I'd go back.
Love to see historical characters, how they built Stonehenge etc.
Once felt quite embarrassed when asked what I would wish for if I had three wishes.
I said:
1. The ability to time travel.
2. To be invisible when I wanted to be.
3. To speak every language that ever has been or ever will be spoken.
Then I was made to realise that:
1. An end to war.
2. An end to poverty.
3. An end to disease.
might be a little less selfish.
"I'd go back.
Love to see historical characters, how they built Stonehenge etc. "
What makes you think they would let you witness that? How would you know exactly what year, month, week or day (or hour) to travel to?
Wouldn't it be quite boring to just sit and stare at the construction site, where nothing is being done at that exact moment..? Then you would have to visit it every day in the hopes that maybe today they are working on it..
Also, those times were probably pretty tough, and you would be immediately a suspicious character. Could you even speak their language? How would you make sure you wouldn't be burned as a witch or something? Even if you could get people to accept you, do you really realize how much hard work and laber you would have to do? Maybe they would capture you and sell you as a slave, or murder you for your shoes.
History is dangerous, if you are unprepared.. you better have some really excellent equipment before going.. it might not be as lovely as you imagine.
Having said that, if your question means "Which time period and place would you live in (by incarnation, for example), if you could freely choose", and if it had to be in the past, and it had to be within a few thousand years or so (so I couldn't go to Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu or the 'Golden Age' of Egypt, or the civilization before the age of Atlantis, long before the devastating war)..
.. I guess I would choose Edo, Japan. It was a peaceful period, there was lots of nature, no pollution, no cell phones, no corporations, no cubicles, no sitting in front of a computer and playing WoW all day, no stupid internet debates and forums, no annoying airplanes destroying your ears with their constant roaring (it's like moped gangs, but with wings), no 'legal system' instead of the LAW, no so-called 'lawyers', no highways, motorways, neon lights or 'commuting'.
Just peaceful, harmonious life, if a little bit laborous and tough in many ways, but more natural life, with a sense of belonging and admiration of the Universe's miracles.
I recommend studying the paintings from that era - they are magnificent. (There is a BIG book called "100 Views of Edo" to clarify my point)
Here is an example:
http://i8.aijaa.com/b/00974/13310916.jpg
Hundreds of years ago, they really knew how to do art.
Btw, which historical 'characters' were you speaking of, and why do you think it would be 'lovely'? And are you sure the people would let you see their 'historical characters'? (I mean, are you important enough to even meet today's 'historical characters'?)
As for three wishes..
1) Unlimited amount of wishes (or something that grants me access to those)
2) Complete eradication of all evil, all bad karma, all stupidity and all egotistical lunacy from existence (meaning, that all bad deeds would also be erased, so no one would have anything to absolve or make amends with, meaning, wars would never even had existed, and neither would poverty, cockroaches or disease)
3) Immediate 'completeness' and satisfaction to all the soul's yearnings for everyone, which would probably simply mean 'returning back to the divine whole'
(These wishes point out the philosophical-seeming problem that I have with the Universe allowing all this madness to go on, when it could so easily just stop it - I am aware of the karmic reasons, but why were they even allowed to develop - why would evil even be allowed to exist, why would the 'need for karma' to even be developed, when surely the Omnipotent Being foresaw everything billions of years before it happened, and could easily have altered course, but let's speak from now on as if these problems do not exist, so I can clarify the problems in your wishes)
As for your 'unselfish' wishes..
1) Which war? What are the implications? No more war, no more armies, no more jobs for now ex-military people, lots of joblessness, more homeless people, more hunger, more poverty. No more military-industry, no more profits from systematic mass-murders, all apache helicopters, hornets, and other destructive machines, tanks, guns, etc. are immediately rendered obsolete and useless. Probably trillion-dollar industry suddenly ends, huge implications.
No more war means no more quick escape from this horrible world - so people will have to suffer more. It also means more suffering from overpopulation. It also means karmic debts are not being met, which renders many a people's lives meaningless, when they previously could have been injured in a war, or suffered tremendously from the war, making their lives meaningful (because of being able to finally get those bad deeds out of their conscience, by suffering through the law of Karma).
2) Same goes for end to poverty. These people have done horrible crimes against humanity, they have tortured animals, butchered, beaten up and killed human beings, they have started wars and whatnot. Now, finally they have been given a chance to absolve their sins and finally they won't have to keep those awful deeds on their conscience, because they have poverty to suffer from, which will karmically relieve them from those horrible deeds. And now, no poverty, no possibilities for karma to act.. so they will have to live with the horrible deeds on their conscience for all eternity? What HORRORS you create with your wishes!
3) No disease - the two points above should already clarify this, but.. it means, more people breeding like rabbits, less resources on a limited planet, that doesn't recycle almost anything - more pollution, more garbage, bigger garbage dumps, more all kinds of waste, more violence, more poverty, more crime, more idiots, more feminists, more lawyers, and more fights, more wars.. more overpopulation, more noise, less breathable air, less food for everyone, less space for everyone, more homeless people, more poverty..
Your wishes are VERY selfish indeed; you want to manipulate other people's lives like some kind of megalo-manic ruler, dictator and emperor, with absolutely NO THOUGHT as to what the implications and consequences are!
Just so people would think you are a very unselfish human being, worthy of praise.
What could be MORE SELFISH than that?
The least you could wish was the end of the whole SYSTEM and the teleportation-away of the evil people 'in control' of the system that oppresses people and enslaves them.
Then again, if people remain stupid, sheep-like and ignorant, this kind of system would always rise up again.
So the only truly unselfish wish would be .. APOCALYPSE for everyone.
Apocalypse means revelation of all information, knowledge, wisdom and truth that was previously hidden (although it has also implications about the 'end of the world', which would of course be a good thing, when you really know what the world is like, and what shape it is in).
If everyone -knew- everything, or even the very basic things (like how important it is to actually follow the teachings of the Cosmic Messenger, instead of just repeating them like empty phrases that no one understands) this kind of cruel system couldn't continue, and people would automatically steer towards balance and harmony, and Earth would soon become a paradise.
If PEOPLE WOULD CHANGE for the better, they could out of their own will put a stop to all this madness. People's ignorance and willingness to not only put up with it but also contribute to it like it's normal, and shame anyone who refuses to do the same, is a huge part of the problem. It's not JUST the 'evil people with the agenda', it's also the 'stupid masses that refuse to wake up and know the truth' that is equally to be blamed for.
Stupid and ignorant, mentally lazy and complacent people deserve cruel oligarch-leaders, that's just the way it goes.
Um, you are time traveling, and in only one direction. To the future, and rather slowly.
___
Anyone who has ever read any spoilers,
knows that Winter Is Coming