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Re:Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret? by waterfallr on Friday October 07, 2022 @05:35AM (#33119162)
“Marry, and you will regret it; don’t marry, you will also regret it; marry or don’t marry, you will regret it either way.”. Søren Kierkegaard
Re:Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret? by camjohnson26 on Friday October 07, 2022 @09:07AM (#33120719)
Worth noting Kierkegaard never married
Re:Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret? by pixelmonkey on Friday October 07, 2022 @05:55PM (#33127346)
That historical detail is actually somewhat irrelevant to the quote. This is from "Either/Or" and Kierkegaard was making a point about the nature of decision-making and regret, not about marriage. The fuller quote:

"If you marry, you will regret it; if you do not marry, you will also regret it; if you marry or if you do not marry, you will regret both. Laugh at the world’s foolishness, you will regret it; weep over it, you will also regret it; whether you laugh at the world’s foolishness or weep over it, you will regret both. Believe a girl, you will regret it; if you do not believe her, you will also regret it; if you believe a girl or you do not believe her, you will regret both. [...] This, gentlemen, is the sum of all practical wisdom."

And later:

"Were I to wish for anything I would not wish for wealth and power, but for the passion of the possible, that eye which everywhere, ever young, ever burning, sees possibility. Pleasure disappoints, not possibility."

Re:Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret? by bartvk on Friday October 07, 2022 @09:13AM (#33120775)
I feel this quote badly aged. Nowadays, the choice isn't really binary anymore, there's so much between marrying or not. I never married but had two long, solid relationships so far. Which I'm quite happy with.

I do note that you didn't actually say what your choice was, and whether you regret it.

Re:Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret? by rchaud on Friday October 07, 2022 @04:10PM (#33126329)
Marriage was considered a core social obligation until very recently. In modern times, I take this quote to mean something closer to "choose to conform to what society expects or choose not to; you will have some regrets either way."
Re:Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret? by bartvk on Friday October 07, 2022 @05:23PM (#33127017)
That’s a good point, thanks!
Re:Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret? by Nomentatus on Friday October 07, 2022 @11:43AM (#33122863)
I've usually seen this quote attributed to Socrates: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/10290499-rather-you-marry-o...

If memory serves, it's not in any of the dialogues that survive; but was anciently attributed to him.

Re:Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret? by kamaal on Saturday October 08, 2022 @12:33AM (#33129796)
Marriage is that fruit, which those who never tasted- long for it, and those who taste it- repent it.

- And Indian Saying.