I agree with you. Regret minimization strikes me as a futile endeavor and not a wise way to make life decisions.
Thanks! I wrote this post.
I agree with you it’s not the best framework. I tend to use it as a proxy, because it helps me have a quick « yes/no » check and I have not found one for « will it lead to a meaningful life? » one yet, as it’s often a mix of short and long term dimensions to assess (imho).
I am curious though if you found a good framework or at least a « quick stress test » question for that kind of decisions?
> “ So, this is what I think about when I need to push through. I am at the right place because it minimizes future regrets.”
What is the point of it all? There is probably a reason that the “pursuit of happiness” resonates with people more than a saying such as “minimize future regrets.” I’m not saying the author is wrong - minimizing future regrets may indeed maximize long-term happiness - but I can’t help but feel a little bit of hollowness in the proclamation “minimize future regrets.” But if I’m honest with myself, this may be a projection of my negative mood as I deal with a major current regret (divorce). So maybe there’s something to this idea after all?
I suppose my point is that avoiding pain or regret, while perhaps a necessary precondition, is not necessarily the same as the pursuit of happiness or the pursuit of a meaningful life or life well lived.