Is it possible to live without regrets?

Every normal human being makes mistakes. We also quite regularly make bad choices, that is, choices which we later regret.  We make these unfortunate decisions sometimes accidently, sometimes on purpose. Religious folks will refer to these deliberate bad choices as sins.

There are mentally ill people whom psychiatrists label "psychopaths".
They are incapable of feeling remorse for any action. They lack the capacity to feel empathy for others. The material in this article does not refer to these unfortunate souls. Neither can they be regarded as being guilty of sin, since they cannot recognize any personal personality flaws or acknowledge any personal wrongdoing.

However, for most of us, we know very well when we have deliberately made a choice  which we would not want to see printed on the front page of our local newspaper. If any particular thought, word or deed were to become public knowledge, we would be thorougly ashamed.

The small inner voice warning a person that he or she is about to break a rule forbidden by training, law, culture or personal ethic is known as "conscience".  Christians believe it is the voice of the Holy Spirit, encouring them to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. However, everyone has been given free will and no one is perfect one hundred per cent of the time.

Conscience is a delicate gift. It can become numbed when frequently ignored. If someone routinely cheats on tax returns, or conceals items to avoid paying duty after shopping across a national border, the actions will soon become rationalized with excuses like "Everybody does it", or " I pay too many taxes anyway!".

For major wrongs such as theft, murder, perjury, or intentionally causing serious harm, normal human beings will later experience pangs of conscience and a nagging sense of regret. Is there any way to escape this uncomfortable, distressing state of mind?

For many, their best hope lies in confessing to the victim, or appropriate authorities, expressing sincere sorrow, and trying to make amends for the wrong committed. Often, there will be punishment imposed: a prison term, a compulsory fine, or mandatory community service. At the very least, a relationship may be broken and a sense of trust destroyed.

Roman Catholic Christians have the Sacrament of  Reconciliation to deal with regrets after the commission of sin.

On Easter Sunday evening, Jesus appeared to the Apostles and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them. Whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20:20-23) 

After receiving forgiveness from God, the next step is to forgive oneself. This is not always easy, but the realization that God has forgiven, challenges one to imitate the Divine and erase all memory of past transgressions.

" It is possible to live without regrets. Christians possess the best means to achieve this goal: (a) ask God to forgive you, (b) believe that God has forgiven you and finally, (c) forgive yourself.

"I have swept away your offences like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." Isaiah 44:22

Going forward, firmly resolve to avoid repeating that sin in the future.