Søren Kierkegaard said, "Marry, and you will regret it; don't marry, you will also regret it; marry or don't marry, you will regret it either way."
Although it can be difficult to get over, regret is a fundamental part of the human experience. So, interested in people's past choices that continue to linger in their minds, Reddit user ThickEmployee8948 asked everyone on the platform who's 30 and older to share the (in)actions they cannot forget.
The discussion that followed serves as a reminder that we cannot change the past — only learn from it.
Nothing. The person you were back then would always make the same exact decisions given the information you were aware of at the time. I don’t have regrets in life. I can only change now.Started smoking cigarettes. Did it for about 30 years although I've quit now. Don't do it kids !TEETH
Wish I’d Brushed and flossed more regularly, gone to the dentist every six months; etc.Staying in shape. It is so much harder later in life to keep up. lose weight and all the rest.Standing up for myself.
I lived way too long trying to make others happy and letting them manipulate me
My family used this to their fullest advantage
I stopped it now but wish I had the backbone 20 years ago.This is a little complicated, but I wish I had been able to come to terms with not caring what people think of me when I was younger. It did wonders for my confidence.Quit drinking. Alcohol sucks and it’s really bad for you. Wasn’t an alcoholic, just got really bad hangovers and anxiety after drinking. Haven’t had a sip in 51 weeks.Not learning a second language—I regret not taking the time to become bilingual when it would have been easier.Not prioritizing financial literacy—I wish I had learned more about money management and investing at a younger age.My friends and I talked about doing a 2-3 week Europe trip back in our 20s. “Oh maybe next year”. Eventually jobs, bills and families put all that to rest.Worked an awful, dead end job for way too long.Not taking my education seriously.I regret doing what my parents expected of me instead of what I wanted to do.Wear Sunscreen.Dealing with my trauma instead of running from it.I wish I had treated myself with respect, and taken my mental health seriously. I'm doing that now and it's making a big difference. .Not taking school seriously, not learning to play an instrument, not chosing a sport and sticking to it.Not keeping in touch with old friends. Thought we’d reconnect easily, but everyone drifted apart and got busy with their own lives.I regret thinking that nice things were not for people like me. The number of experiences, travel, career opportunities I turned down is crazy. All because I didn't think I was good enough to deserve them.Not realizing how quickly needing to be an adult creeps up on you. I remember being 17 and thinking 30 was so far away. Now I’m closing in on 40 and wishing I had done more to prep for being an adult.I regret buying into the workplace b******t when I was younger.
Being the 'goto' guy isn't going to put food on the table.
It's not going to pay your medical bills.
It's not gonna get you that promotion.
Unless you have a contract stating *x* will get you *y* do NOT go out of your way to 'help' businesses.
Don't be lazy, but don't be consistently picking up other peoples slack or rushing to put out 'fires'.I'm currently estranged from my parents. They have the ability to end this at any time, they just won't.
They controlled me all through my childhood and I kept chasing approval from them. I missed out on so many experiences because I wanted to be an obedient good kid.
I wish I had done more stupid s**t when I was younger. D***s, sex, rock and roll. Instead, I was consumed with panic attacks over losing my 4.0 and now that I'm a burnt out gifted kid in my thirties, I really struggle to relate to people my own age.Not being unapologetically myself.Letting fear hold me back from trying new things or taking on challenges—I wish I had embraced uncertainty and failure as opportunities for growth.Not learning to manage stress and anxiety—I wish I had developed healthy coping mechanisms earlier in life.Travel. One you have a family, career, mortgage payments, etc, the time, resources and energy for travel just seemed to disappear.Not taking breaks to recharge—I wish I had recognized the importance of rest and relaxation for overall well-being.TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
If you are young and having back issues or any other chronic or not problem you HAVE to take care of this before it spirals out of control. you may think you're tough and push through it now or that they will go away but these types of problems can slowly get worse and worse and creep up on you.
I am currently living with the consequences of this. I feel like I am 90 and I have at least 4 major health issues at the moment and I don't even know where to start. if I had tackled my neck issues when I was younger my life would be a lot better right now.
EDIT - all these stories I feel them. I remember coming to the realization that no it is not in fact normal to have back pain when you're young. I remember having to stop and sit down when I was like 14 whenever I walked any distances. it was like having someone stick a broomstick in your back super hard. I just lived through the pain thinking that it would eventually go away like a moron. I am 30 now and doing the dishes aggravates my neck so badly that I nearly have to lay down after doing them. I am lucky that my situation allows me to be flexible and lay down when I need to.
EDIT - a youngun might see this but ladies out there! I had this friend in high school that had some pain in her uterus and it turned into a living nightmare of pain. if you young ladies reading this have pain in your uterus, ovaries etc or really strange crazy periods you NEED to see a doctor. these things can turn life threatening.My grandmother died and left me - and only me - a sizeable inheritance. The same year I had just finished chemo and thought perhaps a windfall was an upswing. I knew my grandmother a little, but I left home pretty early and enlisted after that, so we never had a relationship really - but I got out and away, and the rest of our family were vipers, which was enough to put me at the top.
My brother, feeling left out, challenged the will, and emptied his savings doing so. I offered him half, but he felt entitled to all of it. At the end of it, penniless and desperate, my brother ended his own life. Most of the money was eaten up in court, and what was left wasn't much.
If you ever receive news of an inheritance or windfall, please consider that your family may destroy itself in pursuit of the money. Even if they're going to act that way anyway, you will at least be able to sleep at night.Not standing up for causes I believe in—I wish I had been more vocal and active in advocating for social justice and equality.
