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How much do you regret the time you wasted?

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Chrono

Banned
By wasted time I’m not talking about not preparing for a midterm while playing too many games. I’m talking about years of wasted time during which you accomplished nothing. OR, time you realize now could’ve changed your life if you spent it in a wiser way.

I’m looking at people I know, being so far ahead of me it’s scary. Just now I was looking for something I bought at Amazon and browsed all my purchases year-by-year. It went back to 2001, but with every group of purchases I remembered myself at that time and all my ‘plans.’ I remembered X happened and Y did not and so on. After finally reaching my first Amazon purchase, I forgot what the hell I was browsing for.

I was breathing heavily, feeling a bit dizzy, and just fucking angry and pathetic. I guess it’s never too late, but it’s not like I have a choice here.


So how have you been doing the last few years? Did things turn out close to what you imagined yourself to be when you were younger?
 

olimario

Banned
Today I got up and mowed the lawn, then drove an hour to help a friend paint her house.
I wasted a perfectly Good Friday.
I feel pretty good about it. No regrets.
 

demi

Member
screw regret, play more videogames.

i already have life all planned out:

turn 25 move out of parents to cheap apartment, and live until i die while posting on GAF.
 

HooDoo

Member
I feel stupid about the years I've wasted some time ago but well, no regrets since I consider regrets are useless. I just wish I could have used wisely.
 

Macam

Banned
Substantially. I wouldn't say the years lost were entirely wasted however, as it certainly gave me a much better focus on what I'd like to pursue for a career; and a game designer it is not. Regardless, if I could redo the last 4 years of my life, I'd do so in a heartbeat.
 

Desperado

Member
thought this was going to be about failed relationships.




Well baby, there you stand
With your little head, down in your hand
Oh, my God, you can't believe
It's happening again
your baby's gone, and you're all alone
and it looks like the end.

And you're back out on the street.
And you're tryin' to remember.
How will you start it over?
You don't know if you can.
You don't care much for a stranger's touch,
but you can't hold your man.

You never thought you'd be alone
this far down the line
And I know what's been on your mind
You're afraid it's all been wasted time

The autumn leaves have got you thinking
about the first time that you fell
You didn't love the boy too much, no, no
you just loved the boy too well, farewell
So you live from day to day, and you dream
about tomorrow, oh.

And the hours go by like minutes
and the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something
to make them go away
And I could have done so many things, baby
If I could only stop my mind from wonderin' what
I left behind and from worrying 'bout this wasted time

Ooh, another love has come and gone
Ooh, and the years keep rushing on
I remember what you told me
before you went out on your own:
"Sometimes to keep it together,
you got to leave it alone."

So you can get on with your search, baby,
and I can get on with mine
And maybe someday we will find,
that it wasn't really wasted time
Mm,hm
Oh hoo, ooh, ohh,
Ooh,ooh, mm
 

bjork

Member
I wouldn't do a thing differently. I spent the time exactly how I wanted, or else I would've changed the situation on the spot.

Except for that time I didn't kill my boss, I do actually wish I'd done that.
 

isamu

OMFG HOLY MOTHER OF MARY IN HEAVEN I CANT BELIEVE IT WTF WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AAAAHHH
I wasted alot of time waiting for me ship to come in......
 

Jeffahn

Member
One day I hope, in the not too distant future, to be able to travel back in time...





























...and waste it all over again.

...
 
I've definitely wasted years of my life recently. I just can't seem to get much accomplished, everything takes so much longer than I think it will. So many things get in the way for me. I probably have it worse than you do, but feel free to provide your own details and prove me wrong. At least one of us will feel better.

Thinking back to when I turned 18 in 2000 I was going to go to college and start bodybuilding. Five years later I'm 23 years old, I'm probably less than 25% of the way to a college degree, and I weigh 10 pounds more than I did then. At least I grew my hair long like I wanted to. That's something I've accomplished in the last five years that I can take pride in.
 

Vormund

Member
demotivators_1836_7699930


www.despair.com
 

pjberri

Crotchety Old Man
Yes, I pretty much wasted last year and got into debt in the process. I'm not too worried about the debt, but I'm slightly irritated at what I spent the money on. :(
 

milanbaros

Member?
I spent the last few years of my life drinking and smoking and generally disintergrating, now thats what I call wasted time. I wonder whether I just needed to get it out of my system.
 

Chrono

Banned
Space Age Playboy said:
I've definitely wasted years of my life recently. I just can't seem to get much accomplished, everything takes so much longer than I think it will. So many things get in the way for me. I probably have it worse than you do, but feel free to provide your own details and prove me wrong. At least one of us will feel better.

Thinking back to when I turned 18 in 2000 I was going to go to college and start bodybuilding. Five years later I'm 23 years old, I'm probably less than 25% of the way to a college degree, and I weigh 10 pounds more than I did then. At least I grew my hair long like I wanted to. That's something I've accomplished in the last five years that I can take pride in.

I don't want to post details but I can tell you it's not me who'll be feeling better. :(

What you posted is very, very similar to me though but school/future is only about 50% of the story here. =\

*goes to sleep and wishes to never wake up*

>_<
 

pestul

Member
I was going to say that I wasted the past 2yrs after graduating university (Spring 2003).. but in that time, I've bought a house.. and we're picking up a new car on Monday. I haven't really upgraded my financial situation, but I guess I'm not too bad off. I know I could have done more to secure a better job or done more schooling, but I think my quasi-procrastination might still pay off in a couple years.
 
I've wasted a lot of time but whenever there was shit to get done like a paper or studying for a test, that took precedent over any procrastinating. For example, I got a test on Monday and a paper. This will take up most of my day.
 

DCX

DCX
olimario said:
Today I got up and mowed the lawn, then drove an hour to help a friend paint her house.
I wasted a perfectly Good Friday.
I feel pretty good about it. No regrets.
What?! No pictures of said event??? GAF AM crying...

DCX
 

lordmrw

Member
I graduated high school in 1998, and due to a combination of bad luck, some of it mine, some of it random, I'm only just now getting ready to graduate in december. First college I went to I got into some financial trouble i didn't know about, which resulted in a year of classes not being counted. Went to URI in 2000, but got tired of taking the bus to school, aso I left in 2001, and from there tons of random shit involving money kept me out of school until late last year. While i do get depressed thinking of the people who I graduated with who are done with school, I take solace knowing (and this is fucked up I know) that there are twice as many wound up worse off than me.
 

Badabing

Time ta STEP IT UP
I don't know, I don't regret too much in life really... but I do wish I got better grades in high school. I have an average GPA, but I could definitely do better.
 
Nobody has it worse than I when it comes to wasting time and potential... I'm 26 years old, never had a job in my life, and I can't be bothered to hunt for jobs either... Every passing day I waste reduces my chances of ever achieving anything.
 

AniHawk

Member
I feel like I'm currently wasting time in college. And I think I've wasted time that could've been better spent with my dad's parents (my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer in his bones. They say the radiation will treat the pain, but not the cancer. He's not going home).
 

Andy787

Banned
I've come to realize that once you become an adult, provided you are self concious and self aware, and have enough intelligence to admit the truths of life, and regardless of your accomplishements, you come to the realization that life is a much more sad, depressing, and harsh exsistence than the dreams and fantasies of your childhood. I've been struggling with that for the past few years, and I am only 19. I think the best that any person can do, as I'm sure most who are into philosophy would agree, is to simply find your own truths and make peace with life. Does life really boil down to a list of accomplishements or a pool of wasted time?
 

DCX

DCX
I don't know as i feel like i have wasted time in my life....i always try to fullfill as much as possible, and i always try to do things so i have no regret in the future. Some things are out of my control like doing better in school and staying on the basketball team for my senior season...things i kinda wish i would have done, but i know my life would be radically different if i had done those things.

Some of you may know my situation with falling in love with a married woman...as much red flags that situation presented itself i would have been wondering all my life if there was a slim chance at being happy with her, what if i would have tried...i don't have that wonder anymore. I can live at peace with myself becuase i did try, and gave my all...now for her...she will always wonder....and may be wasting time as we speak.

Live life to the fullest each day, becuase what you think you can put off for tomorrow...may never come sometimes. Why tiptoe through life, to arrive safely at death?

DCX
 

Kola

Member
I wasted a lot of time already. I mean, I accomplished a lot of things that I wanted to do, e.g. studying and living in HK, travelling around the world, getting my law degree in time (at least I'm still on track), having alot of fun with my friends, in general: Using the time that I'm still young.

But, when I look back, there are so many things which I wanted to have done already or be able to do right now. When I was 19-20 I wanted to be good enough in Japanese in 4-5 years time to play my Zelda the day it arrives in shops in Shibuya. Don't have to tell you the outcome...sigh...

But I guess, I'm not really regretting it. Life never goes the way you plan it. Still, if there is one thing you really wanted to do in the past and that you have not done until now, then do it RIGHT NOW (as long as it is still possible of course). My Japanese classes start in June. =)
 

Musashi Wins!

FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
I think you should search out some pictures of deep space. Read a few books about geological changes in time. Get a real feel for your insignificance. It's all a matter of subjective viewpoint, but the shock of really feeling that YOU DO NOT MATTER might paradoxically free you to return to your life refreshed without the burden of expectations.
 

isamu

OMFG HOLY MOTHER OF MARY IN HEAVEN I CANT BELIEVE IT WTF WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AAAAHHH
Andy787 said:
I've come to realize that once you become an adult, provided you are self concious and self aware, and have enough intelligence to admit the truths of life, and regardless of your accomplishements, you come to the realization that life is a much more sad, depressing, and harsh exsistence than the dreams and fantasies of your childhood. I've been struggling with that for the past few years, and I am only 19. I think the best that any person can do, as I'm sure most who are into philosophy would agree, is to simply find your own truths and make peace with life. Does life really boil down to a list of accomplishements or a pool of wasted time?

You make a fantastic point man. I personally feel that unless you're wealthy and can retire and do whatever you want, life is a repetitive and redundant piece of shit. There are plenty of fun times to be had, but getting up to go to work and having to do the same fucking shit everyday burns you out.

Thanks God I love my easy-ass job.. :D

Don't sweat it though. If you have faith and believe in God like I do, you will know that we are in a transitional phase. This is only the beginning folks :)
 

Spainkiller

the man who sold the world
Man, everything's an experience. It's easy to regret things, and what you've done in the past makes you what you are today. And I bet you're not a bad person.

On your death bed, are you going to remember the fun times or the achievements? Work hard so you can play more, that's my motto.
 
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