In February 2010 then Secretary of State General Colin Powell was asked by “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer if he had “any regrets” endorsing Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign.
I remember the interview because I didn’t like the question. Not because of my political affiliation, nor due to some disdain for the interviewer. I simply objected to utilization of the word regret.
Regret acknowledges a poor decision enabled by emotion:
- I reget snacking on chocolate cheesecake last night at 3AM.
- I reget drinking so much at the New Year’s Eve party.
- I reget sending an acrimonious email to my coworker.
Expressing regret is an admission that you were wrong and you knew it at the time, however you consciously decided to ignore your own wisdom or dismiss readily available information in favor of some other desire. The immediate gratification is eventually replaced by sadness, disappointment, repentance or despair. In an attempt to console yourself, you express regret—a confession that you were weak, acted selfishly and/or were incapable of keeping your emotions in check.
That’s regret. And I doubt General Powell was anxious to express that on national television.
In contrast, retrospect acknowledges a poor decision enabled by uncertainty:
- I don’t regret not taking typing in high school, but in retrospect it would have served me well.
- I don’t regret locking in my mortgage rate, but in retrospect I would have benefited from waiting two more weeks.
- I don’t regret selling my Apple stock, but in retrospect I could have held it much longer.
Retrospect is an admission that you may have been wrong, but it was due to insufficient information or unforeseen subsequent events. Elapsed time provides more intelligence and greater clarity, which helps to explain why the decision was ultimately proven incorrect. There are no ensuing emotions of guilt, anguish or contrition to be resolved and any pain or disappointment is comforted by the fact no one can predict the future (e.g., “Hindsight is 20/20…” or “If I knew then what I know now…”).
Conventional wisdom says regrets are bad. We shouldn’t have any. Therefore, we hesitate to acknowledge them and quickly eschew the notion of having any when asked by someone else. But retrospect is usually considered a good thing. It presents an opportunity to learn from our past and make better decisions in the future. And if asked for our thoughts in retrospect, we often elaborate in great detail.
And therefore Powell’s response should come as no surprise:
“None whatsoever…I think he was the right choice when the nation voted for him…he has done some things that help the country a great deal. But I am afraid he put too much on the plate for the American people to absorb at this time.”
In other words: no regrets, but in retrospect…
