---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you've done something terrible…"
description: "\"“When you've done something terrible, something you regret, it gives you this special insight, like you can detect other people's bad behavior.”\" — Amb..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/amber-dermont-16211_bad-behavior_when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-some_2171844.jpg"
---

#  When you've done something terrible, something you regret…

![“When you've done something terrible, something you regret, it gives you this special insight, like you can detect other people's bad behavior.” quote by Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/amber-dermont-16211_bad-behavior_when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-some_2171844.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/amber-dermont-16211_bad-behavior_when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-some_2171844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/amber-dermont-16211_bad-behavior_when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-some_2171844.jpg)

> ““When you've done something terrible, something you regret, it gives you this special insight, like you can detect other people's bad behavior.””

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Regretful actions sharpen our perception, allowing us to spot others' misconduct more clearly.

**In simple terms:** Regret teaches insight into bad behavior.

Key Takeaway

Learn from mistakes to recognize others' flaws.

Themes

self‑reflection empathy ethical awareness

Mood

introspective cautious

Type

philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

- Therapy sessions
- leadership coaching
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

Moral psychology cognitive bias

Questions to Reflect On

- How does regret shape your judgments?
- Can you stay objective?

A Different Perspective

Over‑reliance on personal guilt can bias judgment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-behavior/) [Insight Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insight-like-4654469/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Regret Gives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret-gives-4654468/) [Special Insight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-insight-881001/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/)

## Related quotes

> [It has given me an insight into what it's like as an actor to come into a show in the middle of a production…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corin-nemec/it-has-given-me-an-insight-into-what-it-s-like-as-an-actor-to-come/)

[Corin Nemec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corin-nemec/)

> [Deep insight will always, like Nature, ultimate its thought in a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/deep-insight-will-always-like-nature-ultimate-its-thought-in-a-thing/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Analyzing through special insight and realizing the lack of inherent existence constitute understanding of the signless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/analyzing-through-special-insight-and-realizing-the-lack-of-inherent/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [Each of the world religions has its own particular genius, its own special insight into the nature and requirements of compassion, and has something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/each-of-the-world-religions-has-its-own-particular-genius-its-own/)

[Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/)

> [More often than not, the belief that you are bad contributes to the "bad" behavior. Change and learning occur most readily when you (a)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/more-often-than-not-the-belief-that-you-are-bad-contributes-to-the/)

[David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/)

> [Most bad behavior comes from insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-winger/most-bad-behavior-comes-from-insecurity/)

[Debra Winger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-winger/)

> [The Fox News that I know and work in is a team of producers, technicians, photographers, truck operators and production managers who barely have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-maccallum/the-fox-news-that-i-know-and-work-in-is-a-team-of-producers/)

[Martha MacCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-maccallum/)

> [“It’s extremely unlikely you will be magically transformed from a mediocre or average people manager to a Satya Nadella or a Ratan Tata. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/binod-shankar/it-s-extremely-unlikely-you-will-be-magically-transformed-from-a/)

[Binod Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/binod-shankar/)

> [“We need to get our minds right, because right now we are behaving as if we are out of our right minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-wallace/we-need-to-get-our-minds-right-because-right-now-we-are-behaving-as/)

[Carlos Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-wallace/)

> [“wen am good you will not accept, now don't blame me for my bad behaviors ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakhiabbas/wen-am-good-you-will-not-accept-now-don-t-blame-me-for-my-bad/)

[sakhiabbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakhiabbas/)

> [If you do anything today: trade in that bad behavior for a new and improved one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaoru/if-you-do-anything-today-trade-in-that-bad-behavior-for-a-new-and/)

[Kaoru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaoru/)

> [“Admit it—own up to the fact you have an undesirable habit. Tell the Lord about it (He already knows; it just helps you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-fike/admit-it-own-up-to-the-fact-you-have-an-undesirable-habit-tell-the/)

[Al Fike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-fike/)

> [The desire to keep doing what we love supersedes the desire to penalize bad behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-scovell/the-desire-to-keep-doing-what-we-love-supersedes-the-desire-to/)

[Nell Scovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-scovell/)

> [“It is chilling to know that some accepted ways of being with children can leave them vulnerable to suffering from anxiety, depression, or rage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-taylor/it-is-chilling-to-know-that-some-accepted-ways-of-being-with-children/)

[Natalie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-taylor/)

## More by Amber Dermont

> [“My mother had once told Riegel and me this story about a friend of hers who lived in Newport. "Poor Celia," she'd said. "She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/my-mother-had-once-told-riegel-and-me-this-story-about-a-friend-of/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“The idea of getting high on someone else's dime sounded like the right and necessary medicine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/the-idea-of-getting-high-on-someone-else-s-dime-sounded-like-the/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“I was surprised," I said, "to find someone here with you. I'd rather you existed only when I was around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/i-was-surprised-i-said-to-find-someone-here-with-you-i-d-rather-you/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“To be with someone who is stronger than you. To have him relinquish his strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/to-be-with-someone-who-is-stronger-than-you-to-have-him-relinquish/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“Even in all that darkness I could see her beauty. Still, I couldn't claim it for myself. Instead, I decided to hurt her. "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/even-in-all-that-darkness-i-could-see-her-beauty-still-i-couldn-t/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“I rushed off to Whitehall and assumed Aidan would head back to Astor. But when I turned around briefly, I saw Aidan uncoiling her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/i-rushed-off-to-whitehall-and-assumed-aidan-would-head-back-to-astor/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“It's how we know we're alive," ginger said. "We grieve the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/it-s-how-we-know-we-re-alive-ginger-said-we-grieve-the-dead/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“...up until that point, I'd thought that whatever existed between Cal and me was separate and distinct from the rest of the world. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/up-until-that-point-i-d-thought-that-whatever-existed-between-cal-and/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [It's a silly thing, but I like to understand people through their obsessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/it-s-a-silly-thing-but-i-like-to-understand-people-through-their/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“I'd used the word "beautiful" to describe another boy. I knew how it must have sounded to her. I also knew that it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/i-d-used-the-word-beautiful-to-describe-another-boy-i-knew-how-it/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“As much as she admired our ancestors' wealth, it bothered Mom that Riegel was so consumed by making money. "Your brother knows the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/as-much-as-she-admired-our-ancestors-wealth-it-bothered-mom-that/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [Boredom is actually the most plentiful substance in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/boredom-is-actually-the-most-plentiful-substance-in-the-universe/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“Of course I loved him.' I walked toward the window. 'We were best friends.' ‘You know that’s not what I meant.’ ‘You don’t know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/of-course-i-loved-him-i-walked-toward-the-window-we-were-best-friends/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“In a moment like this, there were so many beautiful and uncommon things worth saying. Aidan would have said them all, stealing this spectacle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/in-a-moment-like-this-there-were-so-many-beautiful-and-uncommon/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [“I used to believe having a good memory meant being able to remember everything in perfect detail. Now I believe having a good memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/i-used-to-believe-having-a-good-memory-meant-being-able-to-remember/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

[Explore all 40 Amber Dermont quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

## More Bad behavior quotes

> [“It is chilling to know that some accepted ways of being with children can leave them vulnerable to suffering from anxiety, depression, or rage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-taylor/it-is-chilling-to-know-that-some-accepted-ways-of-being-with-children/)

[Natalie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-taylor/)

> [More often than not, the belief that you are bad contributes to the "bad" behavior. Change and learning occur most readily when you (a)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/more-often-than-not-the-belief-that-you-are-bad-contributes-to-the/)

[David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/)

> [The desire to keep doing what we love supersedes the desire to penalize bad behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-scovell/the-desire-to-keep-doing-what-we-love-supersedes-the-desire-to/)

[Nell Scovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-scovell/)

> [“Admit it—own up to the fact you have an undesirable habit. Tell the Lord about it (He already knows; it just helps you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-fike/admit-it-own-up-to-the-fact-you-have-an-undesirable-habit-tell-the/)

[Al Fike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-fike/)

> [If you do anything today: trade in that bad behavior for a new and improved one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaoru/if-you-do-anything-today-trade-in-that-bad-behavior-for-a-new-and/)

[Kaoru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaoru/)

> [“wen am good you will not accept, now don't blame me for my bad behaviors ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakhiabbas/wen-am-good-you-will-not-accept-now-don-t-blame-me-for-my-bad/)

[sakhiabbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakhiabbas/)

> [“We need to get our minds right, because right now we are behaving as if we are out of our right minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-wallace/we-need-to-get-our-minds-right-because-right-now-we-are-behaving-as/)

[Carlos Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-wallace/)

> [“It’s extremely unlikely you will be magically transformed from a mediocre or average people manager to a Satya Nadella or a Ratan Tata. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/binod-shankar/it-s-extremely-unlikely-you-will-be-magically-transformed-from-a/)

[Binod Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/binod-shankar/)

> [The Fox News that I know and work in is a team of producers, technicians, photographers, truck operators and production managers who barely have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-maccallum/the-fox-news-that-i-know-and-work-in-is-a-team-of-producers/)

[Martha MacCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-maccallum/)

> [Most bad behavior comes from insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-winger/most-bad-behavior-comes-from-insecurity/)

[Debra Winger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-winger/)

> [ “\[T\]here are some human rights that are so deep that we can't negotiate them away. I mean people do heinous, terrible things. But there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sister-helen-prejean/t-here-are-some-human-rights-that-are-so-deep-that-we-can-t-negotiate/)

[Sister Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sister-helen-prejean/)

> [The end result of positively reinforcing bad behavior is that you get more of it. The culmination of a failure to punish predators is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/the-end-result-of-positively-reinforcing-bad-behavior-is-that-you-get/)

[Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/)

> [I think writers are excited by stupidity and bad behavior, generally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-think-writers-are-excited-by-stupidity-and-bad-behavior-generally/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [“I became a student of my own depressed experience, trying to unthread its causes. What was the root of all this despair? Was it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-became-a-student-of-my-own-depressed-experience-trying-to-unthread/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [“She leaned down so she was looking right in my eyes. "You hear me, child. you can't use other folks' bad behavior to excuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/she-leaned-down-so-she-was-looking-right-in-my-eyes-you-hear-me-child/)

[susan crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/)

[Browse all 203 Bad behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-behavior/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“When you've done something terrible, something you regret, it gives you this special insight, like you can detect other people's bad behavior.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Amber Dermont"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-something-you-regret-it-gives-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad behavior"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-something-you-regret-it-gives-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/amber-dermont-16211_bad-behavior_when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-some_2171844.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/amber-dermont-16211_bad-behavior_when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-some_2171844.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/amber-dermont-16211_bad-behavior_when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-some_2171844.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When you've done something terrible, something you regret, it gives you this special insight, like you can…” — Amber Dermont",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Amber Dermont",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“When you've done something terrible, something...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-something-you-regret-it-gives-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/when-you-ve-done-something-terrible-something-you-regret-it-gives-you/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```