Regret is, unfortunately, a part of everyone's life. Whether it is because of a missed opportunity or a big mistake, it hurts all of us.
These Reddit users shared some of their biggest regrets in hopes that others will learn from their mistakes and not end up living with the same regrets.
Reddit user u/Houndseeker asked:
"People Share Their Biggest Regrets"
*Content Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm and domestic violence.*
10.
I got persuaded to go to Australia with a guy I was dating. It was a three month trip where we were living with his family the whole time. He told me he saw no future with me when we were on the flight over. Longest three months of my life haha
9.
The fact that I isolated myself during my 20s. I didn't date, I didn't travel much, basically just stayed at home reading, watching tv shows and eating. I kind of feel that I started to live again at 28-29. I feel like I have missed so many aspects and experiences in my life.
8.
I declined a job with Blizzard Entertainment in Austin TX because I didn't want to live in Texas. I was working for them through an outsource company, and they offered to pay relocation for me and everything.
3 years later and I'm in the US army because of the recession, and I'm stationed at Ft Hood, an hour away from Austin.
F*ck me.
Edit: this was over 10 years ago, I was there for BC and wotlk launch.
7.
Years ago I pushed away people that I cared a lot about. It still hurts to see them on social media all the time and even talk with them once in a while, because we all know that it's never gonna be the same. At least we have the memories...
6.
That i wasn't there when my mom passed away
This is my biggest worry about moving out of the country. Not being there when they need me. Breaks my heart even though i havent moved out
5.
All the things I didn't tell my sister before she died. Not telling her I loved her every day, that she wasn't a burden to me or my family for being born with a cocktail of f-ed up diagnoses in her head like depression and GAD, that she didn't need to apologise in her last letter to us. That its okay for her to pass on and be happier in whatever life comes next.
Its been more than 2.5 years since she did it and we're all doing okay. But damn, I'd give anything to tell her I love her one last time, I'd gladly give my life and all I have in a blink of an eye.
If you can read this E, I'm okay and I'll be okay but damn, I miss you more than words can say. I love you sis.
Take my story as a lesson folks, tell the people you care about you love and care for them. You can never say those words to many times and you don't want to regret the same things as I do.
4.
I regret never finding out more about my dads earlier life.
I know he used to be in the RAF and was stationed in Singapore. I know he was a keen cyclist and had been in many races around the world. I know he was a semi-pro bowler. But i don't know the specifics of anything.
He was taken ill early in 2015 and diagnosed with cancer, died Christmas 2015. When the local vicar visited to talk to us about his funeral service, his questions brought me to tears.
Where was your dad born? I don't know. Where did he go to school? I don't know. What did he do when he left school? I don't know. It really hit home and made me realise how little i actually knew about my dads life prior to me being born.
3.
Staying in a relationship for three more years, after the first incidence of domestic violence. It just got worse, and worse, and worse, until one day it was just too much. I had to go, to protect myself.
In the first months after I left, I blamed myself for what happened. In fact, a small part of me still does. Years later, I am still suffering the emotional and psychological consequences of my decision to tolerate my insistence that my love would prevail over the inexcusable entitlement of an increasingly toxic and violent person who thought of me as largely incidental to their narcissistic desire for fame and success. Me, who loved them more than I ever thought possible, reduced to a far too literal speed bump on their road to self-fulfillment. To a far too literal punching bag they used day in and day out to resolve their deep-seated insecurities.
The thing is, I find it is cold comfort for me to say to myself that they are being punished on the daily for what they did by their own warped and tormented ego. But I don't want them to be punished. I want them to be healthy and happy and whole. But I can't be the one to give them that. No one can but them. Yet they are the type to ignore that reality, and to keep trying to take it from me and any other unfortunate empath they lure in with their outwardly earnest desire to be better.
I am glad I got out at all, but I regret not getting out sooner. But most of all, I regret that the world is full of people who would do such things to the people they love.
2.
I had an online friend, I met her on Roblox and we started talking, we had a lot of things in common, we both had similar interests so we continued talking, she was my everything, the one person I could fully talk to and not feel weird, she was someone who could make me laugh even when I was in a dark time, she is the reason I didn't commit suicide. We've known each other for 1 year and 3 months now and she was everything to me, however, last month, told me about her problems, and how she wanted to commit suicide, I tried my best, my very best, I tried like I've never before in persuading her to not kill herself, she did. She's gone and I just feel like garbage. She was an awesome friend, my best friend and I failed her when she needed me the most.
TL Dr: I failed in saving my friend with her depression and she's now gone because I couldn't save her.
I know this doesn't help, but you did the best that you could. Ultimately you can't blame yourself for what someone else chose to do. It will take a long time but try to forgive yourself, forgive her, and know that you have at least one person out there who does not blame you and is rooting for you.
1.
I was going to buy a few hundred dollars in bitcoin and hope for an investment return but my friend needed to borrow 50$ and that made me think nah probably isn't worth it, we still bring it up to this day.
"Remember that time you would of been super rich if I didn't borrow some money off you"
"Yeah"
"That's depressing"
"Yeah"
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
LGBTQ+ Youth can get help through:
TrevorChat — 24/7/365 at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/#services
TrevorLifeline — phone service available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386
TrevorText — Text "START" to 678678. Available 24/7/365.
TrevorSpace — online international peer-to-peer community for LGBTQ young people and their friends at https://www.trevorspace.org/
Trevor Support Center — LGBTQ youth & allies can find answers to FAQs and explore resources at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/#sm.0000121hx9lvicotqs52mb1saenel
Transgender people can get help through the Trans Lifeline at https://www.translifeline.org/ or call US: 877-565-8860 Canada: 877-330-6366
If you or someone you know is struggling with an abusive partner or spouse, help is available.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-7233.
