Next time you’re on the fence about something, remember that new research finds Americans tend to regret the things they didn’t do more than the things they’ve done. Regrets are a pretty common part of life, as only 11% of people say they don’t have any. And a new survey reveals what people regret most.
According to the poll of 2-thousand U.S. adults:
- A lot of Americans feel bad about missed opportunities, including not speaking up (40%), not visiting friends or family enough (36%) and not pursuing their dreams (35%).
- During their lifetime, Americans miss an average of three chances to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip, four lost opportunities to ask their crush out and have six instances of not having the perfect comeback in an argument.
- When it comes to things they regret doing, spending money or buying something tops the list (49%), followed by fighting with loved ones (43%) and making an unnecessary comment (36%).
- They also regret an average of five angry texts and two break-ups throughout their lives.
- About a third (32%) of baby boomers have a regret that’s three decades old and they still think about it an average of three times a month.
- For millennials, their oldest regret is only around 11 years old, but they think about it almost once a week, more than any other generation.
- When it comes to bad decisions, Americans are almost twice as likely to make one at night (41%) than in the morning (22%).
- Regrets are also higher at night, including not going to bed at a decent hour (47%), eating too much (36%) and bickering with a loved one (35%).
- Bad choices like this also impact them the next day by putting people in a bad mood (39%), leaving them unprepared to tackle the day (29%) or keeping them from dealing with the day’s responsibilities (20%).
- But not all “bad” decisions lead to regret. The ones Americans say have been “worth it” include staying up late with friends (24%), quitting a job (23%), taking a chance trying a new food (20%), moving to a new place (17%) and going to a concert on a weeknight (10%).
Source: Talker
