The idea of regretting something when you're older is something we've all thought about from time to time.
Will I still like this tattoo when I'm 75?
Advert
Is this job what I want to do until I'm 65?
What if I regret not seeing more of the world whilst I'm young?
You get the idea.
One YouTuber has been taking to the streets to get older people to open up.
Advert
Sprouht has been asking people above the age of 60 some personal questions.
Namely what their biggest mistakes were, what they used to worry about and what advice they'd give their younger self.
Strikingly, most of them give near identical answers.
One 95-year-old man shared what advice he'd give to his younger self.
Advert
Advert
He said: "Try to be as positive as you can, because tomorrow is going to be a better day, unless you make it a worse day."
A 64-year-old man gave a similar answer: "Don't really take things as seriously as you should because, over the last 30 or 40 years, I've had a lot of my friends die, get diseases, accidents.
"You don't know when it's going to end. So, relax. Enjoy life."
Advert
Very similar vibes going on.
A couple, both 79-year-olds, had similar outlooks on life.
They'd met when they were 29 but only became a couple in their 40s.
When asked about advice for their younger selves, they shared the same sentiment: "You'll only regret in life the things you didn't do, not the things you do...even if they didn't turn out just as you hoped."
Another couple, who were 70 and 73 respectively, had a short and sweet message for their younger selves: "Don't worry so much.
"Enjoy it! Live life!"
Another couple, who were 98 and 94, had a similar view.
The wife said: "If there's anything distasteful in life, stay away from it.
"Don't dwell on the negative.
"It's not necessary."
Her husband had a unorthodox but profound answer to the question: "I don't want to give any advice.
"They'll get it themselves."
One woman even brought in world events to help make her point.
Reflecting on why so many people struggle to be happy, she said: "I think COVID changed a lot.
"It showed many many people that we're not as safe.
"The world, the way it is today, with what's going on in Israel, what's going on in Ukraine, has woken people up to the reality.
"We're in this, sort of, cushy American world.
"But in fact, it could change."
With that in mind, what was her advice?
"Stay calm. Carry on. You need to keep a certain level of calmness and focus.
"Appreciate life.
"Gratitude is super important."
I feel like I need these on post-it notes around my house.
Ben Thompson