Discrepancies between our actual self and our ideal self leave us dejected. But discrepancies between our actual self and our ought self make us agitated—and therefore more likely to act. We feel a greater sense of urgency about ought-related regrets, so we’re more likely to begin repair work—by undoing past behavior, apologizing to those we’ve wronged, or learning from our mistakes.[2] “Couldas” bug us longer than “shouldas,” because we end up fixing many of the “shouldas.”[*]
