He also wrote a book about regret and counterfactual thinking titled "If Only":
Delivering a reassuring, groundbreaking message, If Only describes two types of "counterfactuals," as these thoughts are known in psychology, and both "if only" thoughts can lead to a better understanding of yourself. One variety allows us to improve performance and learn from experience by comparing what we actually did to what might have been better. A second kind asks how things could have been worse, which makes you feel a whole lot better. Dr. Roese also reveals Americans' top regrets and shows you how to avoid them. And he shows how our brains erase regrets of actions (stuff you did that didn't work out) but let regrets of inaction linger. So his advice? Just do it.
I love that research, but one has to consider whether the people regretting education-related things are just saying "I should have finished my education" as an excuse for everything that's wrong with their life.
E.g., if only I had my degree, I wouldn't be stuck in this crappy job -- while, of course, there are many avenues to pursue for people who will make the effort, degreed or otherwise.
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According to Professor Neal Roese's research, regrets related to education are the most common form of regret: http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/31/9/1273
He also wrote a book about regret and counterfactual thinking titled "If Only": Delivering a reassuring, groundbreaking message, If Only describes two types of "counterfactuals," as these thoughts are known in psychology, and both "if only" thoughts can lead to a better understanding of yourself. One variety allows us to improve performance and learn from experience by comparing what we actually did to what might have been better. A second kind asks how things could have been worse, which makes you feel a whole lot better. Dr. Roese also reveals Americans' top regrets and shows you how to avoid them. And he shows how our brains erase regrets of actions (stuff you did that didn't work out) but let regrets of inaction linger. So his advice? Just do it.
I love that research, but one has to consider whether the people regretting education-related things are just saying "I should have finished my education" as an excuse for everything that's wrong with their life.
E.g., if only I had my degree, I wouldn't be stuck in this crappy job -- while, of course, there are many avenues to pursue for people who will make the effort, degreed or otherwise.