• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

If you could reverse one event in history, would it be a good thing or a bad thing?

I would...

  • ...reverse/redirect a 'good' development - a success or discovery

    Votes: 4 14.3%
  • ...reverse/redirect a 'bad' development - a mistake or collapse

    Votes: 9 32.1%
  • I'd change nothing, I don't wanna play.

    Votes: 11 39.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 4 14.3%

  • Total voters
    28

Tschumi

Member
This is a thought exercise. I would rather we not even list specific circumstances, and if we do we certainly don't argue about them, I am just zero'ing in on this:

- Humanity got a lot of help, now look where we are.
- Would it have been better if we had not been so successful?
- Or do you think reversing a tragedy of the past would have helped us end up somewhere other than here?


Premise: I'm implying that at the moment we're not in a particularly good place: overpopulated; corrupting our environment on all conceivable fronts; going through iterative financial and social cycles; pretty bleak.

So, with that brief elucidation, the question is:
If you could reverse one event in history, would it be a good thing or a bad thing?
*you can go as far back in time as you want, try to talk in broad strokes, politics are off-limits as always, please don't say "I'd flip so-and-so election" or any crap like that.

In my opinion, I would reverse a technological development, a 'good' development/success/discovery, or reverse a decision that pointed us towards one or all of the heavy industries that pollute the earth today. I think a lot of the technological advances of the 17- and 1800s have allowed our population to multiply, but also our pollution footprint. I'd hope to reverse the decision towards fossil fuel-powered industry and have the world follow more sustainable practices instead. I don't particularly think it'd solve anything or stick. Just my empty thought.
 
Last edited:

Bullet Club

Member
I would stop Bret Hart from signing with WCW in 1997. Which means no Montreal screwjob and probably no heel Vince. WWF have to keep paying Bret $1m a year for 20 years.

qNM43Wg.jpg
 

KielCasto

Member
Hard choice since I don’t really agree with the premise. But, I’ll go with reversing the event that led to short attention spans. I swear people are getting distracted more and more easily.
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Hard choice since I don’t really agree with the premise. But, I’ll go with reversing the event that led to short attention spans. I swear people are getting distracted more and more easily.
I think reversing World War II, along with the obvious advantages, would have slowed tech advancment a great deal as an added bonus.
 

McCheese

Member
I'd reverse you making this thread, due to the butterfly effect any decision reversed would likely have huge profound implications to the extent that its impossible to say or predict what a good or bad decision would be.

Stop Hitler? He has a child who becomes super Hitler. Stop the discovery of fossil fuels? Great now they use homeless people to turn giant hamster wheels to generate power.
 
Last edited:

thefool

Member
Probably something that could prevented the second world war, avoiding the sheer brutality of the event along the terrible consequences that lead to the shift in world powers.
 

Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
I would reverse USA landing on the moon first, so hopefully reality would turn out like that "for all mankind" show.

 

Alcibiades

Member
I wouldn't touch a thing. Could potentially cause something even worse unintentionally. Also I think for lots of bad things going on a lot of good things are happening too (human rights, less poverty, etc...)
 

Tschumi

Member
I'd stop Mohammed from starting Islam and convert him to Christianity.

Edit: Or maybe stop Luther from starting Protestantism by convincing him to remain a faithful Catholic monk.

Can I have both?
i think i just learned that i shouldn't write a thread if it requires people reading the op to get it
 
  • Empathy
Reactions: Alx

NecrosaroIII

Ask me about my terrible takes on Star Trek characters
I'd make it so that whatever meteor crashed on earth containing the building blocks of life never hit. Life was a mistake
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
I'd reverse Edison's treatment of Tesla. Instead, he'd be his greatest supporter.

I'd also reverse the Reynolds affair so that Hamilton could have a chance to become president
 
Last edited:

Star-Lord

Member
If I changed history wouldn't I no longer exist? I'd rather just leave things as they are.
Would killing Hitler really mean you wouldn’t be born? Because if killing him did directly affect the chances of you being born, it might just mean that Hitler is your father.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
Can I reverse me not getting rich?
 

Sakura

Member
Would killing Hitler really mean you wouldn’t be born? Because if killing him did directly affect the chances of you being born, it might just mean that Hitler is your father.
Changing events would have huge implications on the future. If WW2 never happened maybe my family would've never emigrated from the UK. Maybe they would be working different jobs. Maybe all the young men who would've died in the war would instead be alive and marry women who would've otherwise married someone else. etc etc.
 

Star-Lord

Member
Changing events would have huge implications on the future. If WW2 never happened maybe my family would've never emigrated from the UK. Maybe they would be working different jobs. Maybe all the young men who would've died in the war would instead be alive and marry women who would've otherwise married someone else. etc etc.
You know, I hadn’t thought about anything like that. I suppose the whole butterfly effect comes into play when reshaping the past. Every action has a positive and negative reaction. Case in point, Back to the Future.
 

AJUMP23

Gold Member
I would have the Hindenburg make a safe trip, so we could usher in a Zeppelin future, and have Zeppelins everywhere.




black and white animation GIF by weinventyou
 

Winter John

Member
I was dating this girl and was really into her. We'd been going steady for a few months but she wouldn't put out. She was one of them sensible chicks which was real unfortunate for me. Anyways one night we were at hers having a few drinks with her best friend. I got wasted and for some insane reason I still can't figure out I tried to talk them into a 3 way. I don't know what I said but I do remember putting my arms around both of them. Well, that was the end of that. I was put in the spare room and kicked out the next morning. She wouldn't answer my calls. Wouldn't come to the door. I fuckin begged too. Actually begged. Broken man begged. To her friend.

I deserved it. I know that but I think the punishment of never ever getting to fuck her was a bit unfair. Sure, yes, I acted like a creep, but it was innocent teenage creeping. Not dirty old man creeping. I was 17. Drunk off my ass and sitting between two hot chicks. I just wanted them to get naked and make out. Is that so wrong? Anyways, if I could go back and change it I would. I'd sit my ass down. Not drink any liquor and definitely not speak porn thoughts out loud.
 

Amiga

Member
everything that happened was supposed to happen. we can deal with the present and pave for the future, that we don't have to dream about.
What we can take from the past are the lessons. and we don't seem to be able to do even that.

I'd stop Mohammed from starting Islam and convert him to Christianity.

Edit: Or maybe stop Luther from starting Protestantism by convincing him to remain a faithful Catholic monk.

Can I have both?

Islam (submission to God) started with Adam. And Mohammed, Luther, Constantine and everything before and after are part of Gods plan.
 

Amiga

Member
I’ve never really understood that line of thinking. Natural disasters I can get on board with, but are you seriously trying to tell me that millions of Jews had to die?
The trail of history is set. it is neutral. we will all die. by nature or by murder. it will hurt either way. difference is you can blame one method on people.
What we can do is try and stop Jews or anyone from the same tragedy. but that is happening again. the millions of migrants are running away from serious dangers in different parts of the world. and conflicts keep escalating and newer ones starting.
 
Last edited:

Cutty Flam

Banned
I'd reverse WWII

Edit: There's really nothing else to say about that. It'd be saving 75 millions lives and countless others injured, and those scarred and affected from the war
 
Last edited:

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
For shits and giggles.

Reverse the collapse of the Roman Empire.

Ensure it never split into two. Make sure it stayed strong and conquered more of the world, until eventually it was in control of the whole planet.

Bonus - reverse the invention of gunpowder, so nobody had guns or bombs etc.

That would be pretty amazing.
 

acm2000

Member
Haven’t you heard? Everything happens for a reason. Though in this case, I’m kinda glad they got wiped out. I don’t fancy my chances against fifty chicken-sized velociraptors, do you?
thats kinda the point, maybe we wouldnt have evolved the way we are.
 
I'd stop Stargate SG-1 from getting cancelled. We'd have explored another 2-3 galaxies by now. Teal'c would be busy though and would never end up taking the roll as Kratos.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom