WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID REGRET EVEN BEFORE THE ACT

It is a commonly accepted truism that regret is a waste of time. Except in cases where is helps us avoid future wrongs, regret is rightfully considered wasted effort and time.
On the other hand, we spend huge amounts of time and energy worrying about the outcome of future events. Indeed, I would venture to say that the Modern Man spends more time worrying about things than actually doing things.
It is important to ask of regret, "Why is it something to avoid?" The answer is that we are powerless in the face of the past. Memory is nothing more than a record. But in certain cases, we are equally unable to effect the outcome of future events. Why do we worry so much over the outcome of those events?
If we can assume that it would be better to stop worrying about possible future events over which we have no power, then it would seem we should place a premium on developing the ability to decide which events we can control and which we cannot. That is, the ability to tell the difference between worrying and planning.
This philosophy is most certainly not intended to argue that the consideration of future events and possible plans is a waste of time. The ability to form complex plans is one of the foundations of what it means to be human. It merely suggests that one nearly as important component of successful, happy human life is the ability to curtail the amount of planning one does on a daily basis to the events one can influence.

Coming Attractions - Moral Philosophy


I've always thought that the most interesting disctinction in Moral Plihosophy is that between Action and intention. Most people would argue that my interest is too obvious, that this distiction is the ONLY important one in moral philosophy at all. But, I am talking specifically about the distinction between intention and responsibility. Namely, does intention play any part whatsoever in assigning moral responsibility at all? Does the lack of an intention remove the moral abhorrence from any action? Or, conversely, does a good intention remove the moral blame from an abhorrent act? It is particularly this second disctinction that I find interesting, particularly in our current political situation. I do not intend to discuss the relevance now, but I am posting this to remind myself to do so in the future.