The Top Five Regrets of the Dying
2011 book by Bronnie Ware
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The Top Five Regrets of the Dying - A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing is a 2011 book by Bronnie Ware inspired by her time in palliative care.
Background
Ware first shared the insights in a 2009 blog post, "Regrets of the Dying".[1][2] The blog post was widely shared worldwide and by 2012 had been read by eight million people.[3]
In 2012 Ware expanded her blog post into a book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, which was translated into 27 languages.[4][3]
Top five regrets of the dying
According to Bronnie Ware, the five most common regrets shared by people nearing death were:[5][6]
- "I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."
- "I wish I hadn't worked so hard."
- "I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings."
- "I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends."
- "I wish that I had let myself be happier."
A 2018 study reached similar conclusions, finding that people were more likely to express "ideal-related regrets", such as failing to follow their dreams and live up to their full potential.[7][8]