Shobna Gulati: What lesson has mattered most in your life?

The question

What lesson has mattered most in your life?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

Verbatim recurring item in The Guardian Q&A; two fully readable publisher-hosted respondent pages establish institutional recurrence.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Shobna Gulati

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

If somebody doesn’t want to understand or see you that’s on them. You don’t have to carry that with you.

The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 October 2025 source ↗

Others on this question

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Tony Judt Historian and essayist

I think the only life experience that I have to offer out of this is something we all know in the abstract but don't experience in practice very much. That is that you can survive an awful lot of bad stuff, so long as your mind is intact. I'm afraid that's the only life experience I have to offer.

Recorded Terry Gross, Fresh Air, NPR, 29 March 2010 source ↗

Kelly Hoppen

Living life to the full, not having regrets and not trying to plan your future too much. Just enjoy every minute.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 September 2024 source ↗

Marcus Mumford

Know the things you are responsible for and the things you aren’t.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 21 February 2026 source ↗

Mark Bonnar

If it scares you, do it.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 5 April 2025 source ↗

More from Shobna Gulati

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Question What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy? Time & hindsight

In recent times, when I was looking after my mum. She would take me on journeys in her mind and I’d travel with her wherever she went. I felt happy that I had the opportunity to have that time despite her illness.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 October 2025 source ↗