The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward

by Daniel H. Pink

Forget the past; seize the future.

Regret is not dangerous or abnormal, a deviation from the steady path to happiness. It is healthy and universal, an integral part of being human. Regret is also valuable. It clarifies. It instructs. Done right, it needn’t drag us down; it can lift us up.

“Every single decision brought me to where I am right now and made me who I am,”

Fear propels us out of a burning building and makes us step gingerly to avoid a snake. Disgust shields us from poisons and makes us recoil from bad behavior. Anger alerts us to threats and provocations from others and sharpens our sense of right and wrong.

Regret makes us human. Regret makes us better.

“Every damn thing you do in this life you have to pay for.”