--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: vexation, yet filled with unconscious…" description: "\"“vexation, yet filled with unconscious regret for the terrible unknown things that might have, but had not, happened (23)”\" — Émile Zola" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mile-zola-1188_regret_vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-reg_156413.png" --- # vexation, yet filled with unconscious regret for the… ![“vexation, yet filled with unconscious regret for the terrible unknown things that might have, but had not, happened (23)” quote by Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mile-zola-1188_regret_vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-reg_156413.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mile-zola-1188_regret_vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-reg_156413.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mile-zola-1188_regret_vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-reg_156413.png) > ““vexation, yet filled with unconscious regret for the terrible unknown things that might have, but had not, happened (23)”” [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Regret arises from unconscious fear of unknown possibilities that never occurred, highlighting anxiety over missed chances. **In simple terms:** Unconscious fear of missed unknowns causes regret. Key Takeaway Acknowledge fears to reduce hidden regret. Themes regret fear unknown psychology self‑awareness existential anxiety Mood reflective anxious Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - career choices - personal development - creative pursuits Key Concepts cognitive bias decision making life reflection Questions to Reflect On - What unknown possibilities do you fear missing? - How can you turn fear into proactive choices? A Different Perspective Regret can paralyze future actions; confronting fear is essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Unknown things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unknown-things/) ## Related quotes > [“Don't live in a world of 'I never should have'. Regret is a terrible burden to carry through life. It stoops your shoulders and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-alice-kruesi/don-t-live-in-a-world-of-i-never-should-have-regret-is-a-terrible/) Mary Alice Kruesi > [“Regret is a terrible thing, all-encompassing thing. 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Memories can be cherished, regret will destroy you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-kiest/regret-is-a-terrible-thing-to-carry-memories-can-be-cherished-regret/) Natalie Kiest > [As a result of a general defect of nature, we are either more confident or more fearful of unusual and unknown things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-caesar/as-a-result-of-a-general-defect-of-nature-we-are-either-more/) [Julius Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-caesar/) > [Death belongs to God alone; by what right do men touch that unknown thing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/death-belongs-to-god-alone-by-what-right-do-men-touch-that-unknown/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Analysis is simplifying, breaking down things into parts, picking out strands and elements. Analysis is comparing unknown things with things that are known. Analysis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/analysis-is-simplifying-breaking-down-things-into-parts-picking-out/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-hill/his-head-on-my-knee-can-heal-my-human-hurts-his-presence-by-my-side/) [Gene Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-hill/) > [There are just certain things in life that are better off unknown. Things that you wish you never saw, never asked, never heard and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/there-are-just-certain-things-in-life-that-are-better-off-unknown/) Pacifiersucker > [I didn't believe it could be so monstrous. It's wrong to be so absorbed in divine law as not to perceive human law. 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I'm not ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-carruth/i-don-t-want-to-be-thought-of-as-somebody-who-s-spiritually-ambiguous/) [Shane Carruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-carruth/) > [“To sit among all those unknown things before a puzzle like that is hopeless. That way lies monomania. Face this world. Learn its ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/to-sit-among-all-those-unknown-things-before-a-puzzle-like-that-is/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [I told myself: 'I am surrounded by unknown things.' I imagined man without ears, suspecting the existence of sound as we suspect so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/i-told-myself-i-am-surrounded-by-unknown-things-i-imagined-man/) [Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/) ## More by Émile Zola > [“Hélène, her eyes once more raised and remote, was deep in a dream. She was Lady Rowena, she was in love, with the deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/h-l-ne-her-eyes-once-more-raised-and-remote-was-deep-in-a-dream-she/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [The vague torment of ... ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-vague-torment-of-ambition/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [How evil life must be if it were indeed necessary that such imploring cries, such cries of physical and moral wretchedness, should ever and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/how-evil-life-must-be-if-it-were-indeed-necessary-that-such-imploring/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“he was carried aloft, for the moment, on one of those great waves of hope from which he was usually plunged deep into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/he-was-carried-aloft-for-the-moment-on-one-of-those-great-waves-of/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“Death had to take her little by little, bit by bit, dragging her along to the bitter end of the miserable existence she'd made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/death-had-to-take-her-little-by-little-bit-by-bit-dragging-her-along/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [If something's just, I'll let myself be hacked to bits for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/if-something-s-just-i-ll-let-myself-be-hacked-to-bits-for-it/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“Lastly, I accuse the first court-martial of having violated the law by condemning an accused person on one document kept secret, and I accuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/lastly-i-accuse-the-first-court-martial-of-having-violated-the-law-by/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“Good gracious!" she exclaimed, "she's been more than an hour in there! When the priests set about cleansing her of her sins, the choir-boys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/good-gracious-she-exclaimed-she-s-been-more-than-an-hour-in-there/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [The only basis for living is believing in life, loving it, and applying the whole force of one's intellect to know it better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-only-basis-for-living-is-believing-in-life-loving-it-and-applying/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“A new dynasty is never founded without a struggle. Blood makes good manure. It will be a good thing for the Rougon family to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/a-new-dynasty-is-never-founded-without-a-struggle-blood-makes-good/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [I believe that all is illusion and vanity outside the treasure of truths slowly accumulated, and which will never again be lost. I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/i-believe-that-all-is-illusion-and-vanity-outside-the-treasure-of/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“After a time, she believed in the reality of this comedy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/after-a-time-she-believed-in-the-reality-of-this-comedy/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [“She wanted to live, and live fully, and to give life, she who loved life! What was the good of existing, if you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/she-wanted-to-live-and-live-fully-and-to-give-life-she-who-loved-life/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [The fear of life, the fear of burdens and of duties, of annoyances and of catastrophes! The fear of life, which makes us, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-fear-of-life-the-fear-of-burdens-and-of-duties-of-annoyances-and/) [Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [ “He \[Muffat\] experienced a sense of pleasure mingled with remorse, the sort of pleasure peculiar to those Catholics whom the fear of hell spurs… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/he-muffat-experienced-a-sense-of-pleasure-mingled-with-remorse-the/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) [Explore all 243 Émile Zola quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) ## More Regret quotes > [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/) > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [I don't regret burning bridges. I regret that some people weren't on those bridges when I burned them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-regret-burning-bridges-i-regret-that-some-people-weren-t-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mero/i-have-no-regrets-in-my-life-i-think-that-everything-happens-to-you/) [Rita Mero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mero/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“For those filled with regret, perhaps the most needful exercise of proactivity is to realize that past mistakes are also out there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/for-those-filled-with-regret-perhaps-the-most-needful-exercise-of/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [Having no regrets is very unrealistic. Everyone has that awkward or embarrassing moment they wish they could take back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayden-hayes/having-no-regrets-is-very-unrealistic-everyone-has-that-awkward-or/) [Jayden Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayden-hayes/) > [I always had a sort of niggling regret that we didn't come do stuff in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/i-always-had-a-sort-of-niggling-regret-that-we-didn-t-come-do-stuff/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [I am not perfect by any means and ill be the first to admit I make plenty of mistakes but I wont make them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-perfect-by-any-means-and-ill-be-the-first-to-admit-i-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) [Browse all 9,960 Regret quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“vexation, yet filled with unconscious regret for the terrible unknown things that might have, but had not, happened (23)”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Émile Zola" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-regret-for-the-terrible-unknown/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Regret" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-regret-for-the-terrible-unknown/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mile-zola-1188_regret_vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-reg_156413.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mile-zola-1188_regret_vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-reg_156413.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mile-zola-1188_regret_vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-reg_156413.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“vexation, yet filled with unconscious regret for the terrible unknown things that might have, but had not…” — Émile Zola", "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": "Émile Zola", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“vexation, yet filled with unconscious regret...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-regret-for-the-terrible-unknown/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/vexation-yet-filled-with-unconscious-regret-for-the-terrible-unknown/#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 } } ] } ```