"Regret is as human as any other emotion, whether it is joy, fear, or love. At some point in our lives, we all make decisions we later question. Sometimes they are choices driven by impulse, fear, or incomplete information. Traditionally, regret is framed as something to overcome or eliminate, a backward-looking emotion that keeps us tethered to the past. But what if regret could be leveraged completely differently? What if it could serve as a compass rather than a cage?"
"Rather than urging us to make decisions based on success-maximization or ideal outcomes, Somani suggests a gentler and arguably more sustainable approach: choose the path that offers the most peace of mind and the least regret, regardless of the outcome. Life, she reminds us, is inherently uncertain. While we can't control outcomes, we can give ourselves clarity by grounding decisions in what we know, value, and feel at the time we make them."
Regret can function as a forward-looking compass that guides wiser decision-making rather than a punishment for past actions. Choosing with the goal of maximizing future peace of mind and minimizing regret is more sustainable than optimizing only for ideal outcomes. Decision clarity arises from grounding choices in what is known, valued, and felt at the moment of deciding. Life is inherently uncertain and outcomes cannot be fully controlled. Regret can serve as a guardrail that helps future-proof choices by aligning actions with present values. Pausing allows emotions to inform decisions without hijacking them, and peace of mind matters more than perfection.
Read at Psychology Today
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