.

2. I'd also distance myself from bad people and people who don't bring anything positive to my life.

3. Once I finish that, I'd go to LA and pursue my dream.

4. If I could talk to myself when I was 16, I'd just tell him to follow my dream and skip college.

[pitt]

YMG dont do environmental engineering? lol. That course is good if you apply it nicely.

Anyway i dont think i would do anything different if i was 18, i am 25 now and i am happy with how things have been turning out.

I just advise the youngers to be travelling hard and partying hard when you are graduating so when you finish you will know that is time to focus in money...m.o.b...if i wasnt fucking a lot in my teens and early twenties i would think that women and money hold the same value, which aint true.

[Mrs. Chocolate]

I would try go out more.

[Dash Global]

(08-12-2011 07:24 AM)pitt Wrote:  

I just advise the youngers to be travelling hard and partying hard when you are graduating so when you finish you will know that is time to focus in money...m.o.b..

Your 20's are the prime years of your life (physically).

Id advise traveling and living abroad atleast till your 24-25.

Got your whole life to make money.

Only young once.....

[OSL]

Pitt - the reason I say that is because my current career path has taken me off the environmental engineering route and I spent a lot of time and energy completing that international masters program. While I was an incredible and economical way to travel the world and study/work, I wish I had spent that time doing things that are more relevant to my current goals.

Pete - you're absolutely right. I would get rid of all the negative influences in my life. Very often, this is simply being around the wrong people. There is a saying that you are the average of the five people you see most often and I think this is true.

[amistod]

I would tell myself... looking at year 30, you know what I regret? All the things I didn't do, the trips I put off.

Guess what I don't regret? That I can't keep up with lizards discussing which season of Dexter was best.

[Pepini]

I would tell myself to start reading Roosh and this forum. I haven´t read bang but probably will.

Roosh´s blog and forum are what is (sein). And not what it should be (sollen). It´s reality. You may dislike it, but generally speaking Roosh is right about what he writes. Probably because he first does field work.

I wish there would be a similar Roosh forum for lawyers and business.

Despite that I would do the same. Maybe lived in Germany for a year or two to know the language.

[MiXX]

Honestly? I'd tell myself to never get married. Oh wait, I already followed that advice, and am 36 and going strong.

The best advice:

DO NOT ACCUMULATE HUGE DEBT! Even what they call "good debt" is bullshit. I lost more than 300k USD on what was suppose to be good debt 7 years ago! I would have been better off buying a pimp house paid in full in Brazil, Colombia or Costa rica!!

You don't need a 90k BMW or a mortgage you cannot afford to pay if you lose your job!

Try to be a cash operation as much as possible.

Finally, save up to buy a house in a foreign country cash!!

That way, you have a secure investment you own, and can leave the rat race by the time you are 40!

Stay the fuck away from credit cards!!


Mixx

[Moma]

(08-12-2011 10:42 AM)MiXX Wrote:  

Honestly? I'd tell myself to never get married. Oh wait, I already followed that advice, and am 36 and going strong.

The best advice:

DO NOT ACCUMULATE HUGE DEBT! Even what they call "good debt" is bullshit. I lost more than 300k USD on what was suppose to be good debt 7 years ago! I would have been better off buying a pimp house paid in full in Brazil, Colombia or Costa rica!!



Mixx

How did that happen?

[DanDeLaCruz]

Self Educate Yourself On Money and Finances.... Kinda goes in step with what Mixx Said but I'll add my .2 cents.

It’s not enough to just save, and stuff your money into whatever 401k investment you first lay your eyes on. If you believe the main stream media, you probably wouldn’t invest abroad, you would invest in what institutional investors call “low-risk” assets, like mutual funds heavily invested in the banking sector or sectors with great exposure to U.S. markets and consumers.

An MSN money article from November 2010 titled “401k’s pay off only for lucky few” states:

Millions of Americans have no access to a 401k plan, and many of those who do misjudge market risk — individual retirement plans lost $2 trillion in the recent plunge.

If you’re not educated on investing and finance, how would be able to know if Jim Cramer is full of shit? If Goldman Sachs is talking their book? Or if that guy you happen to catch on CNN or CNBC is actually speaking the truth. How would you ever be able to discern the truth from the lies? How could ever tell apart the snake oil salesmen from the actual wise men, You wouldn’t. And sadly most people are still clueless about what’s going in the economy for that one reason: a lack of financial and economic education.

It all comes back down to being self-reliant. And the older I get the more I understand that being self reliant is the only way to survive and thrive.

By not being educated you are relying on others to have your best interest in mind. Unfortunately the odds are likely that you will rely on a fool, or someone trying to pick your pockets. If you don’t educate yourself on economics, investing, and finance, you WILL loose your shirt eventually. In the best of scenarios you may get lucky and not loose your shirt, but will definitely not take full advantage of the opportunities that arise from being educated and prepared.

When asked how much educated men were superior to those uneducated, Aristotle answered, ‘As much as the living are to the dead.’
- Diogenes Laetius

I use to think that I could just work hard, save my money and follow the advise at Fidelity, and I’d be on my way to a blissful retirement in Latin America.

Unfortunately, this kind of uneducated attitude is exactly what lead me to get fleeced twice. If you plan at all to not be parted with your money like most fools, you will educate yourself.

And you don't need to go to school for this. That might have been the case 20 years ago, but today with some time and dedication you can get an excellent education all online and mostly for free. I don’t mean you have to get your PHD in economics, but you should study, read, inform yourself, and know a little about everything that will effect your investments and where you place your hard earned money. Once educated you can then figure out who out there knows what they’re talking about and focus on learning and following the most knowledgeable of investors, instead of the talking heads of CNN or paid shills at the New York Times or Wall Street Journal.

As far as women go, I'd say like Roosh says, never put them on a pedestal. If you concentrate on your finances, and put them on the back burner, by nature they'll try gain your attention. Also LTR's with certain women can take up a bunch of time and energy. Which takes away time and energy that can be dedicated to your business or chasing other females. That's not always the case, sometimes you find a solid girl that actually give you a boost, every once in a while.

[Moma]

(08-12-2011 11:35 AM)DanDeLaCruz Wrote:  

Self Educate Yourself On Money and Finances.... Kinda goes in step with what Mixx Said but I'll add my .2 cents.

It’s not enough to just save, and stuff your money into whatever 401k investment you first lay your eyes on. If you believe the main stream media, you probably wouldn’t invest abroad, you would invested in what institutional investors call “low-risk” assets, like mutual funds heavily invested in the banking sector or sectors with great exposure to U.S. markets and consumers.

Where would you invest your money and how?

[DanDeLaCruz]

(08-12-2011 11:36 AM)Moma Wrote:  

Where would you invest your money and how?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgektbORdns

I've found the easiest way to Invest right now, is to go with the long term trend. I'm buying the dips... for example crude oil is really down right now. It might go down a bit more, but you can be sure it will shoot back up within the next year or two. We had a big dip in energy over the past week, it was good time to get into some energy plays... Silver hit 50 then pulled back to 33, 33 was a good time to buy, even now at the high 30's it's looking good, the long term trend is up. You want to own and invest in real assets, and preferably in countries and currencies that are not getting debased like the dollar.

It's easier to follow a trend in a certain direction and add to your position when you get a favorable price, then to try to buy the lows and sell the highs regularly. If you get really good at technical analysis you could probably buy lows and sell highs and make even more money.

I think Mixx's suggestion about buying real estate abroad is gold.... I mean you can buy a nice piece of property in cash, and in cities like Medellin, you can rent it out and make a nice income, while you're retirement pent house awaits you... I sunk my money into real estate in New Jersey, If I would have taken my money and put it in Medellin I'd own a nice penthouse, fully paid, near parque lleras right now, but this was all before I educated myself... That doesn't mean I might not make mistakes going forward, but I won't be a clueless ass with my money anymore.

[Tuthmosis]

If I could turn back time, I would:

0. Change my name to Roosh, register the RooshV.com domain, and yoink the fabulous Bang riches.

kidding, kidding.

I've actually given this some thought before. I'm not sure if I'd pick age 18 to talk to me, but--in general terms--if I could talk to the teenage, high-school me for ten minutes, I would say this:

Current Tuthmosis: Hey, dumb-ass, come over here. [whispering]
Young Tuthmosis: Oh shit! Who the fuck are you? You look like me. Security!
Current: Shhhh! Stop being such a fucking pussy. You disgust me. I am you. I'm just older.
Young: What are you wearing? What's with all the accessories? Did you get your hands on that time machine?
Current: Yes. Now I only have nine-and-half-minutes to talk to you. Shut the fuck up for a second and listen to me. [lightly punch myself in the fucking face]

1. Start taking chances, you gay fag.
Don't listen to your mother or your lame-ass friends. Big risks, big rewards. You know those girls you talk to every day who laugh at your jokes and smile at you? They like you. I know for a fact that Amanda, Liz, Molly, Michelle B., Cindy, that skinny freshman on the bus, and at least another two or three others would go out with you in a heartbeat if you just grew enough of a sack. A few years after you leave high school, two of them will actually tell you that they're crushing on you right now, but, by then, it will be too late to do something about it because they will have gotten uglier, fatter, and refuse to cheat on their boyfriends.

Even if you don't know for sure that they "like you," that's okay. Find out. Rejection is better than regret. Or talk to them, go get a fucking slurpee with them, and make them like you. Girls don't know what they want until we show them. Take them to their houses and try to fuck them. It will never be easier than this. Stop making excuses that "you're looking for the right girl." You're full of shit, don't know what the fuck you're talking about, and just afraid.

Also, don't pass up all those girls from the neighborhood that are all over your dick because you think they're "too ghetto" and you're afraid you'll knock one up like Big Mario did. They're smoking hot, their moms are practically placing them on your bed, and wear a goddamn condom. They work, idiot.

2. Upgrade your friend pool.
I know you enjoy the "hilarious bantering conversations" you have with your buddies, but you can't just hang out with those nerds 24/7. Branch out. Add guys that have an actual social life, go to parties, and know what they're doing with girls. Believe it or not, your social skills are way more valuable than your academic skills. When you get to college, you'll see what I mean. They are a lot of successful dumb-asses in the world. In fact, in a few years, one of them will become fucking president. There are also lots of homeless geniuses. Get your shit straight. And, don't listen to your mom. A few puffs of Marijuana or a beer won't turn you into a junkie. It might actually get you laid regularly.

3. Don't get into a long-term relationship when you're young.
You're about to make a serious mistake. Since you don't really know anything about girls beyond the basics, you're going to stop thinking straight when you meet this "cool" girl next month. You'll be so distracted by her that you'll gradually de-rail a big chunk of your prime years in this "relationship." She's not bad-looking, and she'll be fun for a while, but realize there are, literally, millions of girls like her. Enjoy your time with her, but realize that you'll be swimming in hot college girls that are as good, or better, and are dying to get laid. Meanwhile you'll be sitting around holding hands with a girl that I, today, wouldn't spend more than minimal effort hitting on. Shop around, player.

4. Dress better and get a haircut.
Look at you. You look like shit, dude. I wouldn't wear that t-shirt to bed, never mind walking around. I don't even remember owning those pants. Spend your money on some nice, cool clothes and get that mop of yours layered or structured somehow. You'll feel better and be happier. Trust me.

5. Go abroad.
At this rate, you're not going to take a real trip abroad for a long-ass time. But there's nothing like traveling to change your entire perspective and broaden your mind in a way you don't even understand with that fucking melon of yours. Sign up for the study abroad program when you get to college and go somewhere cool for a semester or longer. Bang some foreign girls, learn another language, and see the world. Dump the girlfriend and be free like a pelican. C'mon pelican! Oh, and stop being an idealist, realize that people are horrible, and take care of yourself.

Current Tuthmosis: Alright, homie, that's all the time I have. I gotta go or the portal will close. One last piece of advice: invest in a thing called Google. Trust me.

Real talk.

[zoom]

Dandelacruz,

Are their any resources/books that you recommend for investing and economics?

[Moma]

I don't think I'd do anything different from 18. My crossroads came at 16. In the UK, we are already finished high school from 16 and we can enter the workforce at that point if we choose. We are no longer mandated by the government to go to school, we thus transition from pupils (who must attend school) and we become students (who study from choice).

If I could have done anything from 16 instead, I would have either:

a) Stayed in the U.S (I travelled to the U.S a lot).

b) Gone and lived with one of my older male relatives i.e an uncle and so forth.

A male's words of advice resonates much longer and harder than a female's words. We tend to emulate what we see every day.

[oldnemesis]

(08-12-2011 12:48 AM)blurb Wrote:  

If you could go back in time, what would you tell the 18-year-old version of yourself?

This is exactly what I call "mental masturbation".

[MiXX]

(08-12-2011 11:33 AM)Moma Wrote:  

(08-12-2011 10:42 AM)MiXX Wrote:  

Honestly? I'd tell myself to never get married. Oh wait, I already followed that advice, and am 36 and going strong.

The best advice:

DO NOT ACCUMULATE HUGE DEBT! Even what they call "good debt" is bullshit. I lost more than 300k USD on what was suppose to be good debt 7 years ago! I would have been better off buying a pimp house paid in full in Brazil, Colombia or Costa rica!!



Mixx

How did that happen?

Details are too personal to post in a public forum. I'll tell you over a beer one day.


Mixx

[MikeCF]

Chaos theory...I am very pleased with where my life is. I thus wouldn't tell my 18 year old self anything, as telling my 18 year old self could lead to all sorts of different worlds - and almost certainly none would be as good as the one I'm in.

Yeah, that sort of cheats the thought experiment.

Yet it's often unhealthy to think what you'd have told yourself years ago. What matters most is what you're telling yourself to day - and more importantly, how you're acting on what you're telling yourself.