--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not the things we do that brings…" description: "\"It's not the things we do that brings about the most regret but the things we fail to do.\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/anonymous-1_actions_it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-ab_2374578.jpg" --- # It's not the things we do that brings about the most… ![“It's not the things we do that brings about the most regret but the things we fail to do.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/anonymous-1_actions_it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-ab_2374578.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/anonymous-1_actions_it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-ab_2374578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/anonymous-1_actions_it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-ab_2374578.jpg) > “It's not the things we do that brings about the most regret but the things we fail to do.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Regret stems more from missed opportunities than from actions taken. **In simple terms:** Missing chances cause more regret than actions. Key Takeaway Act before you hesitate. Themes regret missed opportunities action decision-making Mood reflective motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - personal relationships - health choices - financial investments Key Concepts opportunity cost psychology of regret Questions to Reflect On - What opportunities are you avoiding? - How can you prioritize action over fear? A Different Perspective Regret can also arise from poor choices, not just inaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) [Brings Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brings-regret-5859833/) [Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Regret Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret-things/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-fail-658981/) ## Related quotes > [“I try things and fail at them all the time. It's called living with no regrets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christi-barth/i-try-things-and-fail-at-them-all-the-time-it-s-called-living-with-no/) [Christi Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christi-barth/) > [When we hold onto people and material things too tightly, we often find that we lose them. Without the correct balance in life many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-hold-onto-people-and-material-things-too-tightly-we-often/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Better to dare mighty things and fail than to live in a grey twilight where there is neither victory nor defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/better-to-dare-mighty-things-and-fail-than-to-live-in-a-grey-twilight/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Virtually all success depends on trying things that fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-abrams/virtually-all-success-depends-on-trying-things-that-fail/) [Rhonda Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-abrams/) > [Never regret things in your past because3 at one point the thing your regretting was once your everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-regret-things-in-your-past-because3-at-one-point-the-thing-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Regret for the things you have done is easier tempered through time than regret for the things you did'nt do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/regret-for-the-things-you-have-done-is-easier-tempered-through-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the long run, people of every age and in every walk of life seem to regret not having done things much more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-long-run-people-of-every-age-and-in-every-walk-of-life-seem-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes you regret the thing you have done or said, but you will regret more the things left undone or unsaid 'cause you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-regret-the-thing-you-have-done-or-said-but-you-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I dont regret the things I have done. I just regret the things I didnt do when I had the chance¦](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dont-regret-the-things-i-have-done-i-just-regret-the-things-i-didnt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never regret things in your past because at one point the thing your regretting was once your everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-regret-things-in-your-past-because-at-one-point-the-thing-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [At one point I felt like wot we had was a regret,but again I was part of it, I don't regret things that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-one-point-i-felt-like-wot-we-had-was-a-regret-but-again-i-was-part/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I will never regret the things I did wrong. I will only regret the good things I did for the wrong people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-never-regret-the-things-i-did-wrong-i-will-only-regret-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But we are not our mistakes, we are not our struggles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-make-mistakes-have-struggles-and-even-regret-things-in-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ive messed up, made bad decisions, and regret things Ive done, and choices Ive made. As much as I'd love to, life doesnt allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ive-messed-up-made-bad-decisions-and-regret-things-ive-done-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Leo would rather regret the things that they have done than the things that they have not done when they had chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leo-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-they-have-done-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Actions quotes > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [A lot of my work involves instilling objects with the power of touch - a transference of soul, spirit, energy through actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-colen/a-lot-of-my-work-involves-instilling-objects-with-the-power-of-touch/) [Dan Colen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-colen/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [True love is proven through the actions of your true love!! Not through the act of saying it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-love-is-proven-through-the-actions-of-your-true-love-not-through/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [As we get more transparent with data sets about infrastructure and systems management, I have a feeling we'll see big changes in how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-koblin/as-we-get-more-transparent-with-data-sets-about-infrastructure-and/) [Aaron Koblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-koblin/) > [“When you are pushed to the wall, you will act and do things you have never done before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-you-are-pushed-to-the-wall-you-will-act-and-do-things-you-have/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/) [Alan Sheinwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sheinwald/) > [“FLIES IN DISGUISE Tell me, Have you Really seen Flies in a child's eyes Or heard their hungry cries In the middle Of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/flies-in-disguise-tell-me-have-you-really-seen-flies-in-a-child-s/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“We are the result of our mere actions. What we do, we become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/we-are-the-result-of-our-mere-actions-what-we-do-we-become/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [I would rather have my actions speak for me on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-insigne/i-would-rather-have-my-actions-speak-for-me-on-the-pitch/) [Lorenzo Insigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-insigne/) > [If you want to know someone's mind, listen to their words. If you want to know their heart, watch their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-know-someone-s-mind-listen-to-their-words-if-you-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Twitter didn't make up the hashtag. Twitter didn't make up the retweet. It's our users. And people started using them so much that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-jacobs-stanton/twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-hashtag-twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-retweet/) [Katie Jacobs Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-jacobs-stanton/) > [I personally claim no special insight into Satan's methods, but I have at times been able to identify his influence and his actions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/i-personally-claim-no-special-insight-into-satan-s-methods-but-i-have/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) [Browse all 1,287 Actions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not the things we do that brings about the most regret but the things we fail to do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-about-the-most-regret-but-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-about-the-most-regret-but-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/anonymous-1_actions_it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-ab_2374578.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/anonymous-1_actions_it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-ab_2374578.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/anonymous-1_actions_it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-ab_2374578.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's not the things we do that brings about the most regret but the things we fail to do.” — Anonymous", "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": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's not the things we do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-about-the-most-regret-but-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-the-things-we-do-that-brings-about-the-most-regret-but-the/#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 } } ] } ```