The Power of Regret

1.

 

The Life-Thwarting Nonsense

of No Regrets

 

On October 24, 1960, a composer named Charles Dumont arrived at the posh Paris apartment of Edith Piaf with fear in his heart and songs in his briefcase. At the time, Piaf was perhaps the most famous entertainer in France and one of the best-known singers in the world. She was also quite frail. Although she was just forty-four years old, addiction, accidents, and hard living had ravaged her body. She weighed less than a hundred pounds. Three months earlier Piaf had been in a coma because of liver damage.

 

Yet despite her wispy presence, she remained notoriously mercurial and hot-tempered. She considered Dumont and his professional partner, lyricist Michel Vaucaire, who had joined him on the visit, second-rate musical talents. Earlier in the day, her secretary had left messages trying to cancel the meeting. Piaf initially refused to see the men, forcing them to wait uneasily in her living room. But just before she went to bed, she appeared, swaddled in a blue dressing gown, and relented.

 

She'd hear one song, she told them. That's it.

 

Dumont sat down at Piaf's piano. Sweaty and nervous, he began playing his music while softly speaking the lyrics Vaucaire had written.

 

Non, rien de rien.

 

Non, je ne regrette rien.

 

No, nothing at all.

 

No, I regret nothing at all.

 

She asked Dumont to play the song again, wondering aloud whether he'd really written it. She assembled a few friends who happened to be visiting to hear it. Then she gathered her household staff for a listen.

 

Hours passed. Dumont played the song over and over, more than twenty times, according to one account. Piaf telephoned the director of L'Olympia, the premier Parisian concert venue, who

Daniel H. Pink

Praise for The Power of Regret:

The Power of Regret dives deep into the research behind the 'most misunderstood' emotion and brings it to life through accessible human storytelling. Forbes

Regret could be overdue for its own rebranding. [A] look back might be the way to move forward. We might find lessons lurking in moments we ve pushed from the light. Regret has long been considered a sign of weakness, but what if we saw it as a strength? The Washington Post

Prolific author Pink seamlessly blends neuroscience, psychology and more for a new look at what he sees as a misunderstood emotion regret. Pink draws on the largest survey ever done about Americans' attitudes toward regret to reshape the way we think about it, creating his own three-step process for using regret to one's advantage in this inspiring guide." Newsweek

"This pragmatic guide to harnessing the power of the past assembles an impressive array of research and includes some moving stories of people dealing with mistakes readers looking to shake their shame should start here.   Publishers Weekly
 
"An insightful and rewarding glimpse into the emotional pathways of human contrition. . . .Pink offers practical guidance on how readers can thrive beyond their mistakes, molding them into learning opportunities.   Kirkus

"As he so often does, Daniel Pink transformed my understanding of a subject and convinced me of the power of regret. Through his remarkable research, I learned not only what people regret, but also how to optimize those regrets. Every time I read a Daniel Pink book, I walk away a better and more informed person. Sanjay Gupta, M.D., Chief Medical Correspondent, CNN

I love that Daniel Pink is taking on one of the best (and toughest) teachers in my life regret. I ve always known that regret deepened my connection to myself and to others, but now, thanks to Dan s research and storytelling, I understand why.  The idea of 'no regrets' doesn t