Someone asked elderly people about their biggest regret — surprisingly, they all had a similar answer

There are no guarantees in life and despite being careful, people can never tell if they are on the right path until they see the outcome of their choices. Therefore, whether it results from broken relationships, lost opportunities, or wrong decisions, regret is an unavoidable aspect of the human experience. Yair Brachiyahu, a social media influencer, was curious about this common feeling and decided to interview a few older adults to find out what they wished they had known when they were younger. A compelling common thread emerged from his videos which featured several speakers.

As reported by Upworthy, some of the questions asked by Brachiyahu included, "What do you regret most in your life? and What did you think was important when you were younger that you've realized isn't as important as you thought?" It also included the question, "What advice would you give your younger self if you could go back in time?" Answering one of these questions, one person claimed, "Success in one's business or professional activities. I think what's more important than making money or developing a reputation is having valuable personal connections with people. And you can damage one in pursuit of the other."

Another individual shared this sentiment, revealing that money turned out to be less significant to him than he had once believed. He said, "You acquire a bunch of money and you die. Who keeps it? You don't keep it. So it's more important to live life and enjoy life." Someone else pointed out that material goods and more money than one really needs are not that important. He said, "Life is about relationships, love, and being able to know what abundance really is and what enough means and having enough." One more respondent said, "You don't need a lot of money to be happy in life. My parents are gone. All the money in the world can't bring that back."

A 78-year-old man and an elderly couple also shared a similar viewpoint, expressing that material goods weren’t as valuable as they once thought. As reported by UNILAD, the woma revealed, "We live on a boat and we sold pretty much everything. We thought we would miss it, regret it, whatever - no, [we] don't." According to her partner, when they were younger, they were obsessed with getting larger homes and more expensive cars, but today, a lot of that seems pointless. The couple highlighted friendships, health, and relationships when they were asked what mattered. A 93-year-old man also expressed his grief about losing the friends he had loved throughout his life.

As a few people point out, it’s much easier to dismiss the importance of money once you’ve had an abundance of it. For those struggling to make ends meet, hearing that money isn’t everything can feel a bit dismissive. These interviews serve as a reminder that it’s possible to be wealthy yet unhappy, just as it’s entirely possible to find happiness without being rich. Meanwhile, Brachiyahu has spoken with dozens of people, mostly aged between 60 and 100 years, and their insights are both eye-opening and thought-provoking.