CHICAGO: Regrets? The over 50s have had a few… and one of the most common is marrying the wrong person.
That is the rather unromantic conclusion of new research revealing the unspoken insecurities of the middle-aged.
While the most common regrets were fairly mundane – 23 per cent said they hadn’t seen enough of the world, and 19 per cent said they did not save enough money for retirement, other responses hinted at heartache.
Nearly a fifth (18 per cent) said that marrying the wrong person was their biggest regret – although the survey did not reveal how many were still with their original spouses, and how many had joined the ranks of the “silver splitters”.
In addition, one in 10 of the respondents said that falling in love again was on their “bucket list” of things to do before they die.
The research also found that 17 per cent regretted never telling their parents how much they mean to them, while 15 per cent regretted not asking their grandparents more about their life.
Remorse for prioritising work over family life and hobbies is also reflected in the polling. Working long hours (16 per cent) and not spending enough time with their children (15 per cent) were among the top 10 regrets, alongside never having learned a musical instrument (15 per cent)…