Still from We're the Millers (2013).
Consider how you feel after reading Nora’s regrets.
Would you describe yourself as someone who has a lot of regrets? Do you think about your regrets more than the average person does?
Would you describe yourself as someone who has a lot of regrets? Do you think about your regrets more than the average person does?
Has there ever been a time in your life when you dwelt on your regrets more or less than you do now? What has changed since then?
Do you think our society would be better off if people reflected more on their regrets or if more people lived without regrets?
I feel like I have lots of regrets, but I probably think about them just as much as the next person. There are certain settings where it would be appropriate to dwell on regrets (therapy) and there are ones that are terrible to dwell on regrets (lying in bed at 2am). Certain experiences can give perspective on past experiences, and it can help you to move on.
ReplyDelete-Byron
I agree with you Byron, certain settings do require the thought or lack of thought of regrets. Therapy is a great example because you are helpfully learning from those regrets with the help of another while dwelling in bed at 2am is harmful.
DeleteI have many regrets in my life even for how young I am. I can’t say I have more or less than others because everyone has different regrets. Many times in my life do I sit and dwell on my regrets. I still dwell on the regrets almost everyday. It isn’t healthy and I would never wish for anyone to do that ti themselves. I agree with Byron on the “certain experiences can give perspectives on past experiences, and it can help you move on.”
ReplyDeleteI have few regrets, especially since I am still so young. And even so, the regrets that I have now will probably be nothing in comparison to the major decisions that I may mistakenly make in the future. I think reflecting on regrets is a waste of time since you cannot change the past. As nice as it would be to see where our lives would have gone if we had chosen a different path, we cannot. Rather than reflecting on the past, which Nora seemed so encapsulated in, focus on the future and it's many opportunities it will bring.
ReplyDeleteI honestly feel as if I have a lot of regrets that range from really small ones to large ones. I do feel like I think about them more than an average person should. I used to dwell on them a lot more than I do now, but I'm slowly starting to realize that those regrets are in the past and there's nothing I can do about them now. I also am not sure if our society would be better with or without reflecting on our regrets, I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both sides.
ReplyDelete^ -Abigayle Shropshire
DeleteI used to dwell on my regrets much more than I do now. I realize that the events I felt I was responsible for were out of my control and there is a grace that covers my past mistakes.
ReplyDelete-Jenna Whitehead
I don't want to say that I have no regrets because there are obviously things that I wish I would've done differently however I don't really dwell on mistakes I've made. Everyone thinks about it. We are all human. I'll think about what happened right after it happens and then sporadically but not enough to drastically affect my day. While there are circumstances where reflecting on regrets would make our society better like criminals reflecting on their lives, overall society would be better and much less anxious if we lived with no regrets as we can't change the past.
ReplyDeleteNo. I think I have an average number of regrets, if not less. I try not to let things bother me, and focus more on where I am going rather than where I have been. I have had times where I've not done that, and I have learned I'm much happier with this mentality.
ReplyDeleteI think that reflection is important, but only so much as to realize how you can better your own situation. If people focus exclusively on their regrets, they won't move forward.
While I believe that too much regret can lead to stagnancy, a healthy dose of reflection upon what could’ve been different is essential to growth. Our regrets, however small or meaningless they may seem to those around us, show us the content of our character. We regret because we know, deep down, we could’ve done better in those moments. A life without regret would be pointless; if you never have any disdain for your past or the desire to create a new future, how will you achieve anything meaningful? In my opinion, being “too self-aware” is better than being completely oblivious to your impact on the world around you. While I do not wish for everyone to suddenly be hit with the burden of consciousness, I do believe that our society would be better off if people reflected enough to delve into self-actualization.
ReplyDeleteI do not think I have a large number of regrets at this point in my life. Almost all of the somewhat major decisions I make I second guess myself on, but I usually end up satisfied with my decision. I do have some regrets and I know that there are many more to come through my lifetime, yet I do not find myself dwelling on past decisions very often. The past cannot be changed so rather than fantasizing over what life could have been like, I would rather spend my time engaging in thought regarding my future.
ReplyDelete- Zachary Idlett
I would consider myself as someone who does not have a lot of regrets. I have very few events that, if handled differently, would completely change my life now. I also believe that everything happens for a reason, so I have looked back at my ‘regrets’ and understood that those events have made me into the person that I am today and that I would not be who I am today without those events. Regarding smaller regrets, rather than dwelling on them, I try to come up with solutions so that I can either fix that regret or better myself and not feel that regret again. I don’t think that there was a specific time that I dwelt on regrets more or less than I do now. Yes, sometimes I feel more regret than others, but I think it is important to have resilience and bounce back from that feeling. I also think that regret is good in moderation. I think that feeling a little bit of regret pushes us to be better humans, however, the amount of regret that Nora feels is unhealthy.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I spend more time thinking about little things in my life than I should, which means I do sometimes think about things I regret more than I probably should. I would not say I have a lot of regrets, but the few ones I have from all throughout my life I sometimes catch myself thinking about more often than I should. My last year of high school through the first semester of freshman year in college is when I would say I spent the most time dwelling on regrets. I made some mistakes, which is completely normal, but I spent so much time wondering how different things would be if these things never happened. I think I spent so much time dwelling on these regrets because I thought I was better than my mistakes and did not realize it was completely normal to make these kinds of mistakes as a teenager. Going through my first year of college really helped me understand that, and now I hardly ever think that deeply about things I regret. I have realized that things happen the way they happen for a reason. Through my second semester at college up until now, I have been content with my life and let things happen as they do without putting too much thought into how things could be different. It helped that I have also realized that most things are not as deep as I think they are in the first place. I think our society would be better off if people looked into their big regrets enough to learn how those have affected you as a person, but put them away in your brain after that. I also think it would be better off if we could just not have those small regrets in life, but sometimes that is hard too. It can be so mentally draining to constantly be thinking about how your life could be different, but I think it is important to reflect a little bit on what you feel you could have done differently in major areas of your life rather than always think you have done everything perfectly.
ReplyDeleteCarly Hendrickson
I would say as a whole I am not a person of very many regrets. I do have regrets, but to me I don't really consider them regrets, just bad timing or missed opportunities. I think having regrets isn't a bad thing, but it can hinder what I am looking foward to in the future. Whatever happened in the past happened for a reason. No matter how big or small it is, my goal is to learn from what happened and realize what I can do to grow from that. I can't change my past, but I can let it impact my future. So, it is on me how I let that happen. I think society would be a lot better off if they had that mindset. Instead of letting your regret control you and hinder you, learn from it and apply it to your everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI would describe myself as someone who has an average amount of regrets. I would say that I think about those regrets more often than the average person does. In a way, I feel like those thoughts do try to consume me, but I try my best not to sit and ponder on them for an extended period of time. There has been a time here recently that I catch myself dwelling on certain regrets more often than I usually do. I would say that my circumstances have changed and the regret that I’m currently facing is something that I have to forgive myself for. I think I’m getting closer to forgiving myself but it’s something that will take time and patience. Society would benefit most from an equal balance of both reflecting on their regrets but not letting those regrets hinder them from living their life. I believe people tend to be hesitant about certain situations because of the regrets they have. I feel like a person should live their life without worrying about regrets as long as they have reflected on their regrets and made a noticeable change to not repeat them.
ReplyDeleteI do have some regrets, but not more than the average person. Depending on what I think is the severity of those regrets, I may think on them more than average. If people were to live without their regrets, there would be no sense of self-correction within our society. I believe that if we were to not have this, it would lead to a huge downfall of the public as everybody could do anything they wanted and not feel bad for it. If we were to reflect more on ourselves we could possibly create a more organized community.
ReplyDelete- Taylor Wood
DeleteChapter 12
ReplyDeleteI would not describe myself as a person that has a lot of regrets. No, I do not think about my regrets more than the average person does.
Probably one of the only times I have regretted something was the other day here at ECU. I was talking to my counselor about my gen ed classes and if I would’ve passed both of my AP Physics tests (1 and C), I would’ve been entirely done with my gen ed classes except for taking the required honors courses. The reason why I failed these tests was because I was not a very good student during those classes. I would constantly sleep in class, and I barely studied or did any homework. Somehow, I was able to squeak by with a B average in both classes but if I would have pushed myself to at least try I would’ve had a better chance at college credit. Since then, I have committed myself to not sleep in class in college and to do my homework.
I think that people would be better off if they did a bit of both. Regretting something can spark growth like in my case, but it can also spiral into depression because people can get too caught up in the past. If people lived without regrets, they could be living a happy life, or they could be being careless about the things around them. I think a mix of both is key to a successful society.
Camden Wilmes
I am the kind of person who focuses a little too hard on their regrets. I think that I definitely think about it more than the average person, and I know that I shouldn’t do that as much as I do. In perspective, I used to do it a lot more than I do now, but growing into an adult and living more of my life has taught me to try not to dwell on things as much. This has also been helped by some of the people I’ve met in college, who live their life with no regrets and seem to be much happier by doing so.
ReplyDeleteI think that society as a whole would benefit from not living with their regrets as much as we already do. Letting go of the things in the past, the things that you can’t change can help you continue on and live with yourself. While you need to reflect on things you may have done wrong in your life, you shouldn’t have to dwell on it and let it continue to affect your life.
-Carson Dill
I have a handful of things that I regret and I often reflect on a lot. Although I have regrets, I know that everything I do in life and every decision I made, lead me to where I am today. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and I also think that I learn best from my mistakes. I think our society would be better off if we all moved on from our past mistakes and did not dwell on them. It is tolling to constantly worry and think about your past mistakes and past life and what could have been. Instead of dwelling on the past and wondering what life could be without the mistakes, we should take them and use them positively. You live and you learn, and like I said, all of our past decisions and mistakes have lead us to where we are today. Everything happens for a reason and having regrets is only going to hurt ourselves more.
ReplyDeleteI have so many regrets, but I think everyone has a bunch of regrets so I would say I’m the same as other people. I feel like I don’t think of my regrets so much because I think of them as a learning experience, but we’re all going to die one day so we might as well live through these experiences and realize it won’t be the end of the world. I feel like people should live without regret to a point, like don’t regret going on that one date because it was awkward but don’t kill someone just because you want to then not regret it. -Sydney Moody
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have more regrets than I would like to admit. My dad passed away when I was thirteen and in turn I spiraled out of control. These days I have recognized where I went wrong and vowed to myself that I would not make the same mistakes again. I think about my regrets very, very often.
ReplyDeleteI used to dwell on my regrets much more. I believe in karmic retribution now. I know I did some awful things and now I have devoted my life to helping others. I believe that if I stay on the right track -while I may never balance my scale- I can find retribution and the peace to accept the nasty things I did.
I think everyone should reflect on their regrets and attempt to learn from them. Regret is a part of life that one should learn to embrace. Society would be better if we all wanted to better ourselves.
I would not describe myself as someone with a lot of regrets. I do not really know how often others think about their regrets, but I don't dwell on mine to much.
ReplyDeleteI thought more about my regrets as a young teen for two reasons: My regretful actions were more resent and therefore more present on my mind; as I aged I resolved to change from a reactive mindset to a proactive mindset. I spent more time thinking about how my actions were going to affect me and less time thinking about my past regrets.
Society would definitely be better if people lived without regrets. By that I do not mean people should not regret their wrong actions, but that people should attempt to live in a way that they no longer have actions worthy of regret! On the other hand, people who already chose actions worthy of regret should reflect on their actions, with the mindset of changing the way they arrived at those actions and ideologies.
I would say I have my far share of regrets, and I do tend to think about them a lot. I am not sure how often the average person thinks about their regrets, but I do think I think about mine an unhealthy amount sometimes. There has definitely been times when I have dwelt on these mistakes or regrets, especially now. What has changed has been knowledge. Knowing what I could have done differently, or how I could have tried a different approach. I think that regrets are needed within society. If there is no since of regret, what is stopping people from growing or making better decisions with their lives? How far will it go? First it could be something as simple as "I do not regret wearing mismatch socks today" to more extreme out comes that hurt the person or people around them. Then they would keep making the same decisions as they do not regret doing it the first time, so why not do it again? Regret makes for a better society. - Cody Miller
ReplyDeleteI think most people have regrets. For me personally, I have an exceptional knack for making mistakes, so I would assume I have a few more than the average bear.
ReplyDeleteNow do I dwell on them as much or more than the average person? I think not; while my regrets are many, I view them as tools for future endeavors. Just because you have a not insignificant number of regrets does not mean you dwell deeply on them.
Now, are there moments where I do dwell on them? Most definitely, especially in moments of weakness I find myself draw to these thoughts.
For me personally, regrets are tools to be used. We are the masters of our minds, for the most part, and should try to utilize every tool in our arsenal to live the lives we want. A lesson not learned is a lesson wasted.
-CWR
I would not describe myself as a person with a lot of regrets. Although I have made plenty of mistakes, I do not regret my decisions, because I know they have purpose even if I cannot understand it. All the things I have done so so wrong have taught me how to do things right, so I cannot regret them when they have gotten me here. I feel sorry for a lot of my past actions, but I try not to hold on to things that people have forgiven me for, so I would not consider them to be regrets.
ReplyDeleteI would say there has been a time where I was dwelling on my regrets more than I should have been. I tend to worry a lot and I do not really care what people think about me but I do care how people think of me. But I just learned that what is past is past. You should not worry or stress or feel guilty about things that are forgiven and you have grown from. You should just be thankful that you have grown.
I think the world would be better if people lived without regrets. But for you to honorably live without regrets, you have to grow from your mistakes and admit that you were wrong. If everyone was to live without regrets and no one was sorry for their actions and cared about growth, then the world would probably be a worse place.
I don't think as a person I have very many "big" regrets so to say. However, I have a bad tendency to only focus on the things in my life that are going wrong. I could have the best day of my life and if I go to bed at night and learn my favorite show has been cancelled that tends to become what the whole day is. I don't like to consider myself a pessimistic person because in the moments of day to day life I try to see the good in things. Those good things just don't carry over when I think back at my whole day in review. As I've gotten older I have tried learning to let the little things go and not be so scared of them. I've tried journaling, talking with people, and even meditation. I think looking back on things you regret with a viewpoint to become a better person is the only way we should try to focus on them.
ReplyDelete