Failure & regret

What has been your biggest disappointment?

372 answers answered between 1991 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

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

This exact question recurs in The Guardian's institutional Q&A pool.

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Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.

Read by field Everyone Science and medicine 2 Arts and letters 311 Politics and public life 25 Business and finance 11 Technology 1 Sport 21
Read by age Any age Before thirty 16 In their thirties 58 In their forties 82 In their fifties 81 In their sixties 73 Seventy and beyond 54
Order Earliest first Most recent Surprise me
Jimmy Savile English media personality and sex offender
Never having been a 100% sex symbol. I only managed 99.9%.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 26 May 2007 source ↗
Philip Glass American composer
I don't know. I was lucky; I was able to study with the people I wanted to, be friends with the people I wanted to and in the end I've been able to make a living the way I wanted to.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 29 November 2008 source ↗
Patrick Stewart Actor
Gregory Peck not mentioning me when he won best supporting actor at the Golden Globes for Father Mapple in Moby-Dick. I played Ahab.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 5 February 2011 source ↗
Shirley Hughes English illustrator and author
Not being able to live my life over again with the experience I now have.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 13 January 2012 source ↗
Tony Ross British writer of children's books
Being continually overlooked in awards ceremonies and honours lists.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 April 2013 source ↗
Mary Berry English food writer and television presenter
My exam results at school, but it was all my own fault.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 November 2013 source ↗
Una Stubbs British actress, television personality, and dancer
Never learning another language.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 April 2016 source ↗
Engelbert Humperdinck British singer
Not understanding the business side of my career enough. I could have probably been much wealthier than I am.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 February 2019 source ↗

1 answer from members

Not being able to start my own company

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