Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'.(quoting John Greenleaf Whittier)
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Wodehouse quotes Whittier to say the saddest thing is regretting paths not taken.
- In plain terms
- The saddest words are thinking what could have happened if things were different.
- What can you take from it?
- Regret over missed chances is deeply painful.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What choice do you regret?
- Is there anything you wish you did differently?
Another view
Past paths cannot be verified, making regret uncertain.
More from P. G. Wodehouse
It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.
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