How would you fight your younger/ more inexperienced self

[JP3]

You guys with your guns are so violent.

So sayeth the Texan..... which I find hilarious.

But seriously, would you Really go Firearm in a brawl, monkey-dance situation? As such are not life/death, but bruise/bloody types of things? Or, are we getting into the paranoid older state now, where we are like, "I'm too old, too tired, and too sore to mess with that kid. I'm going to have to kill him." Which seems simultaneously... reasonable and psycho.

 

[23rdwave]

i just want to point out that if you shoot yourself you will distrupt the time/ space continuum and your old self would slowly disappear. and as you punch and kick your younger self you also will feel the ramifications of these injuries that would have plagued you over the years. however the reverse is not true. the younger self could inflict all kinds of damage and even kill you with no consequences. however as it happened you would experience a sort of deja vu. since the younger self would remember the incident and the older self would recollect it as a memory as it happened.
bottom line you never want to meet yourself face to face during time travel.

Charles Yu's 2010 novel How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe deals with this exact scenario.

From wikipedia:
The next day Yu rushes back to his time machine, sees his future self exit his machine, and shoots his future self. As his future self is dying, the future self gives Yu a book and says that the book is the key. By shooting himself, Yu has entered a loop in which he must eventually travel back in time, hand his past self the book, and get shot.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe - Wikipedia

 

[Dirty Dog]

I started when I was 7... so at that age, I'd just put my hand on young-mes' forehead and hold me-him back.
If we're talking 20 year old me... I'd shoot me-him.

 

[Paul_D]

I started when I was 7... so at that age, I'd just put my hand on young-mes' forehead and hold me-him back.
If we're talking 20 year old me... I'd shoot me-him.

In the leg obviously, I mean you wouldn't want to kill him/you and create a paradox?

 

[elder999]

I started martial arts when I was 11. So, my 18 year old self?

That guy's been a black belt in 3 arts for almost as many years, is a competitive power lifter, the student of a famous vaudeville strongman, and is on his way to Japan for more training.
I'd shoot him.

My 28 year old self?

That guy has two kids, a wife, 14 months training in Japan, loads of seminars under his belt, and lots of tournament and full contact experience, as well as years of experience bouncing in bars.
I'd shoot him.

My 38 year old self?
That guy's been widowed. Dealt with all kinds of crap, but he's about 5 years into being a little nuts, and pissed off at the world.
I'd shoot him-before he shoots me....one in the chest and two in the head. Then I'd cut off his head, just to be sure, because he lived in a vengeful frame of mind 24/7.

My 42 year old self and onward?
That guy isn't going to fight anybody-he'll just shoot 'em. Best to leave him alone.

TO be fair, though-I was brought up to respect my elders. Not only that, but even at my craziest, I was-having been trained (read "beaten up") by more than a few old guys, I was wary of old guys, so these fights would never have happened-my younger self had too much sense to mess with an older me.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

TO be fair, though-I was brought up to respect my elders. Not only that, but even at my craziest, I was-having been trained (read "beaten up") by more than a few old guys, I was wary of old guys, so these fights would never have happened-my younger self had too much sense to mess with an older me.

Alas, I don't think I could say the same of my younger self, especially at 30.

 

[EMT]

Well, I would dominate my 10 or even 5 years younger self with my superior strength and confidence :-D

 

[Ironbear24]

I'd show no mercy. Teach him to take it seriously much sooner.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I'd show no mercy. Teach him to take it seriously much sooner.

He'd get pissed off, IB.

 

[Ironbear24]

He'd get pissed off, IB.

He'd get over it.

 

[RTKDCMB]

Since I am fighting my past self, my present self should remember exactly how the fight went and be able to use that knowledge to win easily, but since they are both me, I am sure I will be able to talk myself out of fighting myself easily.

Whether or not using my present self's foreknowledge of how my past self fought to win the fight would be considered cheating? I wouldn't beat myself up about it.