--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Consider this scenario. You own shares in…" description: "\"“Consider this scenario. You own shares in Company A. During the past year you considered switching to stock in Company B but decided against it. You n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c6/daniel-gilbert-8969_business_consider-this-scenario-you-own-shares-in_642281.jpg" --- # Consider this scenario. You own shares in Company A… ![“Consider this scenario. You own shares in Company A. During the past year you considered switching to stock in Company B but decided against it. You now find that you would have been better off by 1200$ if you had switched to the stock of Company B. You also owned shares in Company C. During the…” quote by Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c6/daniel-gilbert-8969_business_consider-this-scenario-you-own-shares-in_642281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c6/daniel-gilbert-8969_business_consider-this-scenario-you-own-shares-in_642281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c6/daniel-gilbert-8969_business_consider-this-scenario-you-own-shares-in_642281.jpg) > ““Consider this scenario. You own shares in Company A. During the past year you considered switching to stock in Company B but decided against it. You now find that you would have been better off by 1200$ if you had switched to the stock of Company B. You also owned shares in Company C. During the past year you switched to stock in Company D. You now find out that you'd have been better off by 1200$, if you kept your stock in Company C. Which error causes you more regret? Studies show that about Immune to Reality nine out of ten people expect to feel more regret when they foolishly switch stocks than when they foolishly fail to switch stocks, because most people think they will regret foolish actions more than foolish inactions. But studies also show that nine out of ten people are wrong. Indeed, in the long run, people of every age and in every walk of life seem to regret "not" having done things much more than they regret things they "did", which is why the most popular regrets include not going to college, not grasping profitable business opportunities, and not spending enough time with family and friends.”” [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often regret missed opportunities more than poor choices, but this pattern varies with context and personal values. **In simple terms:** Regret focuses on what we didn’t do more than what we did. Key Takeaway Consider both action and inaction when evaluating choices. Themes regret decision‑making counterfactuals Mood analytical reflective Type psychological philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - investment decisions - personal relationships - education Key Concepts psychology behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - What regrets have shaped your life? - How can you balance action and patience? A Different Perspective Regret intensity can be influenced by hindsight bias and social comparison. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business opportunities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-opportunities/) [Causes Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes-regret-3315522/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Enough time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough-time/) [Family and friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-and-friends/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Long run](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-run/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Regret Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret-foolish-5153816/) [Regret Studies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret-studies-5153817/) [Switching Stock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/switching-stock-5153815/) [Think Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-regret-656711/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time With Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-with-family/) ## Related quotes > [The only causes of regret are laziness, outbursts of temper, hurting others, prejudice, jealousy, and envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/the-only-causes-of-regret-are-laziness-outbursts-of-temper-hurting/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [Listen widely to remove your doubts and be careful when speaking about the rest and your mistakes will be few. See much and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/listen-widely-to-remove-your-doubts-and-be-careful-when-speaking/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“I wonder what causes you most regret, in the final years of your life: the undone things-- or the things you did that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-leroy/i-wonder-what-causes-you-most-regret-in-the-final-years-of-your-life/) [Margaret Leroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-leroy/) > [We would go back and maybe not say that thing to our dad that we said, or maybe be a little nicer to someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-trevorrow/we-would-go-back-and-maybe-not-say-that-thing-to-our-dad-that-we-said/) [Colin Trevorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-trevorrow/) > [Sometimes I sit down and I think 'Do I regret this? Do I regret that?' 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I think we have to accept the consequences and you learn from your mistakes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/i-don-t-think-we-should-ever-regret-anything-we-do-i-think-we-have-to/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [I think what I regret is that I would rather do something like that when I was a more established actress and I really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-think-what-i-regret-is-that-i-would-rather-do-something-like-that/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [I think to regret is useless in life. It belongs to the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-brando/i-think-to-regret-is-useless-in-life-it-belongs-to-the-past/) [Marlon Brando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-brando/) > [I think I regret the impact on everybody. But I think I just maybe could have gone about it in a kinder way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-loos/i-think-i-regret-the-impact-on-everybody-but-i-think-i-just-maybe/) [Rebecca Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-loos/) > [“You don't think I regret what I did, every single day? You lost Ariella, but I lost you both! Believe it or not, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/you-don-t-think-i-regret-what-i-did-every-single-day-you-lost-ariella/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [I think most I regret the way I treated Dr. Dre after he so graciously opened the doors to his kingdom to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-storch/i-think-most-i-regret-the-way-i-treated-dr-dre-after-he-so-graciously/) [Scott Storch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-storch/) > [“Sometimes our emotions get in the way of our ability to make clear decisions and this was one of them. But I don’t think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loni-flowers/sometimes-our-emotions-get-in-the-way-of-our-ability-to-make-clear/) [Loni Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loni-flowers/) > [Looking back on my 'Full House' wardrobe days, I think I almost regret all of my fashion moments. 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You own shares in Company A. During the past year you considered switching to stock in Company B but decided against it. You now find that you would have been better off by 1200$ if you had switched to the stock of Company B. You also owned shares in Company C. During the past year you switched to stock in Company D. You now find out that you'd have been better off by 1200$, if you kept your stock in Company C. Which error causes you more regret? Studies show that about Immune to Reality nine out of ten people expect to feel more regret when they foolishly switch stocks than when they foolishly fail to switch stocks, because most people think they will regret foolish actions more than foolish inactions. But studies also show that nine out of ten people are wrong. Indeed, in the long run, people of every age and in every walk of life seem to regret \"not\" having done things much more than they regret things they \"did\", which is why the most popular regrets include not going to college, not grasping profitable business opportunities, and not spending enough time with family and friends.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Gilbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/consider-this-scenario-you-own-shares-in-company-a-during-the-past/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/consider-this-scenario-you-own-shares-in-company-a-during-the-past/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c6/daniel-gilbert-8969_business_consider-this-scenario-you-own-shares-in_642281.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c6/daniel-gilbert-8969_business_consider-this-scenario-you-own-shares-in_642281.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c6/daniel-gilbert-8969_business_consider-this-scenario-you-own-shares-in_642281.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Consider this scenario. 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