What is regret?

Regret is when you wish you had chosen something else because it makes you feel sad or upset now.

Imagine you have two favorite candies: a chocolate bar and a gummy bear bag. You pick the chocolate bar, but later you realize you really wanted the gummy bears. That’s regret, like when you choose one thing, and then wish you had picked another because it seems better now.

Regret is like when you play a game and pick one toy to take home, but then see your friend with a different toy that looks way more fun. You might feel a little sad or even a little itchy inside, like you want to trade toys with them.

Sometimes we don’t know what’s best at first. It's like picking a shirt without looking at the whole closet. Later, you see another shirt that looks perfect and wish you had picked it instead. That’s regret, when you look back and think, “I wish I had chosen differently.”