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Regret may not always be a bad thing, researcher says

Laura King

On this week's show, we'll discuss why regret might not always be a bad thing.

It's a new year and for some that's a time to set goals, like going to the gym or eating healthier food. And maybe for others, it’s a time for regret once you realize that those New Years Resolutions might not be met. And yet for others, it’s a time for reflection: over chances that you maybe didn’t take, or regret over the fact that you didn’t become the person that you thought you would. Depressing as it may sound, that last type of regret — which is called regret over a lost possible self — is not always a bad thing. In fact, it's precisely what Laura King studied. She’s a professor in the University of Missouri department of psychology. We sat down with her and asked her about her research. 

Rehman Tungekar is a former producer for KBIA, who left at the beginning of 2014.