Why We Do Things We Regret
Briefly

The article explores how overwhelming feelings can lead individuals to make regrettable decisions contrary to rational thought, often influenced by childhood narratives. These narratives, formed during earlier life experiences, can cause people to act against their better judgment, as seen in unhealthy relationships or parenting styles. The core issue is that intense feelings, rooted in past experiences, contradict rational decision-making, illustrating why people struggle to consistently make good choices despite their best intentions.
Whenever our intense feelings overrule our rational thinking, a narrative is at play. Narratives-which are often based on our childhood experiences-carry intense feelings from the past into our present.
If my feelings are running the show, the real question I need to ask is how did those feelings get inside of me? This is where narratives come in.
There's a rational, thinking part of us that has expectations for how we should act. There's another, less-rational part of us that is getting loose and acting in ways we don't want.
If our goal is to always make good choices, why do we end up making bad ones? The fact that we regret doing something means...
Read at Psychology Today
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