People predominantly regret inactions rather than actions when looking back on their lives
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 84/100
When looking back on their lives over the long term, people predominantly report greater regret for inactions (errors of omission) than for actions.
Evidence for · 2
Regret for Errors of Commission and Omission in the Distant Term Versus Near Term: The Role of Level of Abstraction
2009 · cited by 24
This study demonstrates that errors of omission (inactions) are regretted more than errors of commission (actions) in the distant past, supporting the temporal pattern of regret.
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More for · 1
Revisiting the Temporal Pattern of Regret in Action Versus Inaction: Replication of Gilovich and Medvec (1994) With Extensions Examining Responsibility
2022 · cited by 9
This replication study confirms the classic finding that people experience stronger regret over inaction compared to action when looking back in the long term.