Regret a decision before you make it

Deciding to regret a decision before you make it has many benefits:

First, obviously, it can influence us to make a better decision. If we don’t like this feeling of regret, there is still a chance to change the decision.

Second, it helps us treat ourselves (regardless of the actual decision) more compassionately after the fact. We can anticipate and prepare for negative outcomes. By planning ahead, we can devise a plan to respond to a negative outcome instead of just reacting to it. We can also familiarize ourselves with the likelihood of a negative outcome and how it will feel. Coming to peace with a bad outcome in advance will feel better than refusing to acknowledge it, facing it only after it has happened.

Monique did this recently with inarguable logic: - Vitali did something with friends that was against our house rules - Monique made the decision to proactively tell the Moms of his friends about the incident because she would have regretted not doing it in the case that it came to light at a later point in time. - I.e., she envisioned her regret of a future outcome and decided to make a decision based on that thought.