[satisfice]

You’ve taken the wrong lesson from your experience. Or let me put it this way, you’re telling us that you were messed up and foolish for years and years… but NOW you are clear-headed and wise. Why should we believe you now? Maybe you are being just as egotistical and foolish now, but in a different way.

I’ve worked hard for 40 years, and I don’t regret it. I accept my ego. My ego isn’t sick and neither is yours. We are ordinary mortals, sprinkled with unique and special bits, here and there.

Have compassion for yourself.

Hard work is not different from “smart” work. As you have admitted, being smart is not all that easy. Hard work is not wrong.

But maybe we can agree on this advice: review your life, once in a while… say, twice a day. And then you won’t build up such elaborate regrets.