Six Word Story Challenge: Regret

Posted on June 12, 2013February 10, 2016 by Marion Driessen

Why did I get angry so fast that I couldn’t keep my mouth shut? A blabbermouth, rash and too quick to react. How I wished I hadn’t done that, things would have been different now. Afterwards I had many REGRETS.

What does it mean, to regret something? I have done a bit of research:

Regret is a negative conscious and emotional reaction to personal past acts and behaviors. Regret is often expressed by the term ‘sorry’. Regret is often a feeling of sadness, shame, embarrassment, depression, annoyance, or guilt, after one acts in a manner and later wishes not to have done so.

Regret is distinct from guilt, which is a deeply emotional form of regret — one which may be difficult to comprehend in an objective or conceptual way. In this regard, the concept of regret is subordinate to guilt in terms of its emotional intensity. By comparison, shame typically refers to the social (rather than personal) aspect of guilt or (in minor context) regret as imposed by the society or culture (enforcement of ethics, morality), which has substantial bearing in matters of (personal and social) honor.

It is also distinct from remorse, which is a more direct and emotional form of regret over a past action that is considered by society to be hurtful, shameful, or violent. Unlike regret, it includes a strong element of desire for apology to others rather than an internal reflection on one’s actions, and may be expressed (sincerely or not) in order to reduce the punishment one receives.

Regret can describe not only the dislike for an action that has been committed, but also, importantly, regret of inaction. Many people find themselves wishing that they had done something in a past situation.

Enough information, we are here for YOUR story!

Write a story about REGRET in just six words. Let a photo or image inspire you to write a story. Or first write the story, and then make or search for a picture to go with it.

Here’s a Six Word Story by Ernest Hemingway.

Such an impact and unseen images in only six words…

Every two weeks on Wednesday I will post a new theme for this Six Word Story Challenge. Publish your Six Word Story on your own website/blog and paste the link to that post in a comment to this one here at Figments. I will include your contribution in this post, forming a list of stories.

Will you join me? Will you? Say you do And share the challenge news!

Have fun writing,
Marion

READ THE REGRET-STORIES OF:

Bulldog: I rue the regret I feel.
Crackerberries: OOPS
Julia Davis: I regret every nap I didn’t take
Marian Allen: #6WSC Regret
Colonialist: I love you!’ said too late …
Hash Tag, Jonathan: Six Word Story Challenge – Regret
Ramblejim’s Blog: #6wsc Regret
Mormors klagemur: Six Word Story Challenge: Regret
Figments of a DuTchess: Words are Not Enough
Noe and Cindy: Response to 6 word story challenge on Regret
Colonialist: Six Word Story Challenge: Regret
Karavanseraiet: Don’t regret

Who’s next?

The next challenge will be posted on Wednesday, June 26. Doe je liever mee in het Nederlands, ga dan naar Verbeeld een Verhaal in Zes Woorden: Spijt.

—

Older stories:
130226 – Poverty
130313 – Spring
130327 – Writing
130410 – Light
130424 – Music
130515 – Transport
130529 – Pets