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Many believe regret is a wasted emotion because you can’t turn back time and undo the past. But for some, it’s a sting that never goes away, a scar that forever reminds them of missed opportunities in life.
Recently, someone on Reddit asked a rather existential question: “What do you regret not appreciating more when you were younger?” Responses poured in as people talked about how they should’ve spent more time with close friends or taken their parents’ advice.
While they carry a somber tone, these stories could be a reminder of how important it is to live life to the fullest. Scroll through and feel free to join in on the discussion in the comments below.
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#1
My grandparents’ life experiences. I wish I had asked and preserved their stories. One grandmother was born in1899 and lived to 95. Think of all she saw and lived through. Damn it, why didn’t I ask her when I could?
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#2
How much potential I really did have. I just lacked the self confidence. I'm trying to instill that in my children right now. One in particular. The fear of failure is real for everyone, but so is actually FAILING. EVERYONE fails. Nothing worthwhile is accomplished easily. It took me almost forty years to learn that.
StrangeOne 2 months ago
Every time I have aspirational ideas I get shot down. "Oh, that's not a good career. There's so much toxic fumes." "But it's a really hard job and a lot of pressure. I don't think you will be able to do it." Just makes me mad and want to prove people wrong. Then I get stuck because I really want some encouragement and support.
#3
My cat.
We were always together and I spent multiple days just lying in bed holding him, but I still feel like I didn't spend enough time with him.
#4
Being able to sleep was something I took utterly for granted. I miss those days so much.
StrangeOne 2 months ago
I used to sleep in a lot. "What a waste of a day." I would hear from my mom's husband at the time.
#5
The simple joys of being carefree—like long summer days and endless playtime!
#6
My spine and knees being pain-free. Just walking the dog hurts these days.
#7
Well, I definitely regret not appreciating the fact that I could eat a whole pizza and not gain a pound. #MetabolismMatters.
#8
My parents youth. Mom’s 70 now, and it’s incredible hard to see her slow down.
Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 2 months ago
I'm 68 and it's incredibly hard to see MYSELF slow down
#9
Where I lived. It's so easy to find a reason to hate wherever you are. But at the end of the day, you still live there. Might as well try to appreciate the good things about it.
#10
I was always clever, but for some reason, I was ashamed of it. Being academically gifted was somehow uncool. So I dumbed myself down and d**ked around and kind of didn’t fulfill my potential.
#11
My free time. I really didn't think that having a 9-5 and kids would leave me with so little of me time.
#12
Time spent with friends who have since drifted away. We thought we’d always be together, but life had other plans.
keyboardtek 2 months ago
I purposely stopped associating with friends when they went to the dark side and started following Rush Limbaugh and hate politics and then became Born-again Christians who are now intolerant of anyone who does not believe their point of view.
#13
The elasticity of my body!!
Robert Trebor 2 months ago
I was really offended when a podiatrist told me the reason my toes felt tight was because my skin was less elastic. I'm 75, with reduced elasticity.
#14
How easy it was to socialize in college. It's frustrating and difficult to make new friends as an adult, and even more so to date.
#16
20/20 eyesight. Damn genes.
Robert Trebor 2 months ago
I put my first pair of glasses on in 1954, aged 4. I got vision correcting cataract surgery 65 years later, in 2019, aged 69. Just now (October 2024)) had an eye exam and still everything is fine with no glasses, except $10 cheaters for fine print. Still do the end table grab in morning sometimes, and am constantly trying to push up the glasses that are not on my nose.
#18
The opportunity to have a good education.
StrangeOne 2 months ago
Some kids commute hours, through rough terrain and many dangers, every day, just to get an education and improve their future prospects. If you live across the street, down the block, a school bus ride away, count yourself lucky you have that good.
#19
Having disposable income.
I wish I had what I blew back then on dumb s**t.
StrangeOne 2 months ago
I feel this SO MUCH. I keep telling myself I'm going to save hard this time. I still don't have a savings.
#20
Time with my grandparents. I was just so f****d up and couldn’t see how much they loved me and WANTED me around and protected me. I wish so badly I could tell them both that they changed my life and thank you for everything and how I miss grandpa playing us trumpet in the morning and at night. I miss the way my grandmas hug felt, and her bad cooking and watching are you being served with them after dinners.
I wish I had understood that time isn’t something you can get back, and when they’re gone there’s just an empty space where they used to sit on the couch.
Please don’t waste your time with people who love you, it sounds obvious but it wasn’t to me.
Traveling Lady Railfan 2 months ago
If you were fortunate enough to have grandparents in your life, especially if they are loving and kind and good people, and close enough that you can visit them, You are very fortunate indeed. Not everybody has that for various reasons. May I suggest, although blood is thicker than water, to get involved with seniors? By that I mean "adopt a grandparent". They're not related, but they can teach you so much about life. I've gained such great experiences from befriending and volunteering with people who are 20 to 60 years older than me. One of my dearest friends turned 100 this year. She's an amazing person and I value every visit
#21
My body. Think most women can relate to looking back at pictures and thinking “wow, I was hot!” I just wish I would have flaunted my beauty more or taken advantage of it while I could. Like wearing the daring outfit in my closet that I thought was too sultry to be seen in public with. When you no longer have the option to wear it because it doesn’t fit, you realize you should have taken that chance.
Alexandra 2 months ago
On the fence about that one. You can regret past decisions, but I think you have to extend yourself some grace: there probably was a good reason why you did what you did back then, only you've forgotten it or the reason plays no longer a role now. You're different now than you were then.
#22
Not appreciating my parents' patience and advice. I thought I knew it all back then.
#23
Doing things with my mom while she had the physical energy. So many “we’ll do it next year” moments. And you just keep putting it off… and then your mom is older and living with stage 4 cancer and you realize all those big dreams you put off may never become reality.
Alexandra 2 months ago
I understand what you say, but at the same time you have to realise that life happens while you're making plans. Things will happen and they can be at cross-purposes and that's no one's fault; it just happens and it happens to you. It's frustrating, it's sad and infuriating, but it's not your fault.
#25
That fear is easier to overcome than I imagined in many of my situations. It held me back too much, led to anxiety and playing it safe. I let go of fear in the last five years. Doing so I doubled my income, increased satisfaction in life, care less about what others think, and found more rewarding relationships.
#27
Being like everyone else. As a late kid/early teen I believed myself so special because I had more intellectual maturity than my peers, and because I wasn’t interested in what people my age were interested in. Now I am lying in the bed I made for myself - alone and lonely.
I’d slap my younger self if I could.
#28
My grandmother tried to teach me Polish, but I was not interested. It would have been much easier to learn then…..sigh.
B Komonytsky 2 months ago
My kids refused and resist learning Ukrainian from me, my native language. "You refuse, you lose;" but you won’t realize your loss until your parents are gone
#29
My siblings. We were all surviving and I wish I was able to protect them more and have had the understanding that they were suffering too. We fought over food and lot and I was the stronger one and would take more than I should have. I know that we as children were put into that position by our parents, but I wish I could go back in time and fight harder for them. I was trying to survive myself and I just hate that I wasn’t able to focus on them more than myself.
#30
Having perfectly clear skin.
What do you think ?
Jude Laskowski 2 months ago
Some of us didn't know about investing back then.
Load More Replies... Liz The Biz 2 months ago
My knees. I have arthritis in both of my knees and when the weather starts to get cold I'm in constant pain. I struggle to get up and down stairs and I now need a walking stick to climb hills or walk on uneven surfaces.
ENSJ 2 months ago
Having a positive perspective. Nowadays I know I'm going to be stuck hopping from minimum wage job to other minimum wage job, struggling to find affordable places to rent and die in poverty when I'm retired. Back then I had hopes to get a driver's licens, a degree in a field of interest and a job that fit me.
Jude Laskowski 2 months ago
Some of us didn't know about investing back then.
Load More Replies... Liz The Biz 2 months ago
My knees. I have arthritis in both of my knees and when the weather starts to get cold I'm in constant pain. I struggle to get up and down stairs and I now need a walking stick to climb hills or walk on uneven surfaces.
ENSJ 2 months ago
Having a positive perspective. Nowadays I know I'm going to be stuck hopping from minimum wage job to other minimum wage job, struggling to find affordable places to rent and die in poverty when I'm retired. Back then I had hopes to get a driver's licens, a degree in a field of interest and a job that fit me.
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