Whenever we cast our minds back to the past, we subconsciously start bugging ourselves with “if only” thoughts:
• If only I had stayed away from that party.
• If only I had read the night before that exam.
• If only I had trained for the race a little longer. And the list goes on. There is, however, another side to this coin.
After seeing the resultant outcome of some past decisions, we may resort to another counterfactual — “at least.” For example, “I might have finished with a pass, but at least I graduated,” “The movie was awful, but at least I got to go outside,” and the like.
No living human is immune from failure, and when one does occur, it triggers one of the two highlighted counterfactuals — if only , or at least .
However, studies have revealed that every human experiences more of the “if only” counterfactuals. So, what does this say about human behavior? Primarily, regrets that make us feel wrong about a recent outcome of our activity or decision are likely to make us strive for better results in the future. This innate trait has been complicit in the development of humans since the Stone Age.
Sadly, not all relationships consist of partnerships. But if you have them, cherish and nurture it.
Well have that one thing we solemnly desire to achieve in our life, but as time passes by we become more and more less intense in action towards the actualisation of it.
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