Which is worse? To regret something you did or to regret not doing something?

Question

I think it is worse to regret something you didn't do in most cases. This doesn't apply to every aspect of one's life though. I mean, a mentally troubled person may regret not killing someone. Someone who lost a leg may regret going putting himself/herself in the place and moment the injury happened.

Price511 · Accepted Answer

I honestly think it's of the actions we didn't take; the chances we never took.

I remember that in the story of Icarus he flew too close to the sun, and we all remember not to shoot too high, but we do not remember that Icarus was also told not to fly too close to the ground as well, to not shoot too low.

We know not to surrender to arrogance, and grasping at straws, but we also know not to surrender to subserviance, to stagnation. It's just that we do not get reminded enough of the latter to recognize that sooner.

It's better to shoot high and miss the moon, than to aim at an ocean, and hit.

I don't want to be dying in my final moments, thinking, "if only I had..."

Look into Prince EA's video of, "WHY EVERYBODY DIES, BUT NOT EVERYBODY LIVES"

AriesMale · Accepted Answer

It’s too broad a topic, so I’ll focus on relationships.

In relationships regret in not making a decision, which can last a lifetime. This can be you wallowing, or making scenarios of what-if’s.

Rejection is instantaneous, and you obtain catharsis and closure. It’s a step in understanding not everyone will like you, and this shouldn’t diminish your self worth.

A video I reccomend on rejections and regret.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

To regret something you did, for sure. The something you didn't do is the simple unknown and even if you did whatever you wished you did, the results may not have been good, you'd never know.
But to know something you did created a domino effect of a series of bad results... That's terrible, and all you had to do was not do that ONE thing.

jst4fun · Accepted Answer

Be careful on that slope. Use the fear of regret on things you can reference as long term goals. Then use the fear of not doing something on money based or family based decisions.

JSmuve · Answer

Hard to say. Its easy to regret the things we didn't do because we tend to believe they could've turned out really well while ignoring the fact that it could have been equally disastrous or just plain meh. Its this fear of missing out that's so ingrained in our subconscious that makes us think that if we don't do something then we've made this huge mistake.

Its like when someone wins an award or something, we think that they're super smart and awesome and their life is amazing. Then when we win something similar, we think we're still unimportant and downplay our accomplishments.

FOMO, grass is greener in the other side, its all part of the sake tendency to downplay our accomplishments, experiences, and decisions and overvalue others. We don't realize that sometimes not doing something is better than doing something. We just have to remember that the things we don't do probably wouldn't be nearly as rewarding as our minds make them out to be.

Also, once we do something we can't take it back. I'm sure we all have stuff that we wish we could have a do-over on but have to live with the decisions that we made.

Purpleronnie · Answer

Regrets are pretty complex but I’d agree that it’s the regret of inaction that can last a lifetime.. folk generally don’t regret telling a bad joke or betting money on the lottery and not winning but they would if they had the winning numbers and never bought the ticket.

abc3643 · Answer

I regret doing something that enabled someone else to fuck me over.

dontgofalling · Answer

The thing is you have to be in a place to know to stay out of it.
Meaning, if a person has lost his leg and regrets doing it, it's better than if he didn't do it but also didn't know not to do it and might even get injured harder or even die next time.
So I agree with you.

Ella_101 · Answer

Its definitely worse to regret something you didn't do.. In most cases you can't go back and do it and if you did something you regret then at least you can learn from your mistake

Saville_Row · Answer

Something you didn't have the guts to do.  But above all, is better to never regret. If you choose to do (or not do) something, you have to support your decision with all within you.

DJB72 · Answer

Nobody ever looked back and said "I wish I'd played it safer" I've made some big mistakes in my life, but the only ones I regret are the ones where I had an opportunity and didn't take it.

SarahsSummer · Answer

I agree and think regrets over things you wished you’d done are longer lasting than most regrets of things you have done.

InTimoreDei · Answer

I have experienced both: regret not doing something and regretted something that occurred. I got over what occurred but still hate myself for something I did not do but should've done.

Dreamzs · Answer

difficult to say, both are bad and depending on different scenario's regretting something you did could be far worse than regretting not doing it, and vice versa ofcourse.

markscott · Answer

It depends on how bad the thing is to do, or how good it is to do. Never not acting, when it will hurt someone. Try to act, when it will help someone.

Ruith · Answer

to regret not doing something...
Rather than saying if it is better to do that thing so that you can learn from it (even though it will be a regret)

Our pain and bitter experience can nurture us to grow as an individual

winterfox10 · Answer

Eh... usually the things we didn't do are good things that we missed out on, but the things we DID do were colossal fuck ups. I would say that the regret is about 50-50

Wolframium · Answer

Regretting stuff and not understanding OWN situation, state of mind and the whole context of that time. That is the worst. ;-)

LegendarySir · Answer

It depends on the situation. Fucking someone with AIDS is probably worse than not going to a job interview. It all depends on the effects X thing will have on your life.

gingerbreadhousep · Answer

Regret something I did. I can never take that back and it will eat me alive.

Massageman · Answer

I agree with you - that's how it was for me. Wishing I could go back and get some of that enjoyment I missed along the way.

chriscdi · Answer

something you did, cause you already did it and saw the consequences or how it all turned out, not doing something couldve been worse

SSViper · Answer

Depends on the context. Tho it hurts most when you did something because you thought you would regret not doing it and doing that made it worse.

Robs22 · Answer

I think regreting something you didn't do is far worse

AlexEfron · Answer

Regret of something you did. You can get more opportunities to do something but you can't change what you've already done

Liam_Hayden · Answer

My only regret is that I didn't spend every possible minute with my dad before he died, so for me it is regret of what I didn't do.

Daniel3035 · Answer

Obviously not doing that will haunt you forever. But doing something will cause regret followed by not giving a damn and moving on after a while.

LeoElias · Answer

Something I did is worse because then the memories haunt me. If I didn't do it then I just forget about it.

RobLovesDemi9277 · Answer

Regret something you did because you can't always take it back... See why divorced men are so miserable because they can't take back getting married that led to their financial ruin

es20490446e · Answer

The past is over. What matters is what I can do now.

Chisssss · Answer

Regret something you did. You can always be blamed for it

lili123172 · Answer

I'm going to go with something I didn't do. There are things I wished I did, but didn't do. This made me wonder if I did this, what would had happened

Scarecrow13 · Answer

It really depends on the situation but probably regret not doing something.

Rick912 · Answer

I regret not doing a lot more things than the things I did do.

Anonymous · Answer

I’ve taken big romantic risks with I really liked and I have fallen short every time. Every single fucking time I have gotten my heart broken. I regret taking action on those girls.

Raffy3110 · Answer

Is worse tho have regrets on not doing anything. If you did it then you can say i learned or enjoyed but if you dont do anything at all

ConstantStateOfBeast · Answer

You can't answer that because every situation is different but people say that they don't regret anything we'll regret everything

Anonymous · Answer

I regret doing a lot of things not everything is a life lesson sometimes it's just something you shouldn't have done

Dewi1981 · Answer

I only regret the things or chances I never did/took

Anonymous · Answer

I regret not killing the bitch literally lol is that what you wanna hear

1truekhaleesi · Answer

Not regret doing something.

turnmypainintopower1 · Answer

Regret somthing you did

Pumpkinspicevanilla · Answer

Depends on the situation.

angry_llama · Answer

Definitely regret something I didn't do

gothgirl997 · Answer

To regret not doing anything

RedThread · Answer

In my life it's regretting not doing something

Rangers · Answer

For me, to regret doing something tbh

zagor · Answer

Kind of depends on what it is.

Eleni91 · Answer

What I did do cause i could of hurt some.

Blueeyes81 · Answer

Not doing something. What ifs are a motherfucker.

Deathraider · Answer

Regret something you did.

BButterfly · Answer

To regret not doing something.

Nonamedusername001 · Answer

Regret not doing something

Anonymous · Answer

regret not doing it is worse.

hammeronfire · Answer

something you didn't do because you'll never know

Allie18 · Answer

To regret not doing something

TsubasaCorrupted · Answer

Regret not doing something.

BronzedAdonis · Answer

regret something you did

Dark93 · Answer

Regret not doing something

Sabretooth · Answer

i know the pain of both-yet, i still can't answer.

Eryxx · Answer

I think the latter.

Tyliah · Answer

Not doing something

kitty71 · Answer

Good question

dy8alexUk · Answer

Both

Which is worse? To regret something you did or to regret not doing something?

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