Well, I was surfing blogs today, and checked Rocketstar's blog today. I hadn't checked blogs in a while, so I was going back a bit and found a post he did on regrets. His take is that people shouldn't be so ashamed to be regretful, being that the definition of regret is just to be very sorry for something. I started to post a reply, and it started to become too long, so I decided to just make it a post on my blog rather than a post-long reply on his blog.
A couple of people had already replied, and I started to chime in saying, I (too) don't think it's a matter of being shameful of admitting that you've made mistakes. What I think it is a matter of, is that most people associate regret with is wishing that they hadn't done, or moreover could change, some bad act or decision they did or made.
Right or wrong, based on definition, that's what I and I think most people associate regret with. And I don't know about other people, but I think of "regret" as a large-scale type of thing whey I use the word.
I wouldn't say, "I regret saying that to my sister." I'd say, "I shouldn't have said that to my sister," or "I wish I hadn't said that to my sister."
In the large-scale use of "regret" I think it makes it sound as if I wish I could actually change what I did. In that sense, I really only have two real "regrets" in my life. However, (much like Colette said) if I would made a different decision or could change those two "regrets", my life would have turned out much different.
My life isn't peaches and creme, but I wouldn't change what I have right now, at this very moment, for anything in the world. I think most people, at least the ones that say "I don't have any regrets" feel the same way.
In the scope of the definition of regret, they may not be using the right word when saying "I have no regrets", but I don't think they mean, I've never made bad decisions...or I'm not sorry for the things I've said/done. I think they mean they wouldn't change anything that would affect their lives differently to lead them on a different path than would lead them to right where they are today.
About Me
- The Mad Hoosier
- I'm a conservative. My current goal is just to get people to vote and think more on a micro level in terms of politics rather than a macro level. Email The Mad Hoosier
3 comments:
"I think they mean they wouldn't change anything that would affect their lives differently to lead them on a different path than would lead them to right where they are today."
--- Wow, I wish I could say that. How many people could really say that?
I'm had those moments too when my comments turned into a post.
And, I agree . . . there are things that I wish I would not have done. Or, that I should not have done. But, no regrets.
Except that there is this one picture that I took three years ago or so . . . that I posted on my old blog . . . but, I don't have that blog and I think that I deleted the pic off my computer on accident!?!?!?
I'm okay but I regret that! :)
Also, your sticker comment made me chuckle . . . really funny.
Hey Rocketstar, I think that many people could actually say that. I feel sorry for those that are so uncontent with their lot in life that they wish they could change it, knowing that everything they currently have may cease to exist.
For instance, if I would have stayed going to school in Ohio, rather than returning home to finish up college, I would have never met my wife and would not have been blessed with the three kids I have. Sure, I COULD have gone on to do great things had I stayed in Ohio, who knows. But what I do know is that I don't care if it would have taken me on a path to be President, I wouldn't change it...I wouldn't trade my wife and kids for an unknown.
I often consider myself a dreamer and regularly contemplate 'what ifs'. But they are always future 'what ifs' that always include my wife and kids and the sum of my previous experiences.
If my previous experiences changed, my current lot in life changes...again...something that I'd never wish for.
Here's another one. I come from a divorced family. As much as I love my father and feel like I missed out on lots growning up, I'd NEVER wish that my parents never got divorced. My mother did a phenominal job and in all likelihood I could have grown to be an alcoholic, have little respect for women, or a variety of other negative things that would have come out of an existance relative to how thing were just before my parents got divorced.
So again, I absolutely wouldn't change my past, and I think/hope many people would feel the same.
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