The Power of Regret

How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward

By: Daniel H. Pink

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

“The world needs this book.” — New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown

An instant New York Times bestseller

Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR and Financial Times

From the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of When and Drive, a new book about the transforming power of our most misunderstood yet potentially most valuable emotion: regret.

Everybody has regrets, Daniel H. Pink explains in The Power of Regret. They’re a universal and healthy part of being human. And understanding how regret works can help us make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and bring greater meaning to our lives.

Drawing on research in social psychology, neuroscience, and biology, Pink debunks the myth of the “no regrets” philosophy of life. And using the largest sampling of American attitudes about regret ever conducted as well as his own World Regret Survey—which has collected regrets from more than 15,000 people in 105 countries—he lays out the four core regrets that each of us has. These deep regrets offer compelling insights into how we live and how we can find a better path forward.

As he did in his bestsellers Drive, When, and A Whole New Mind, Pink lays out a dynamic new way of thinking about regret and frames his ideas in ways that are clear, accessible, and pragmatic. Packed with true stories of people's regrets as well as practical takeaways for reimagining regret as a positive force, The Power of Regret shows how we can live richer, more engaged lives.

©2022 Daniel H. Pink (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Daniel Pink reclaims regret as an indispensable emotion and explains how to use it to make better decisions, perform better at work or school and bring greater meaning to your life. His well-known, user-friendly style, chock-full of moving stories, will have you looking at regret as something that doesn’t just make us human, but also makes us better.” —The Wall Street Journal

“The Power of Regret dives deep into the research behind the 'most misunderstood' emotion and brings it to life through accessible human storytelling.” —Forbes

“Regret could be overdue for its own rebranding. … [A] look back might be the way to move forward. We might find lessons lurking in moments we’ve pushed from the light. Regret has long been considered a sign of weakness, but what if we saw it as a strength?” —The Washington Post

Daniel Pink makes you think

Another great study of human behavior written in a way that makes learning fun. Pink is a very great author.

Regret is Human

Though it seems innately human, regret is tough. But it is, nevertheless, part of the human experience. If we did not experience it would we get “better”? Daniel Pink brings to light many ‘ah ha’ moments for me, but I already knew these things. He does give some ideas on how to mitigate the negative effects of regret. If it’s something big, go into the future and see how you may regret it. If it’s something small, like a microwave purchase, choose and move on. No reason to dwell.

Wonderful!

I love the book. Not only it gives you a clear understanding of regret and how powerful it can be. It also gives you practical ideas on how to deal with it and use it to move forward in life. Thank you!

straightforward, useful discussion

as always, Pink distills rivers of research into a succinct analysis, and couples it with easy recommendations for how to make good use of the science to improve one's life. nice use of other voices, reading from the results of the Regret Survey.

another gem from Pink

I've read all his books, and this one is another classic. really gets you thinking on past events in your life that have shaped your future

My life saver

Daniel Pink’s The Power of Regret is one of the must-read scriptures on earth. For most people it’s inspiring. For me it’s a life saver. It comes at a much needed time in my life. Thank you for writing this book ☺️☺️☺️

Best of Pink Yet

This book felt more personal and powerful than his previous books and shows a lot growth in his ability to “story tell” or narrate a synthesis of research.

Another classic

Daniel Pink does it again with another fantastic book. He asks why in the most interesting ways, and offers a pragmatic way of understanding ourselves and each other. You’ll regret not reading this earlier!

Powerful, immediately relevant

I'd always thought the feeling of regret was a bad thing, a weakness to be avoided if possible. Yet nobody can help it; we all feel it. There are lots of ways to signal this feeling in conversation too. That's why I wanted to listen this time.

Pink cites studies, especially international studies about regret. People mostly regret not having taken a bold action that would have demonstrated character and courage, the knowing a course of action is right on some important level but not choosing it in favor of playing it safe.

Pink explains our own motivations that never get voiced. He says relationships drift apart because the actors avoid the awkwardness of reaching out, hence a huge bundle of regrets he terms as "connection regrets."

I found this book at times difficult to listen through because it caused me to reflect and feel my regrets which isn't a wonderful feeling. I suppose this process serves to prepare one to be more action-oriented going forward. At least that's the hope.

I virtually never give five stars but I did here.

I've listened to or read most are all of Daniel Pink's books this stands out is being even more exceptional than my formerly favorite book of his which was Drive.

As an optimistic nihilist I'd say skip the Bible and read this instead if you want a more fulfilling life for yourself and others.

tim #bgreen