Regrets Are Mostly Imagined

It is common to misuse our imaginations about whatever we have lost or failed to take advantage of, resulting in self-castigation and, often, descent into depression. Researchers have recently demonstrated, however, that we have a tendency to overestimate how opportunities not taken would have turned out.

In one of a series of experiments, they asked 800 U.S. residents recruited online to look at the blurred-out faces of nine people of the sex they were attracted to and pick out the two that they thought would be the most attractive. Half were then shown both faces unblurred, while the other half saw only the face of one person they had chosen unblurred.

Now, here is the thing: Those who were disappointed by the face they had chosen and whose other choice remained blurred were more likely to overestimate the attractiveness of that second, still-unseen person and to regret their choice.

So regret is commonly triggered by biased, unfounded beliefs, coloured by our imaginations.

What the brain focuses on is what it is more likely to bring about, which is why regret is never useful to dwell on.

*I really love this article because it points out the obvious - regret doesn't do us any good. When we regret decisions we may or may not have made, we take away the opportunities of the present and the future. Reflecting on what could have been only takes away our energy from directing it towards better use. It's okay to understand that our decisions have consequences, but understanding that we can't change the past is important to remember. Not having regrets allows us to live our lives to the fullest! ❤️*

Are you someone who regrets a lot of the decisions you haven't made? Do you think this keeps you from reaching your fullest potential?

#Regret #LiveLifetotheFullest

Read the whole article here.