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Why Wishing the Past Was Different Is a Mistake
But something we all do.
Have you ever wished the past was different? Do you regret something you did or didn’t do? Do you think that if only you’d made a different decision your life would be so much better today?
If you do, you’re not alone. We humans are great at imagining different endings to our stories. But, what if those endings are overly simplistic? What if our minds are not good at understanding the consequences of changing past events? What if much of the agonizing we do over our past mistakes is caused by a misunderstanding of the role they played in making us who we are today?
One of my favorite TV show episodes of all time paints this picture beautifully. The main character in the episode is dying and it’s due to what he believes is a mistake he made in the past. In his youth, he’d gotten into a bar fight defending a friend. In the fight he was stabbed in the chest, which resulted in him needing to receive an artificial heart. Back in the present, it’s his artificial heart that’s put him in mortal danger.
Of course, the main character beats himself up over his supposed mistake and deeply regrets the actions he took so many years ago. But, in quintessential sci-fi fashion, a god-like creature shows up to allow the main character to see what his life would…
