When reflecting on the past, I, like many others, cringe. However, I’ve come to consider this not as a source of regret but as a positive signal of growth.
I once heard the perspective that cringing about the past indicates growth from that time. You’re identifying that there are things you did at that point which were regrettable and which you would endeavour to avoid now. It is representative of the difference between your current self (your updated models, values, and social calibration) and the past self who performed the offending action.
Much of the time, things we look back and cringe about now we did not find cringe-worthy at the time, indicating a change has occurred.
Thus, cringe works somewhat as a measurement of growth. If you do not cringe at all looking back at past actions, then it implies one of two things:
- Your past self was remarkably optimal and well-calibrated.
- You haven’t significantly updated your models/values or changed since then, and you are unable to identify your past flaws.
I consider cringing as valuable data evidencing that self-correction and learning mechanisms are functioning.