Changing events in time (possible spoilers)

[retiredat44]

These maybe spoilers for some who have not seen some episodes that have been recently played.
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Was it Ben who told Locke (or a few of the Plane crash victims) that they could not change anything that happened even if they go back in time and try to chage the past. Yet Locke goes and tells Richard that Richard gave him the watch in the future. And tells Richard to go see Locke being born to prove it. And then (a few episides before) in future/past flashes we do see Richard visiting the hospital when Locke is born (1956?).

[Nemises]

it only proves that richard > ben

[the fifth man]

Or, that is how things were supposed to play out in the first place. Time travel can be very confusing.

[The Prophet]

I think it was Faraday who said that you can't change the past. Ben has yet to experience any time-travel; apart from after he turned the wheel and jumped 9~ months into the future.

And, yes, it could have always been a closed timeloop. Richard met Locke in the 1950s, who gave him the compass; so 50~ years on, he told him to take his compass back in time and give it to him; as he knew he would.

So, unless you're Desmond; you're a puppet to time.

(On a side note; it's funny how Desmond & Faraday have met previously, twice; but neither of them knew this at the start of season 4 xD)

[Shan Bruce Lee]

Richard had already visited Locke when he was born and when he met him as a child so he's not changing anything... it's more like he's fulfilling what's already happened.

[Shan Bruce Lee]

(On a side note; it's funny how Desmond & Faraday have met previously, twice; but neither of them knew this at the start of season 4 xD)

I think Faraday did know who he was. He had his name scribbled in his journal.

[lunarleviathan]

The rules seem not to apply to Desmond anymore, so through him time might be able to be altered. Faraday suggested the past cannot change, but he managed to change, but that might only apply to normal people (Losties and his group, etc.) Maybe the Others, i.e. Richard, are also able to bend the rules in the same way Desmond can if someone dislodged in time approaches them, i.e. Locke?

[The Prophet]

I think Faraday did know who he was. He had his name scribbled in his journal.

It's been implied that Faraday has amnesia. The card games and his journal. So, he probably wouldn't remember meeting Desmond. Hence why he's the only person who you could go back in time and talk to; seeing as he'd forget it and it'd have no impact on the present.