--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be candid, I think, in retrospect, it…" description: "\"To be candid, I think, in retrospect, it was a mistake to work at AOL when I did. I think I had rose-colored glasses about the opportunity to reinvent ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/brad-garlinghouse-15542_failure_to-be-candid-i-think-in-retrospect-it-wa_142368.jpg" --- # To be candid, I think, in retrospect, it was a mistake to… ![“To be candid, I think, in retrospect, it was a mistake to work at AOL when I did. I think I had rose-colored glasses about the opportunity to reinvent AOL.” quote by Brad Garlinghouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/brad-garlinghouse-15542_failure_to-be-candid-i-think-in-retrospect-it-wa_142368.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/brad-garlinghouse-15542_failure_to-be-candid-i-think-in-retrospect-it-wa_142368.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/brad-garlinghouse-15542_failure_to-be-candid-i-think-in-retrospect-it-wa_142368.jpg) > “To be candid, I think, in retrospect, it was a mistake to work at AOL when I did. I think I had rose-colored glasses about the opportunity to reinvent AOL.” [Brad Garlinghouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-garlinghouse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Working at AOL was a mistake due to overly optimistic expectations, showing hindsight reveals flawed decisions. **In simple terms:** Regret over a career choice made with unrealistic optimism. Key Takeaway Learn from past misjudgments to make better decisions. Themes career regret optimism mistake reflection Mood reflective cautious Type professional personal When to use this quote - career counseling - skill assessment - networking Key Concepts decision‑making hindsight learning Questions to Reflect On - What would you do differently now? - How can you apply this lesson to future choices? A Different Perspective Mistakes can also provide valuable experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Retrospect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retrospect/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“What a twisted, twisted place, I think in retrospect… and yet when it was all happening back then, and for many days after I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mynah-k/what-a-twisted-twisted-place-i-think-in-retrospect-and-yet-when-it/) [Mynah K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mynah-k/) > [Some of the sweetest hours in life, in retrospect will be found to have been spent with books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/some-of-the-sweetest-hours-in-life-in-retrospect-will-be-found-to/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [That's why I write, because life never works except in retrospect. 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