A quote on regret by Jonathan Larson

21 of the Best Quotes on Regret and Dealing with Regrets in Life

Sometimes in life you need to look to others when dealing with certain things that you are going through. Quotes from people we respect or people who have been through the same thing as us can give us really useful snippets of advice to use, as long as we don’t take them for granted and we actually think about them. Regret is a very real and difficult emotion to deal with, so here I have compiled some of the best quotes on regret and quotes on dealing with regrets in life.

The general takeaway from these is that, if you were to imagine looking back on your life in the future and you can see yourself regretting that you didn’t do something, then you should do that thing (and vise versa), but, also, if you do have regrets, then learn from them and then let the regret go.

Having regrets can be hard, but regrets can also help you to learn about what you should do moving forwards and what you should do in the future. Holding on to regret, however, can cause more pain than is useful and can stop you moving forwards in life.

So take these quotes on regret in, think about them, and then apply them to your life!

Side note: if you want some more information on how to deal with regret or generally living with regret, I encourage you to check the linked post out.

The best quotes on regret and dealing with regrets in life

Katherine Mansfield quote on regret - "Make it a rule of life never 
to regret and never to 
look back. Regret is an 
Appalling waste of energy, 
you can't build on it it's 
only good for wallowing in."

“Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy, you can’t build on it it’s only good for wallowing in.”

Katherine Mansfield
Jim Rohn quote on regret - "We must all suffer 
one of two things: 
the pain of discipline, 
or the pain of 
regret or disappointment."

“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.”

Jim Rohn
Robin Williams quote on regret - "Sometimes over things that I 
did, movies that didn't turn out 
very well - you go, 'Why did you 
do that?' But in the end, 
I can't regret them because I met 
amazing people. There was always 
something that was worth it."

“Sometimes over things that I did, movies that didn’t turn out very well – you go, ‘Why did you do that?’ But in the end, I can’t regret them because I met amazing people. There was always something that was worth it.”

Robin Williams
Henry David Thoreau quote on regret - "Make the most of your regrets; 
never smother your sorrow, 
but tend and cherish it 
till it comes to have a 
separate and integral interest. 
To regret deeply is to live afresh."

“Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh.”

Henry David Thoreau
Carrie Fisher quote on regrets - "Mistakes are a drag, because 
you get in the area 
of regret and self-pity."

“Mistakes are a drag, because you get in the area of regret and self-pity.”

Carrie Fisher
Allen Iverson quote on regrets - "I can't take it back. I can't 
take anything back. 
So I don't regret it."

“I can’t take it back. I can’t take anything back. So I don’t regret it.”

Allen Iverson
Sydney J Harris quote on regret - "Regret for the things 
we did can be tempered 
by time; it is regret for the 
things we did not do 
that is inconsolable."

“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”

Sydney J. Harris
Jim Carrey quote on regret - "If you aren't in the moment, 
you are either looking 
forward to uncertainty, 
or back to pain and regret."

“If you aren’t in the moment, you are either looking forward to uncertainty, or back to pain and regret.”

Jim Carrey
Fulton Oursler quote on regret - "Many of us crucify ourselves 
between two thieves - 
regret for the past and 
fear of the future."

“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves – regret for the past and fear of the future.”

Fulton Oursler
Oscar Levant quote on regrets - "It's not what your are, 
it's what you don't 
become that hurts."

“It’s not what your are, it’s what you don’t become that hurts.”

Oscar Levant
George Halas quote on regrets - "Nobody who ever 
gave his best 
regretted it."

“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.”

George Halas
John Barrymore quote on regrets - "A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams."

“A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”

John Barrymore
Lucy Maud Montgomery quote on regrets - "'We should regret our 
mistakes and learn from them, 
but never carry them forward 
into the future with us."

“‘We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.”

Lucy Maud Montgomery
Rafael Sabatini quote on regret - "Regret of 
neglected opportunity 
is the worst hell that a living 
soul can inhabit."

“Regret of neglected opportunity is the worst hell that a living soul can inhabit.”

Rafael Sabatini
John Greenleaf Whittier quote on regrets - "For of all sad words of 
tongue or pen, The saddest are 
these: 'It might have been!"

“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: ‘It might have been!”

John Greenleaf Whittier
Alexander Graham Bell quote on regrets - "When one door closes, 
another opens; but we 
often look so long and 
so regretfully upon 
the closed door that 
we do not see the one 
which has opened for us."

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

Alexander Graham Bell
Hilary Clinton quote on regrets - "Life is too short, 
time is too precious, 
and the stakes 
are too high to 
dwell on what 
might have been."

“Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been.”

Hilary Clinton
Victoria Holt quote on regret - "Never regret. 
If it's good, it's wonderful. 
If it's bad, it's experience."

“Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.”

Victoria Holt
Jonathan Larson quote on regret - "Forget regret, 
or life is yours to miss."

“Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.”

Jonathan Larson
Mercedes Lackey quote on regret - "'If only.'
Those must be the two 
saddest words in the world."

“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.”

Mercedes Lackey
Queen Latifah quote on regrets - "I made decisions that 
I regret, and I took them 
as learning experiences... 
I'm human, not perfect, 
like anybody else."

“I made decisions that I regret, and I took them as learning experiences… I’m human, not perfect, like anybody else.”

Queen Latifah

What did you think about these regret quotes? Do you have any favourite quotes on regrets? Let me know in the comments and maybe I will add some!

Further reading

If you are living with regret and want to know how to get over regret, that post is for you.

If you’re feeling inspired and are asking yourself, “should I follow my dreams?” then I encourage you to check out this post.

If you are still dealing with regret and maybe feeling like you have wasted so much time in your life, then this post may be useful to you.

And if you feel regretful and feel like life sucks, check out these quotes to help cheer you up.

Disclaimer: Nothing on this website should be taken as medical or other professional advice. You should always seek the advice of a professional, qualified person.  

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