Daniel Pink

X years ago, there was a man or woman who I really liked. I wanted to ask him or her out on a date, but I was too chicken to, and I never got around to it, and I've regretted it ever since. Okay, that's a romance regret. We've got an education regret, a romance regret. And then, again, around the world, people say, ugh. I wish I had started a business rather than stayed in this lackluster job.

X years ago, there was a man or woman who I really liked. I wanted to ask him or her out on a date, but I was too chicken to, and I never got around to it, and I've regretted it ever since. Okay, that's a romance regret. We've got an education regret, a romance regret. And then, again, around the world, people say, ugh. I wish I had started a business rather than stayed in this lackluster job.

Career regret. But all of those regrets to me are the same core regret. It's a regret that says, if only I'd taken the chance. And a lot of these regrets come at a juncture of decision making in our lives. In this particular case, you can play it safe or you can take the risk. And over again, over and over again, people regret playing it safe.

Career regret. But all of those regrets to me are the same core regret. It's a regret that says, if only I'd taken the chance. And a lot of these regrets come at a juncture of decision making in our lives. In this particular case, you can play it safe or you can take the risk. And over again, over and over again, people regret playing it safe.

Career regret. But all of those regrets to me are the same core regret. It's a regret that says, if only I'd taken the chance. And a lot of these regrets come at a juncture of decision making in our lives. In this particular case, you can play it safe or you can take the risk. And over again, over and over again, people regret playing it safe.

Some people regret taking a risk, but not nearly as many people as you expect, even if it doesn't work out. What people regret is not taking the chance. And to me, what that reveals is that You and I and the folks listening to your podcast, we want like a good life involves doing something and learning and growing and trying and leading a psychologically rich life.

Some people regret taking a risk, but not nearly as many people as you expect, even if it doesn't work out. What people regret is not taking the chance. And to me, what that reveals is that You and I and the folks listening to your podcast, we want like a good life involves doing something and learning and growing and trying and leading a psychologically rich life.

Some people regret taking a risk, but not nearly as many people as you expect, even if it doesn't work out. What people regret is not taking the chance. And to me, what that reveals is that You and I and the folks listening to your podcast, we want like a good life involves doing something and learning and growing and trying and leading a psychologically rich life.

And so one of the biggest categories of regrets are these boldness regrets where people say, if only I'd taken the chance, if only I'd asked that person out, if only I'd spoken up, if only I'd taken that trip, if only I'd started that business.

And so one of the biggest categories of regrets are these boldness regrets where people say, if only I'd taken the chance, if only I'd asked that person out, if only I'd spoken up, if only I'd taken that trip, if only I'd started that business.

And so one of the biggest categories of regrets are these boldness regrets where people say, if only I'd taken the chance, if only I'd asked that person out, if only I'd spoken up, if only I'd taken that trip, if only I'd started that business.

Possibly, but I think the bigger issue is that people don't know. Let's take starting a business. I have people who regret starting a business and having it fail, but very few. In fact, I have people who say, I started a business, it failed, but I don't regret doing it because I wanted to take the chance and I know how that particular thing turned out.

Possibly, but I think the bigger issue is that people don't know. Let's take starting a business. I have people who regret starting a business and having it fail, but very few. In fact, I have people who say, I started a business, it failed, but I don't regret doing it because I wanted to take the chance and I know how that particular thing turned out.

Possibly, but I think the bigger issue is that people don't know. Let's take starting a business. I have people who regret starting a business and having it fail, but very few. In fact, I have people who say, I started a business, it failed, but I don't regret doing it because I wanted to take the chance and I know how that particular thing turned out.

And so I do think that, of course, there are a gazillion counterfactuals to any decision that we make. But when the regrets that people express keep coming back to the same thing, to me it suggests what we actually want out of life. That is, I really believe that if we understand what people regret the most, we actually understand what they value the most. And what people value is...

And so I do think that, of course, there are a gazillion counterfactuals to any decision that we make. But when the regrets that people express keep coming back to the same thing, to me it suggests what we actually want out of life. That is, I really believe that if we understand what people regret the most, we actually understand what they value the most. And what people value is...

And so I do think that, of course, there are a gazillion counterfactuals to any decision that we make. But when the regrets that people express keep coming back to the same thing, to me it suggests what we actually want out of life. That is, I really believe that if we understand what people regret the most, we actually understand what they value the most. And what people value is...

You know, they realize they're not here on this planet forever. They want to do something. And when they feel timid and when they don't take that chance, they often regret it much more so than taking a chance and failing.

You know, they realize they're not here on this planet forever. They want to do something. And when they feel timid and when they don't take that chance, they often regret it much more so than taking a chance and failing.

You know, they realize they're not here on this planet forever. They want to do something. And when they feel timid and when they don't take that chance, they often regret it much more so than taking a chance and failing.