Regrets and lessons

If life came with an "undo" button, we'd all be professional time travelers or masters of awkward apology tours.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

But since it doesn't, we're left with decisions, consequences and that little tag-along called regret.

So, how do we make decisions that we're less likely to regret — especially when things go sideways?

Professors from Cornell University investigated this question in depth, and their research offers more than academic curiosity. It delivers practical insight with a side of uncomfortable truth.

In a study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, researchers Sunita Sah and Kaitlin Woolley conducted a series of experiments (four online, one in-person) in which people were asked to make choices designed rather intentionally to be bad. Think of it as the Hunger Games of decision-making — but with less blood and more psychology.

One scenario involved choosing between two lotteries. Some participants received advice that nudged them toward the less rewarding option, which meant lower odds and smaller prizes. After the inevitable loss, those who followed the lousy advice felt worse than those who made the same poor choice.

Now, this is fascinating. Because, logically, sharing the blame with an adviser would soften the emotional blow. But it turns out we beat ourselves up even more when we ignore our better judgment in favor of someone else's.