proverb · Words worth keeping
It is foolish to be regretting after.
It is foolish to be regretting after.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Regretting afterward is criticised as foolish. The saying turns attention toward consideration before an action rather than dissatisfaction after it.
What the words are saying
A critical reading does not make regret itself a failure. Reflection after a mistake can support repair and learning, and not every consequence was foreseeable. A useful application joins preparation with honest review instead of using the line to shame someone who is distressed.
Everyday example
Someone learns from a regretted decision and changes the next plan rather than simply condemning the feeling.
When to use it
Use it critically alongside repair and learning from outcomes.
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What it does not mean
Regret can be useful, and hindsight does not prove earlier knowledge.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 345; PDF page 35; collection label: Tibet Province of China
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Tibet Province of China