5 ms·

Actually there's another effect, too - investigate your past self via evidence rather than memory, and you'll find the memory has suspiciously shifted to portra

Actually there's another effect, too - investigate your past self via evidence rather than memory, and you'll find the memory has suspiciously shifted to portray you as more like your present self than you were. I've found old internet comments by me that nowadays I don't approve of at all.

dantillberg 13y ago
I'm curious how you'll feel about this comment in ten years.
jared314 13y ago
That might be because, with distance (time), you can better separate your intentions from your actions, and see yourself from an external perspective.
Espressosaurus 13y ago
Interestingly, looking back on my own internet history, I find I haven't changed much. For the most part, I don't regret my old comments; at worst they represent my opinion based on what I then thought was the way the world worked. I've been wrong, but I'm human, and will continue getting things wrong.
- dasil003 13y ago
  It's actually happened to me at least a few times that I'm reading an old blog comment, read through it nodding my head the whole time as it precisely describes my opinion, only to find my name at the bottom signed several years ago :) Of course it's also happened that I was saying to myself "who does this dick think he is?"
Dewie 13y ago
There's nothing like reading an archived thread, coming across some post where you go "who is the idiot that wrote this?", and it was yourself.
ahoy 13y ago
When I was 20, I looked back at realized 16-year-old me was a moron. At 24, I think the same thing about my 20-year-old self. I expect (and hope) that when I'm 28 I think I was an idiot at 24.
- JulianMorrison 13y ago
  Mistakes are something you can resolve not to make today. In that sense, guessing your future self will call you a moron should inspire you not to be a moron. But what actually changes are your values. Which is more subtly disturbing.

dantillberg 13y ago

I'm curious how you'll feel about this comment in ten years.

jared314 13y ago

That might be because, with distance (time), you can better separate your intentions from your actions, and see yourself from an external perspective.

Espressosaurus 13y ago

Interestingly, looking back on my own internet history, I find I haven't changed much. For the most part, I don't regret my old comments; at worst they represent my opinion based on what I then thought was the way the world worked. I've been wrong, but I'm human, and will continue getting things wrong.

dasil003 13y ago
It's actually happened to me at least a few times that I'm reading an old blog comment, read through it nodding my head the whole time as it precisely describes my opinion, only to find my name at the bottom signed several years ago :) Of course it's also happened that I was saying to myself "who does this dick think he is?"

Dewie 13y ago

There's nothing like reading an archived thread, coming across some post where you go "who is the idiot that wrote this?", and it was yourself.

ahoy 13y ago

When I was 20, I looked back at realized 16-year-old me was a moron. At 24, I think the same thing about my 20-year-old self. I expect (and hope) that when I'm 28 I think I was an idiot at 24.

JulianMorrison 13y ago
Mistakes are something you can resolve not to make today. In that sense, guessing your future self will call you a moron should inspire you not to be a moron. But what actually changes are your values. Which is more subtly disturbing.