The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward

Why we chose this title

Whenever somebody nears death, we wonder what their last thoughts may be.

What’s most important in life?

What was worth living for?

What does one regret?

We are so obsessed with living a meaningful life, that we want to avoid regret at all cost.

But living life fully also means embracing all the emotions that are part of the human experience.

Regret can be a powerful teacher.

It can be a tool for deep reflection and personal growth.

Ultimately it can be our guide to bring more meaning and purpose to our lives.

Book Summary

In The Power of Regret, Pink draws on research in psychology, neuroscience, economics and biology to challenge widely-held assumptions about emotions and behaviour. Using the largest sampling of attitudes about regret ever conducted from his own World Regret Survey – which has collected regrets from more than 16,000 people in 105 countries – he identifies the four core regrets that most people have. These four regrets, Pink argues, operate as a ‘photographic negative’ of the good life. By understanding what people regret the most, we can understand what they value the most. With Pink’s signature blend of big ideas and practical takeaways, captivating stories and crisp humour, The Power of Regret offers an urgent and indispensable guide for a life well-lived.

About the Author

Daniel H. Pink is an American author. He has written 5 The New York Times bestsellers. He was a host and a co-executive producer of the 2014 National Geographic Channel social science TV series Crowd Control. From 1995 to 1997, he was the chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore.

Where to buy it

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