--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The future becomes the present, the…" description: "\"“The future becomes the present, the present the past, and the past turns into ever lasting regret if you don't plan for it!”\" — Tennessee Williams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/tennessee-williams-745_future_the-future-becomes-the-present-the-prese_184007.png" --- # The future becomes the present, the present the past, and… ![“The future becomes the present, the present the past, and the past turns into ever lasting regret if you don't plan for it!” quote by Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/tennessee-williams-745_future_the-future-becomes-the-present-the-prese_184007.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/tennessee-williams-745_future_the-future-becomes-the-present-the-prese_184007.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/tennessee-williams-745_future_the-future-becomes-the-present-the-prese_184007.png) > ““The future becomes the present, the present the past, and the past turns into ever lasting regret if you don't plan for it!”” [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Neglecting planning turns the future into regretful past; proactive planning prevents lasting remorse. **In simple terms:** Plan now to avoid future regret. Key Takeaway Make concrete plans today. Themes planning future regret Mood motivational urgent Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - financial budgeting - project timelines - personal goals Key Concepts Time management consequences Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take now? - How does planning reduce anxiety? A Different Perspective Planning can be paralyzed by fear of failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You are the only young man that I know of who ignores the fact that the future becomes the present, the present the past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/you-are-the-only-young-man-that-i-know-of-who-ignores-the-fact-that/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [I could have worked with great people like Nile Rodgers, which I regret. I don't have many regrets, but I remember he'd shown some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fantastic-negrito/i-could-have-worked-with-great-people-like-nile-rodgers-which-i/) [Fantastic Negrito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fantastic-negrito/) > [“We have no idea, now, of who or what the inhabitants of our future might be. In that sense, we have no future. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/we-have-no-idea-now-of-who-or-what-the-inhabitants-of-our-future/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [I'm not so much in the future as always in the present. The future always takes care of itself. What I do now with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-mekas/i-m-not-so-much-in-the-future-as-always-in-the-present-the-future/) [Jonas Mekas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-mekas/) > [“Regret not that you suffer in love, regret if you don't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/regret-not-that-you-suffer-in-love-regret-if-you-don-t/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Make the most out of every day and just be happy. You're going to regret it if you don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-the-most-out-of-every-day-and-just-be-happy-you-re-going-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don’t do that,” he says. “Don’t regret us. I don’t. I won’t, ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-hand/don-t-do-that-he-says-don-t-regret-us-i-don-t-i-won-t-ever/) [Cynthia Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-hand/) > [You'd think, 'What if I make a mistake today, I'll regret it'. I don’t believe in regret, I feel everything leads us to where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/you-d-think-what-if-i-make-a-mistake-today-i-ll-regret-it-i-don-t/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [I regret that I don't have more fear. If I had, I'd have been more focused. But I'd have had less fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bacon/i-regret-that-i-don-t-have-more-fear-if-i-had-i-d-have-been-more/) [Richard Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bacon/) > [“I don't regret it, but I don't feel quite as lucky anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/i-don-t-regret-it-but-i-don-t-feel-quite-as-lucky-anymore/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [My biggest regret is that I don't really have time to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/my-biggest-regret-is-that-i-don-t-really-have-time-to-read/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [“If you don’t monitor your life, you will regret it. If you don’t measure your life, you will regret it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/if-you-don-t-monitor-your-life-you-will-regret-it-if-you-don-t-2/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Never regret what you don't write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/never-regret-what-you-don-t-write/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I never regret. I don't like to look back on my life and have regrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-harding/i-never-regret-i-don-t-like-to-look-back-on-my-life-and-have-regrets/) [Sarah Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-harding/) > [But there's no way to avoid regret. Don't let anybody tell you different. Regret is just life's aftertaste. No matter what you choose, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/but-there-s-no-way-to-avoid-regret-don-t-let-anybody-tell-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) ## More by Tennessee Williams > [“Nothing human disgusts me unless its unkind”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/nothing-human-disgusts-me-unless-its-unkind/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [These are the intensities that one cannot live with, that he has to outgrow if he wants to survive. But who can help grieving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/these-are-the-intensities-that-one-cannot-live-with-that-he-has-to/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“Well, you better look out. They got a new bureau in the guvamint files. It’s called U.W. Stands for Useless Wimmen. Tha’s secret plans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/well-you-better-look-out-they-got-a-new-bureau-in-the-guvamint-files/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [People go to the movies instead of moving. Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/people-go-to-the-movies-instead-of-moving-hollywood-characters-are/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [They chatter together like birds on Cypress Hill, but all they say is 'Live, live, live, live, live!' It's all they've learned, it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/they-chatter-together-like-birds-on-cypress-hill-but-all-they-say-is/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [You take it for granted that I am in something that I want to get out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/you-take-it-for-granted-that-i-am-in-something-that-i-want-to-get-out/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [Guessing isn't knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/guessing-isn-t-knowing/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [I respect a person that has had to fight and howl for his decency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-respect-a-person-that-has-had-to-fight-and-howl-for-his-decency/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/life-is-all-memory-except-for-the-one-present-moment-that-goes-by-you/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [Most of the confidence which I appear to feel, especially when influenced by noon wine, is only a pretense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/most-of-the-confidence-which-i-appear-to-feel-especially-when/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [I cannot write any sort of story unless there is at least one character in it for whom I have physical desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-cannot-write-any-sort-of-story-unless-there-is-at-least-one/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [I know so well what becomes of unmarried women who aren't prepared to occupy a position. I've seen such pitiful cases in the South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-know-so-well-what-becomes-of-unmarried-women-who-aren-t-prepared-to/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“The Jefferson is such a dignified hotel / There is no such thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-jefferson-is-such-a-dignified-hotel-there-is-no-such-thing/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“A drinking man's someone who wants to forget he isn't still young and believing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/a-drinking-man-s-someone-who-wants-to-forget-he-isn-t-still-young-and/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“As for me, no one will ever love me. But you could get used to me, couldn't you, Jimmy?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/as-for-me-no-one-will-ever-love-me-but-you-could-get-used-to-me/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) [Explore all 373 Tennessee Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) ## More Future quotes > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [“We have no idea, now, of who or what the inhabitants of our future might be. In that sense, we have no future. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/we-have-no-idea-now-of-who-or-what-the-inhabitants-of-our-future/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Football is my passion, and who knows where I will play in the future - you cannot foresee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/football-is-my-passion-and-who-knows-where-i-will-play-in-the-future/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When I was 17, I broke up with my future wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/when-i-was-17-i-broke-up-with-my-future-wife/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I think everybody in the future has stopped talking to each other and we all just use emojis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/i-think-everybody-in-the-future-has-stopped-talking-to-each-other-and/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [When you continue to dwell on the past, there's no chance for a future. History repeats itself, thus, it's ok to LOOK back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-continue-to-dwell-on-the-past-there-s-no-chance-for-a-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) [Browse all 12,349 Future quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The future becomes the present, the present the past, and the past turns into ever lasting regret if you don't plan for it!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tennessee Williams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-future-becomes-the-present-the-present-the-past-and-the-past/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Future" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-future-becomes-the-present-the-present-the-past-and-the-past/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/tennessee-williams-745_future_the-future-becomes-the-present-the-prese_184007.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/tennessee-williams-745_future_the-future-becomes-the-present-the-prese_184007.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca0/tennessee-williams-745_future_the-future-becomes-the-present-the-prese_184007.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The future becomes the present, the present the past, and the past turns into ever lasting regret if you…” — Tennessee Williams", "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": "Tennessee Williams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The future becomes the present, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-future-becomes-the-present-the-present-the-past-and-the-past/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-future-becomes-the-present-the-present-the-past-and-the-past/#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 } } ] } ```