The Problem With ‘No Regrets’
Five takeaways:
- While a “no regrets” mindset might sound freeing, it falsely suggests that life can and should be lived without “looking through the rearview mirror.”
- A 2020 study of 15,000 people in 105 countries showed that 82% percent of respondents said they feel regret occasionally; 21% said they feel regret “all the time”; and 1% said they never feel regret.
- While being overwhelmed by regret is unhealthy, forcing yourself to completely do away with regret completely will curse you to repeat your mistakes
- Brooks cites a recent book by Daniel H. Pink that breaks regret into four different types:
- Connection regret– regret over harmed or broken or lost relationships
- Moral regret – regret over the violation of your own values
- Foundation regret – regret over decisions that had a profound effect on your life (like wishing you had not moved to a city, or picked a different college major)
- Boldness regret – regret over inaction or foregone opportunities
- Regret can overwhelm you, but shunning them is a lost opportunity to grow. We must learn from every aspect of our lives.
From Arthur C. Brooks at The Atlantic:
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