Regret is a feeling we all know too well. It whispers in our quiet moments and can weigh on our hearts. Whether it stems from missed opportunities or words left unsaid, regret reminds us of our humanness.
In this article, we’ll share some of the best quotes about regret. These words from thinkers, writers, and leaders capture the essence of our regrets, offering wisdom and comfort.
Timeless Quotes On Regret
“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘It might have been.'”
“Regrets are the natural property of grey hairs.”
“One regrets more what one hasn’t done than what one has done.”
“we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”
“Our biggest regrets are not for the things we have done but for the things we haven’t done.”
“Never regret anything you have done with a sincere affection; nothing is lost that is born of the heart.”
“The only victories which leave no regret are those which are gained over ignorance.”
“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!'”
“I have no regrets in life, just lessons learned.”
“To live without regret is to live without reflection.”
“Regret is insight that comes a day too late.”
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”
“The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now.”
“Don’t regret knowing the people that come into your life. Good people give you happiness. Bad ones give you experience. The worst ones give you lessons, and the best people give you memories.”
“The mistakes are all there waiting to be made.”
“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.”
“Regrets and recriminations only hurt your soul.”
“No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.”
“Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in.”
“Regrets, I’ve had a few; but then again, too few to mention.”
“One regret dear world, that I am determined not to have when I am lying on my deathbed is that I did not kiss you enough.”
“The regrets of life are like a forest: more than one can see, endlessly grown and infinitely tall.”
“No man can be happy without a friend, nor be sure of his friend until he is unhappy.”
“To regret deeply is to live afresh.”
“Regret is a form of punishment itself.”
“Our present sufferings are the fulfillment of past regrets.”
“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.”
“Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t, and believe that everything happens for a reason.”
“Regret, which is guilt without the neurosis, enables us to move forward instead of backward.”
“Lost time is never found again.”
“At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets.”
“Never regret your past. Rather, embrace it as the teacher that it is.”
Famous Sayings About Regret
“we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”
“Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.”
“Never regret anything that made you smile.”
“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘It might have been.’”
“Regret is not when you could have done better, but when you know you should have done better.”
“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”
“To live in regret is to die every day.”
“Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.”
“Our biggest regrets are not for the things we have done but for the things we haven’t done.”
“Regret is the worst human emotion. If you took another road, you might have fallen off a cliff. I’m content.”
“A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”
“One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.”
“The only things you regret are the things you don’t do.”
“You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future.”
“Regrets and recriminations only hurt your soul.”
“There are no regrets in life, just lessons.”
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”
“Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in.”
“Regret doesn’t remind us that we did badly. It reminds us that we know we can do better.”
“Never regret anything that has happened in your life, it cannot be changed, undone, or forgotten. So, take it as a lesson learned and move on.”
“We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.”
“Regret is the only wound the soul does not recover from.”
“Regrets over the past should chasten the future.”
“The pain of regret is far worse than the pain of discipline.”
“Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.”
“I see it all perfectly; there are two possible situations – one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice are this: do it or do not do it – you will regret both.”
“Regret is just life’s afterthoughts.”
“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.”
“Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret, and depression. Do not repeat them in the future.”
“The regrets in life are the things we didn’t do when we had the chance.”
“Regret is the echo of missed opportunities.”
“What is deferred is not avoided.”
Quotes on Regret from Celebrities
“Regrets are the natural property of grey hairs.”
“Never regret anything because at one time it was exactly what you wanted.”
“Regret is mostly caused by not having done anything.”
“we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”
“Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in.”
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”
“One regret dear world, that I am determined not to have when I am lying on my deathbed is that I did not kiss you enough.”
“I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person.”
“I never regret anything. Because every little detail of your life is what made you into who you are in the end.”
“Regrets are the scars of wisdom.”
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
“Regret is not when you could have done better, but when you know you should have done better.”
“The only thing I regret about my past is the length of it. If I had to live my life again, I’d make all the same mistakes, only sooner.”
“If you are afraid of fear, you will never risk regret.”
“Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.”
“We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here now with the power to shape your day and your future.”
“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘It might have been.'”
“I regret those times when I’ve chosen the dark side. I’ve wasted enough time not being happy.”
“Regret is an expensive emotion. It robs you of the present moment while replaying a past that cannot change.”
“We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.”
“Sometimes I wish life was written in pencil so we could erase it and write it all over again.”
“Regret is a call to reflection and learning.”
“Don’t regret knowing the people that came into your life. Good people give you happiness. Bad ones give you experience. The worst ones give you lessons and the best people give you memories.”
“I don’t regret the things I’ve done, I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.”
“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.”
“Regrets are like a rear-view mirror. They are there to remind you of what you did wrong, not to guide you forward.”
“Living with regret is like driving a car that only moves in reverse.”
“Regret is an inevitable aspect of life, but it should never overshadow the joy of living.”
“A man is not old until his regrets take the place of dreams.”
“The only regrets we have are the chances we didn’t take.”
“Regret is the birthplace of learning.”
“Regret for not doing something can lead to a lifetime of ‘what ifs.'”
Powerful Regret Quotes from Literature
“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘It might have been.'”
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”
“We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.”
“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!'”
“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.”
“Regret is something you build every day, not something you can fix.”
“The only thing worse than regretting the thing you did is regretting the thing you didn’t do.”
“I regretted not being able to do anything for my mother, yet I did nothing. That was my greatest regret.”
“There is no greater sorrow than to recall in misery the time when we were happy.”
“Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets.”
“Regret is the most tiresome feeling in the world.”
“It’s better to regret what you have done than what you haven’t.”
“To regret deeply is to live afresh.”
“I see it all perfectly; there are two possible situations — one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it — you will regret both.”
“No amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of worrying can change the future.”
“Regrets are idle; yet history is one long regret. Everything might have turned out so differently.”
“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.”
“One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.”
“Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning. Yeah, everything is beautiful.”
“Never regret anything you have done with a sincere affection; nothing is lost that is born of the heart.”
“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.”
“Regret is a form of punishment itself.”
“I regret those times when I’ve chosen the dark side. I’ve wasted enough time not being happy.”
“Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in.”
“No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.”
“Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason.”
“Regret, which is guilt without the neurosis.”
“There are so many wrong decisions that regret becomes a permanent feeling.”
“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.”
“We do not regret the things we did so much as the things we wish we did.”
“The regrets of yesterday and the fear of tomorrow can kill you.”
“I wish I could roll back the clocks to when things were the same. But then I would remember how it was and realize that things were never really the same.”
Inspirational Quotes to Overcome Regret
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”
“Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in.”
“No amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of worrying can change the future.”
“When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place.”
“Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.”
“Our biggest regrets are not for the things we have done but for the things we haven’t done.”
“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.”
“Never regret anything that made you smile.”
“Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.”
“Each heartbreak teaches us a little more about how to love.”
“We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.”
“Cry not for what you’ve lost, but rejoice for what remains.”
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
“The cost of regret far exceeds the price of discipline.”
“Every regret you feel is a door you’ve closed on yourself. Open them. Walk through.”
“Regret doesn’t remind us that we did badly. It reminds us that we can do better.”
“The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.”
“Growth begins where the comfort zone ends.”
“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, ‘It might have been.'”
“Regret is not when you could have done better, but when you knew you could have done better.”
“We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here now with the power to shape your day and your future.”
“A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”
“Regret is an inevitable aspect of human life, but it is also a powerful motivator for change.”
“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.”
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
“Your past is just a story. And once you realize this, it has no power over you.”
“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.”
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”
“The future depends on what you do today.”
“Successful people don’t spend their time looking backward unless it’s to gain lessons from their mistakes.”
Heart Touching Quotes about Regret and Forgiveness
“Regret is an inevitable aspect of life, yet it is also an opportunity to learn and grow.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude.”
“we only regret the chances we didn’t take.”
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
“Never regret anything that made you smile.”
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”
“The only victories which leave no regret are those which are gained over ignorance.”
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.”
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“No amount of regret can change the past. No amount of worry can change the future.”
“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive.”
“Our biggest regrets are not for the things we have done but for the things we haven’t done.”
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”
“Regret is mostly caused by not having done anything.”
“Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.”
“It’s better to cross the line and suffer the consequences than to just stare at the line for the rest of your life and always regret it.”
“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.”
“Life is too short for regrets.”
“Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.”
“Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it – it’s only good for wallowing in.”
“To err is human, to forgive, divine.”
“Don’t regret the past, just learn from it.”
“Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
“Regret is the only wound the soul does not recover from.”
“True forgiveness is not an action after the fact, it is an attitude with which you enter each moment.”
“No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.”
“To forgive is wisdom, to forget is genius.”
“Regret is a shallow, self-inflicted wound that corrodes over time. Forgiveness is the salve that heals.”
“The past is a place of learning, not a place of living. Don’t allow regret to imprison you.”
“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.”
“We must forgive those we feel have wronged us, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because we deserve peace.”
Stirring Quotes on Regret and Lessons Learned
Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, “It might have been.”
Regret is not when you could have done better, but when you know you could have done more.
we only regret the chances we didn’t take, relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.
Never regret anything that made you smile.
The only things you regret are the things you don’t do.
We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.
Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.
One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.
Our biggest regrets are not for the things we have done but for the things we haven’t done.
Accept everything about yourself – I mean everything, You are you and that is the beginning and the end – no apologies, no regrets.
Yet, it is better to feel something, even if it is regret, than to feel nothing.
Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been.
It’s better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.
We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.
To regret deeply is to live afresh.
Never regret thy fall, O Icarus of the fearless flight. For the greatest tragedy of them all is never to feel the burning light.
There are no regrets in life, just lessons.
To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes, the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.
The future is too bright to dwell on the past. Life moves forward, so must we.
Perhaps the only thing worse than having a stubborn heart is having a regretful one.
I see it all perfectly; there are two possible situations — one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it — you will regret both.
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
Regret is the most tiresome of companions, always looking backward.
Regret is insight that comes a day too late.
The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.
Our scars tell the story of our journey, not of our mistakes.
To regret one’s own experiences is to arrest one’s own development. To deny one’s own experiences is to put a lie into the lips of one’s own life. It is no less than a denial of the soul.
If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.
I have no regrets in my life. Even if I could, I would not erase anything. I am the product of my experiences.
The mistakes we regret the most are the ones we were too scared to make.
Regret is the fair price paid for the wisdom gained through life’s trials and errors.
Life is full of regrets, but it doesn’t pay to look back.
Final Thoughts
Regret is a part of life that everyone faces at some point. These quotes have shown that while regret can feel heavy, it also offers lessons and growth. By reflecting on these wise words, we can find comfort and motivation to move forward.
Instead of letting regret hold us back, we can use it as a stepping stone to make better choices in the future. These quotes remind us that it’s never too late to change and make amends. So, keep these thoughts close, and let them guide you toward a brighter tomorrow.
