I am the emotion that lives permanently in the past. I change nothing yet I am one of the strongest motivators. The things that cause me most are usually the things we did not do. What am I?

Question

Accepted Answer

Regret. Regret is the wish that a past decision had been different. Despite being retrospective and changing nothing, it motivates future behaviour. Research consistently shows that people regret things they did not do — missed opportunities — more than things they did.

"I am the emotion that lives permanently in the past. I change nothing yet I am one of the strongest motivators. The things that cause me most are usually the things we did not do. What am I?"

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