Rejection > regret

Published 2019-07-17.

You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.

—Wayne Gretzky (probably)

Rejection is better than regret. This is true in many areas—for example:

• talking to someone you’ve never spoken to before;
• trying to sell something;
• applying for a job or school;
• fundraising for your favourite charity;
• asking for a date; and
• seeking investments for your company.

Rejection hurts. But it’s good pain—like physical exercise.

It’s good because now you know. You don’t have to ponder what would have happened if only you did it.

It’s good because you get better. Rejection is brutal, but it’s a good teacher. Next time, you’re more likely to succeed.

And it’s good because you have now avoided the bad pain of regret. That useless, sickening, creeping pain of having let fear of failure hold you back.