The Power of Regret

How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward

By: Daniel H. Pink

Narrated by: Daniel H. Pink, Alejandro Ruiz, Fred Sanders, Gisela Chipe, Hilarry Huber, Nancy Wu, Neil Shah, Jade Wheeler, Sarah Palmero, Edward Hong

‘No regrets.’ You’ve heard people proclaim it as a philosophy of life. That’s nonsense, even dangerous, says Daniel H. Pink in his latest bold and inspiring work. Everybody has regrets. They’re a fundamental part of our lives. And if we reckon with them in fresh and imaginative ways, we can enlist our regrets to make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and deepen our sense of meaning and purpose.

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. And by following the simple, science-based, three-step process that he sets out, we can transform our regrets in a positive force for working smarter and living better.

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.

©2022 Daniel H. Pink (P)2022 Canongate Books

A few interesting thoughts

Not for me. Perhaps I haven't regretted enough in life to associate with this book. There were a few interesting concepts, but nothing that would tangibly improve my life.

This book came along when needed

Thank you very much Dan for writing this book. It came along just when I needed it, to put my regrets in perspective. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Another pseudo-science self-help book

Why would anyone consider using any form of research based on observation of monkeys in order to improve themselves?
Kind of a typical self-help book trying to cash-in on some latest science publication as a solution for managing regret.