If you were 16 again, What would you do differently?

She couldn't go out the first two times he asked.

Taken a self defense course and acted on it

At 16 I was studying hard while waiting for puberty to hit. Would have done the same again.

Would have trained sprint though. At 18 I had tremendous speed but I thought it was too late to start any serious sprint training.

I would have never taken drugs if I could do it differently.

Also, maybe not switched from drugs (at 15/16) to running. I'm not sure running did me any big favours (tore the cartilage in my knee, still in pain after surgery 6 years on). Wish I'd found something else to focus on.

Jumped into the mosh pit more often

Not quit soccer for cross country. I was really good at soccer (at the end of season banquet during my freshman season on JV, the coach announced to everyone he was guaranteeing me a spot on varsity next year, something he said he has never done...I played at a large school). I was an ok runner. I just loved running and believed if I just worked hard enough, I could be top tier. I had a huge appetite for work, so I just ended up getting burned out in high school. I see now I could've played soccer in the fall, maybe played in college even, and continued running later in life.

Foget Me Not wrote:

We all have regrets and have learned from them. My question is what would you do differently if you could?

I would've got a Vasectomy...

Buy Microsoft!!

Foget Me Not wrote:

We all have regrets and have learned from them. My question is what would you do differently if you could?

Moved on wrote:

Nothing different. Married to and still love my high school sweetheart. Wound up with a career that fits me like a glove. Very strange, considering how awkward I was at that age.

People who say they have "no regrets and wouldnt change a thing" are simply showing that they are too stupid to comprehend self reflection.

Heck man, even if you said "buy Apple stock" that would show some insight.

Wouldn't change much at 16. Made the best of a bad home situation and also became a surprisingly good runner that year. From age 17 through college I should have chased girls less, fly-fished the rivers of Oregon, and pursued summer internships during my college years in addition to running 100-mile weeks.

aquafina wrote:

People who say they have "no regrets and wouldnt change a thing" are simply showing that they are too stupid to comprehend self reflection.

I agree with this. But when you're 16 what you can change is quite limited (unless you effed up of course=. I'd change a lot more of what I did when I was 18-20.

Link wrote:

Shawn H wrote:

I would have asked my dream girl out more than twice. When I heard she went out with a more popular guy, I just gave up because I feared rejection. A few years out of high school, she met my mom on the street and asked her why I hadn't kept asking her out because she really liked me a lot. Me = LOSER. What's the worst thing that can happen? A girl might say no? WTF does it matter if she does? At least you won't always live with THAT regret.

WTF???? She rejected you TWICE and she can't understand why you didn't keep pursuing her?!?! Boy..... There are some real cuckoos out there.

No, read what I wrote and you quoted again. She never rejected me. I only asked her out twice, and she accepted both times. But when I saw that she was also going out with a much more popular guy who played on the basketball team, I just let her go.

Would have waited on Nicole longer

Pizzaguy wrote:

Would have waited on Nicole longer

Would have saved a few of my best shotz for Nicole. Probably would have put an eye out.

offed more people, like the kind of people on this message board asking about regrets and discussing the girls they wished they would have kissed or banged

aquafina wrote:

People who say they have "no regrets and wouldnt change a thing" are simply showing that they are too stupid to comprehend self reflection.

Much of your life at that age is out of your control - even buying Apple stock isn't really an option so how does that pass for self reflection?

At 16 I was already running 70 mpw, had good friends on the XC/Track teams, slowly climbing up the social ladder, working 20 hours per week, had a motorcycle, did well enough in school while dealing with a very tumultuous home life.

Some of the things I would have changed:

-Learn to play a musical instrument

-Attempt to understand that, just because my family life was in tatters, my life didn't have to be that way as well. I lived in constant fear that I was preordained to be as messed up as my mom and older siblings.

- Run twice a day instead of once. Maybe build up to a 6 miler every morning and run less in the evening.

I'd use my mouth on my cheeleader hs girlfriend, rather than be the quick-draw mGraw that I was. I was insensitive now that I look back. I only worried about getting my cookies, and didn't worry about her.

She deserved better, and when she broke up with me, I'm sure she got better.

I also would not have insisted that I was a football player (115 lbs) at 5'9", a real stick man. I would have followed advice of others and run xc. I might have had some moderate success

Shoulda coulda woulda

Nothing. Without those experiences, I would not be the awesome person that I am today. Even though I would like to let my 16-year-old self know a few more things about the ways of women.