Such regret usually relates to the past. But in this case, we are talking about regrets of all kinds: regrets of the future and regrets of the present, as well as regrets of the past. There is a very slick but at the same time very deep-rooted depression taking place, which looks back and forth all the time.

The problem is when security dominates our passage through life and leaves no room for taking risks. Reflection, risk and contribution—three pillars to a meaningful life. Perhaps we can better express it in an equation: Reflection + Risk = Contribution

When we take a risk and it turns out poorly, we do have regrets, but those regrets tend to be short-lived. The lasting ones that stick with us over the years, on the other hand, stem from risks we didn’t take. “Actions produce greater regret in the short term, whereas inactions generate more regret in the long run,” Gilovich and Medvec concluded.