---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't much like to look back with the…"
description: "\"I don't much like to look back with the idea that I was doing it wrong then or I'm doing it wrong now.\" — Robert Sheckley"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/robert-sheckley-14086_back_i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the_2010160.png"
---

#  I don't much like to look back with the idea that I was…

![“I don't much like to look back with the idea that I was doing it wrong then or I'm doing it wrong now.” quote by Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/robert-sheckley-14086_back_i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the_2010160.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/robert-sheckley-14086_back_i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the_2010160.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/robert-sheckley-14086_back_i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the_2010160.png)

> “I don't much like to look back with the idea that I was doing it wrong then or I'm doing it wrong now.”

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

## About This Quote

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

Regret over past mistakes is unproductive; focus on present actions instead.

**In simple terms:** Avoid dwelling on past errors.

Key Takeaway

Live in the present, not past regrets.

Themes

mindfulness self‑acceptance growth

Mood

calm reflective

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- career decisions
- personal development
- creative projects

Key Concepts

psychology philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- What can you learn from past mistakes?
- How do you stay present while learning from history?

A Different Perspective

Past reflection can sometimes provide useful lessons.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/)

## Related quotes

> [“When you don't see nothing wrong in anything you do, then you are doing everything wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richmond-akhigbe/when-you-don-t-see-nothing-wrong-in-anything-you-do-then-you-are/)

[Richmond Akhigbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richmond-akhigbe/)

> [“Ayla, what am I doing wrong?" he asked, standing in front of her, dripping. "It's not you. I'm the one who's doingit wrong." "You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-m-auel/ayla-what-am-i-doing-wrong-he-asked-standing-in-front-of-her-dripping/)

[Jean M. Auel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-m-auel/)

> [I feel something so right, doing the wrong thing. I feel something so wrong doing the right thing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/i-feel-something-so-right-doing-the-wrong-thing-i-feel-something-so/)

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

> [“Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/right-is-right-even-if-no-one-is-doing-it-wrong-is-wrong-even-if/)

[Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/)

> [Funny how you did me wrong, now someone's doing wrong to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/funny-how-you-did-me-wrong-now-someone-s-doing-wrong-to-you/)

Unknow

> [Sometimes you face difficulties people not because you are doing something wrong,but because you are doing something right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-mbululo/sometimes-you-face-difficulties-people-not-because-you-are-doing/)

[Ally Mbululo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-mbululo/)

> [There's things I know I'm good at, and those things interest me less and less. I learn a lot more from doing it wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/there-s-things-i-know-i-m-good-at-and-those-things-interest-me-less/)

[Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/)

> [The most disappointing is not the one that we are doing it wrong, but we are doing the right thing for the wrong person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-disappointing-is-not-the-one-that-we-are-doing-it-wrong-but/)

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

> [You can't be right by doing wrong; you can't be wrong by doing right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/you-can-t-be-right-by-doing-wrong-you-can-t-be-wrong-by-doing-right/)

[Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/)

> [I'm not the kind of artist who has an idea and then carries it out; it's more like I find what the idea was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-brown/i-m-not-the-kind-of-artist-who-has-an-idea-and-then-carries-it-out-it/)

[Cecily Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-brown/)

> [Credibility is someone else's idea of what I should be doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stanley/credibility-is-someone-else-s-idea-of-what-i-should-be-doing/)

[Paul Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stanley/)

> [The idea of doing something that you've seen a thousand times before doesn't appeal to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-phillippe/the-idea-of-doing-something-that-you-ve-seen-a-thousand-times-before/)

[Ryan Phillippe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-phillippe/)

> [I couldn't resist the idea of doing 'Coronation Street.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-havers/i-couldn-t-resist-the-idea-of-doing-coronation-street/)

[Nigel Havers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-havers/)

> [For a while I toyed around with the idea of doing a Banksy; not letting anyone know what I looked like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naughty-boy/for-a-while-i-toyed-around-with-the-idea-of-doing-a-banksy-not/)

[Naughty Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naughty-boy/)

> [“If someone's not hating it you're doing something wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/royal-young/if-someone-s-not-hating-it-you-re-doing-something-wrong/)

Royal Young

## More by Robert Sheckley

> [Why in God's name should a God be praised if he is only performing his Godly function?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/why-in-god-s-name-should-a-god-be-praised-if-he-is-only-performing/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [I don't finish every story, but I probably write and send out three out of five of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-don-t-finish-every-story-but-i-probably-write-and-send-out-three/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [Wherever you go in the galaxy, you can find a food business, a house-building business, a war business, a peace business, a governing business,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/wherever-you-go-in-the-galaxy-you-can-find-a-food-business-a-house/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [“You must realize, Mr. Blaine, that a man is not his body, for he receives his body accidentally. He is not his skills, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/you-must-realize-mr-blaine-that-a-man-is-not-his-body-for-he-receives/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [“But that's crazy, " George said. "How can I be the Average American Man? I'm only five foot eight and my name is Blaxter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/but-that-s-crazy-george-said-how-can-i-be-the-average-american-man-i/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [I knew I was doing something right because it was selling so I didn't want to interfere with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-knew-i-was-doing-something-right-because-it-was-selling-so-i-didn-t/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [“She was an extremely attractive woman if you liked the type, which could best be described as homicidal schizophrenic paranoiac with kittenish overtones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/she-was-an-extremely-attractive-woman-if-you-liked-the-type-which/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [I'm not too fond of the hard work and the constant battle with self-doubt that goes on when I write, but I figure that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-m-not-too-fond-of-the-hard-work-and-the-constant-battle-with-self/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [I sell well now in Russia. I remember one signing in Russia some years ago where the bookstore had two strongmen to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-sell-well-now-in-russia-i-remember-one-signing-in-russia-some-years/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [So I wrote what I hoped would be science fiction, I was not at all sure if what I wrote would be acceptable even.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/so-i-wrote-what-i-hoped-would-be-science-fiction-i-was-not-at-all/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [I was forever reading outside of the field as well as in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-was-forever-reading-outside-of-the-field-as-well-as-in-it/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [I'm quite influenced in this by one of my heroes, Montaigne, who thought a man's real task was to render as honest an account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-m-quite-influenced-in-this-by-one-of-my-heroes-montaigne-who/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [Ethical and questions of philosophy interest me a great deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/ethical-and-questions-of-philosophy-interest-me-a-great-deal/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [It is a truism throughout the civilized galaxy that when you go to the police, your troubles really begin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/it-is-a-truism-throughout-the-civilized-galaxy-that-when-you-go-to/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

> [“When you have a project, do it exactly as you see fit; then fit the facts around the event, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/when-you-have-a-project-do-it-exactly-as-you-see-fit-then-fit-the/)

[Robert Sheckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

[Explore all 47 Robert Sheckley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/)

## More Back quotes

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [I honestly would like to get that Frankie fight back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/i-honestly-would-like-to-get-that-frankie-fight-back/)

[Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/)

> [Drumming's pretty physical. We sit at the back of the stage getting beat up like a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/drumming-s-pretty-physical-we-sit-at-the-back-of-the-stage-getting/)

[Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/)

> [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/)

[Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/)

> [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/)

[George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/)

> [I've always stuck my arms behind my back anyway when trying to block a shot in the penalty area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/i-ve-always-stuck-my-arms-behind-my-back-anyway-when-trying-to-block/)

[Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/)

> [I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/i-m-sure-at-some-point-i-will-get-back-into-coaching-but-right-now-i/)

[Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/)

> [Any time someone achieves success before they've earned it, it always comes back to haunt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/any-time-someone-achieves-success-before-they-ve-earned-it-it-always/)

[Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/)

> [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/)

[Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/)

> [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/)

[Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/)

> [We're all painfully aware of how suddenly violence can occur, how crippling it is, and how survivors have to find a way back from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dini/we-re-all-painfully-aware-of-how-suddenly-violence-can-occur-how/)

[Paul Dini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dini/)

> [Ronaldo is just an athlete. He works so hard and back to back; he is always there. But if you work hard, can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/ronaldo-is-just-an-athlete-he-works-so-hard-and-back-to-back-he-is/)

[Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/)

> [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/)

[Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/)

> [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/)

[Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/)

Browse all 9,709 Back quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't much like to look back with the idea that I was doing it wrong then or I'm doing it wrong now.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Sheckley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the-idea-that-i-was-doing-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Back"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the-idea-that-i-was-doing-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/robert-sheckley-14086_back_i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the_2010160.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/robert-sheckley-14086_back_i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the_2010160.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/283/robert-sheckley-14086_back_i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the_2010160.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't much like to look back with the idea that I was doing it wrong then or I'm doing it wrong now.” — Robert Sheckley",
                "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": "Robert Sheckley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheckley/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't much like to look...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the-idea-that-i-was-doing-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheckley/i-don-t-much-like-to-look-back-with-the-idea-that-i-was-doing-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
