What has been your biggest mistake?

[ron damon]

I often wonder if the choices I made over my life have prevented me from getting where I dreamed I would be by now. Sadly, given my options and circumstances, I think nothing within my power would have made a difference

What about you? Would your life be unimaginably better (or worse) had you played your cards differently? Do you have any regrets?

 

[mattmns]

Yes! I was lazy my second semester of college, that was a terrible choice on my part! Although, right now it is not hurting as bad as it should be.

 

[neurocomp2003]

ohoh DROPPING my 9unit(courses) THESIS: in modelling of spatial navigatoin
in my 5th year of undergrad. BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE...i partly blame the programme for not havinga strong coding component 3D engines/AI/c-C++

IMO you can't really do psych modelling in MATLAB though MATLAB is so easy to code in...its good for neuralnets but not 3D graphics/REaltime Systems

edit: i forgot to mention i lost all 3 of my references for grad school by doing this.

 

[Moonbear]

Sometimes I think I should have gone to work for the pharmaceutical industry straight out of college, raked in mega-bucks, bought a house in NJ when they were still cheap, waited a few years and sold it after they got expensive, and then moved to the still cheap midwest and lived comfortably with a cozy little nest egg and not needing to move every few years. But then I remember how much I'd hate my job if I did that and how unfulfilling my life would feel without having students around to teach, and I realize I may not be rich, but I made the right choices.

 

[jma2001]

Some of my biggest mistakes involved women that I didn't ask out when I had the chance. Word of advice to the young: better to risk the momentary pain of rejection, than to live with years of regret.

 

[yourdadonapogostick]

the what if...don't you just hate that?

 

[Curious3141]

I had admission to Caltech on full scholarship (from my government) to do Electrical Engineering. I gave that up and stayed in Singapore to do Medicine (which I didn't even have much of an aptitude for, but my doc dad wanted me to do it). That, I guess, was the biggest mistake of my life.

 

[pattylou]

A mistake I regularly regret was not taking more care with regards to safety, during graduate school. I didn't pay attention to which gloves (latex, nitrile, etc) to use, I didn't worry about whether methanol and othr nasties were getting through my skin -

And over the years I've developed sensitivities to some common lab compounds which makes working in certain fields virtually impossible.

Big mistake.

 

[lwymarie]

My biggest mistake: have wasted 14 yrs

And now I'm 14 years old. Almost fifteen.

 

[Nylex]

Doing Physics at university, I'd have been much happier doing Comp Sci instead. Also, I regret not applying to King's College London.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

After I busted my butt for three years at an LA city college to get accepted - make-up for goofing off in high school - and was accepted and pre-registered, I then chose to walk away from the UCLA school of physics to attend Oregon State. We wanted to get out of the city. Professionally, UCLA would have opened many doors, but, still, no regrets there. It was a terribly difficult decision and for a time I wasn't sure if I had made the right one. In fact for a time it seemed to be a huge mistake. But now I think it was one of the smarted and best things I have ever done.

I guess my biggest regret is not taking better care of my body - esp my back. While in my late teens and early twenties I took a lot of bad falls[dirt bikes], lifted too much weight too many times, and ran up to five miles a day on hard pavement. It has all taken a huge toll. Now I have to be extremely careful or I won't be able to do what I have to do. In fact, right now my back is all screwed up again.

 

[Andy]

My biggest mistake? Taking the blue pill.

My biggest mistake was being far too lazy at school and not having enough self confidence to make myself standout from the crowd.

 

[saltydog]

There's an old man in a nursing home with a peculiar expression on his face. He's looking at an older woman in a wheel chair. He shouts, "I seeeee youuuuu", they can't but I can". The woman responds, "I know you see me".

He says, "no not you, him . . . his breath is all about you".

She says, "what are you talking about?"

He replies, "a terrible creature, so large if you were to behold him in a single glance, he would burn you!".

The nurse on duty catches what's going on. She says, "mr. so and so needs his meds right now".

They begin rolling the old man away. He continues to shout: "you can't hide, I see you, he is all about this place! his breath is all about us. his name . . . and his name. . . he is the dragon they call 'Regret'".

 

[devil-fire]

not telling her how i felt when i knew what it was i was feeling.

but I am still young! i have plenty of head way to make in this area!

 

[Zygotic Embryo]

Ugh, Replying to this thread

lol, just playing.

My biggest mistake is not applying myself in school.
The work is easy as pie, but it gets boring

 

[Gale]

i regret a lot of the things that happened to me when i was really young, but I'm not sure i could've changed things... so I'm not really sure they were mistakes.. at least on my part. when i was old enough to take a stand though... my biggest mistake was letting my self... be... er... molested i guess? and not doing anything about it... ever. i never got my self esteem back.

 

[JamesU]

My biggest mistake was joining pF...


but that's all behind me now..I've changed

 

[ron damon]

There's an old man in a nursing home with a peculiar expression on his face. He's looking at an older woman in a wheel chair. He shouts, "I seeeee youuuuu", they can't but I can". The woman responds, "I know you see me".

He says, "no not you, him . . . his breath is all about you".

She says, "what are you talking about?"

He replies, "a terrible creature, so large if you were to behold him in a single glance, he would burn you!".

The nurse on duty catches what's going on. She says, "mr. so and so needs his meds right now".

They begin rolling the old man away. He continues to shout: "you can't hide, I see you, he is all about this place! his breath is all about us. his name . . . and his name. . . he is the dragon they call 'Regret'".

That's scary stuff. I don't want to grow old

 

[Dr.Brain]

I though don't remember any mistake but the biggest regret was not making through Indian Physics Olympiad, not that i couldn't answer question , just that i screwed up the exam on that day , and I regret it ,if someone could give me one more chance , I would tell the people what I am made of.

BJ

 

[Smurf]

My life philosophy can be summed up in a NOFX lyric: "Hate regrets more than appologies".

...
Doesn't work sometimes, but I'm generally happy about my life so far. I just hope I can manage to get good grades in uni. That is, I hope I don't slack off.

 

[Andy]

Well i say regrets, but looking at things as they are i am happy with who i am, so my regrets mite be the events that made me who i am.

 

[Art]

A good saying I heard once was 'on one's deathbed you never regret the things you did half as much as the things you didn't do'

 

[Danger]

Well i say regrets, but looking at things as they are i am happy with who i am, so my regrets mite be the events that made me who i am.

That's exactly the way that I look at it. There are some pretty nasty things in my past, which no one will ever know about, but the whole basis of who I am now developed partly from them. About the only thing that I would change would be smoking. I really enjoyed it for most of the 34 years that I've been doing it, but my outlook has shifted a bit now that it's killing me.

 

[brewnog]

I don't think I'm old enough to have any proper regrets, other than the girl kind. I reckon I've always got the balance of work/play, not turned down too many opportunities, not messed anyone around, I think I've done pretty well.

However, I do wish that I'd taken a gap year before uni, and sacked off to New Zealand for a year. I can't really do it now due to a mountain of student debt, but it's in my 5-year plan.

A good saying I heard once was 'on one's deathbed you never regret the things you did half as much as the things you didn't do'

I like that.

 

[Lisa!]

Coming to this world almost 23 years ago is my biggest mistake!but of course If I continue this life, it'll be even bigger mistake !

 

[Curious3141]

A good saying I heard once was 'on one's deathbed you never regret the things you did half as much as the things you didn't do'

If that's literally true, I shudder to think what went through Hitler's mind before he did himself.

 

[Smurf]

If that's literally true, I shudder to think what went through Hitler's mind before he did himself.

Probably something about sleeping with more than one woman in his life.

 

[GregA]

Biggest mistake/regret: Not getting proper career advice

Kept my own career council for the 9 years since I left school, finished a pointless HND in graphic design based only on the fact I could draw, and now I have 14 months of warehouse/retail jobs before I can afford to go back to uni and take a course that even now I am questioning is correct or not.

*really* wish I had taken a mathematics route years ago as opposed to the direction I chose instead

 

[Danger]

Coming to this world almost 23 years ago is my biggest mistake!

Whatever were you thinking? You should have known better.

 

[mathwonk]

as my friends coffee cup says: "most of my money i spent on whiskey and women - the rest i just wasted."

 

[pattylou]

About the only thing that I would change would be smoking. I really enjoyed it for most of the 34 years that I've been doing it, but my outlook has shifted a bit now that it's killing me.

Is it officially killing you? I hope not - that's heavy, man.

If it's not yet - there are some new treatments.. including a vaccine (!) that helps a person kick the habit.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

as my friends coffee cup says: "most of my money i spent on whiskey and women - the rest i just wasted."

...brought this to mind. One of my favorite quotes.

When the Baath party was finally ejected from his town, and when asked what he wanted now that Hussein’s people were gone, one old Iraqi gent responded: “Democracy, whiskey, and sexy”.

Now that's why we fight wars!

 

[Evo]

"What has been your biggest mistake?"

Marrying my last husband.

No, it was divorcing my first husband.

No, it was not marrying that boring but nice biochemist.

No, it was taking in that pregnant stray cat.

I can't decide, there are too many.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Well, my biggest regrets are mostly dealing with women, the should've could've would've, but looking back at my life there are about 2 moments i would change, so far i believe I've taken a route which has made me more happy than sad in life, as long as the net shift in happiness is positive, i don't mind living with the choices I've made.

 

[Zantra]

i regret a lot of the things that happened to me when i was really young, but I'm not sure i could've changed things... so I'm not really sure they were mistakes.. at least on my part. when i was old enough to take a stand though... my biggest mistake was letting my self... be... er... molested i guess? and not doing anything about it... ever. i never got my self esteem back.

I have some advice for you, but I'll pm you instead...


Biggest regret is not applying myself after everyone told me how much I was wasting my potential. And realizing that if I had, I could have had a good shot at doing neurosurgery right now instead of what I'm doing.

 

[Evo]

I have some advice for you, but I'll pm you instead...


Biggest regret is not applying myself after everyone told me how much I was wasting my potential. And realizing that if I had, I could have had a good shot at doing neurosurgery right now instead of what I'm doing.

Zantra, my bosses husband is older than you and he decided to go back and become a neurosurgeon after a long career in telecom. I know it sounds weird. I thought it might be hard to get back into med school after so long, but apparently if you're good enough (and maybe know the right people), it doesn't matter.

 

[Zantra]

Thanks for the encouragement evo. Actually I'm pursuing it as we speak. Allbeit slowly because I haven't given up my current career in IT yet, but I'm chugging along. The crazy things old people do...

 

[Evo]

Thanks for the encouragement evo. Actually I'm pursuing it as we speak. Allbeit slowly because I haven't given up my current career in IT yet, but I'm chugging along. The crazy things old people do...

Alrighty then! Good for you! Will you be giving discounts on brain surgery for your old PF buddies?

 

[quantumdude]

My biggest mistake was going directly from college to grad school. I should have gone into the workforce and then let my employer pay for everything.

 

[Zantra]

Alrighty then! Good for you! Will you be giving discounts on brain surgery for your old PF buddies?

Hey for you guys, I'll just take "half off" It's a no brainer.

yuk yuk.

 

[thefarside]

Not taking risks.

 

[laminatedevildoll]

I regret taking summer school.
I regret talking to people outside my family.

 

[Anttech]

I often wonder if the choices I made over my life have prevented me from getting where I dreamed I would be by now. Sadly, given my options and circumstances, I think nothing within my power would have made a difference

So Sally can wait, she knows it's too late as she's walking on by
My soul slides away, but don't look back in anger, don't look back in anger
I heard you say

I don't regret anything!

 

[Aneleh]

I don't have any big regrets. The only one I can think of was today when I by accident met someone I've been wanting to meet for like a year and only talked to them for 2 minutes! Now I need a really good excuse to go back to his lab!
uh, I forgot my, um, pencil box holder cutting thingy?

 

[Leah]

My biggest mistake was partying too much. But I look back at that and can only say, "wow, that was fun!". It was a waste though...if you consider that I didn't amount to anything like being a physicist, for example. I did happen to become a great mom...a stay at home mom...and drive a Chevy Suburban! lol. So, I guess my life isn't too bad. Just wish I had more to show for my years.

 

[Danger]

Is it officially killing you? I hope not - that's heavy, man.
If it's not yet - there are some new treatments.. including a vaccine (!) that helps a person kick the habit.

Advanced emphysema. It's slow but steady. I was having pretty good success with the new Nicorette inhaler system (aerosol nicotine), but have lapsed lately. I still have a bunch of it, though, so I'll get back on it. I'm scared to even look at the 'Can I Quit...' thread.

 

[Evo]

Advanced emphysema. It's slow but steady. I was having pretty good success with the new Nicorette inhaler system (aerosol nicotine), but have lapsed lately. I still have a bunch of it, though, so I'll get back on it. I'm scared to even look at the 'Can I Quit...' thread.

Danger, you'd better quit! I care too much about you for you to get sick and die on us.

Have you seen the pictures that show how quickly the lungs improve once you stop smoking?

 

[honestrosewater]

Yeah, Danger, you need to be in top form when we throw you in the volcano, or the gods will get angry.

I think I just quit today. It feels wonderful.

 

[loseyourname]

Given some of the nastier, careless, heartless, and just plain pointless things I've done, I probably should regret some of them, but I really don't. If one of my parents dies any time soon, I'll probably regret not being nicer to them (or at least I should regret, but knowing me, I'll just shrug it off), but as of right now, I really can't think of anything.

Seriously though, if I ever do become a more emotional person who actually regrets the bad things he does, it'll probably be mistreating people that I at least thought I loved, and that definitely loved me.

 

[Danger]

you need to be in top form when we throw you in the volcano

What?!