Hers is a regret of inaction, so she can’t undo it; it’s not possible to reverse a twenty-five-year void. She can’t At Least it either. Saying “Our friendship evaporated, but at least we didn’t have a huge fight” doesn’t offer much solace or meaningfully adjust the present. Cheryl’s best response—and the optimal response to most regrets, action and inaction alike—is to use the regret to improve the future. If we look backward with the specific intent of moving forward, we can convert our regrets into fuel for progress. They can propel us toward smarter choices, higher performance, and greater
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