A selection of my top few regrets:
Getting into a relationship I didn't know how to get out of. (Result: I feel like years of my life have been wasted, and I was seriously distracted during an important period of my education.)
Not learning to code in college. (Result: Hard to say at this point, but probably financially costly and I'd feel much better about myself if I'd graduated with a marketable skill. It's definitely easier to learn when there's some time pressure and also TAs who can help you figure things out.)
Not taking advantage of moderately frightening opportunities that I thought would remain open for years but in fact closed within weeks. (Result: Details are personal, but I believe it contributed substantially to mistake #1.)
This is a repository for major, life-altering mistakes that you or others have made. Detailed accounts of specific mistakes are welcome, and so are mentions of general classes of mistakes that people often make. If similar repositories already exist (inside or outside of LW), links are greatly appreciated.
The purpose of this repository is to collect information about serious misjudgements and mistakes in order to help people avoid similar mistakes. (I am posting this repository because I'm trying to conduct a premortem on my life and figure out what catastrophic risks may screw me over in the near or far future.)