Regret: What It Teaches and What It Costs

Regret is one of the most powerful and painful emotions we experience, but it can also be one of the most instructive. In this episode of What’s On Your Mind, Mark and Will explore the psychology of regret, what it is, why it happens, and how it shapes the way we think about our past and future. They discuss how regret is tied to missed opportunities, values misalignment, and the stories we tell ourselves about what could have been.The conversation also examines the difference between healthy reflection and unhelpful rumination, the most common regrets people express later in life, and how to use regret as a guide rather than a weight. The episode closes with practical ways to make decisions today that reduce the likelihood of carrying regret into the future.