People Think These Are The Worst Single Decisions In History Ever Made By A Person
Reddit user u/Benemir asked people in the r/AskReddit subreddit, "Which is the worst single decision in history ever made by a person?" and received some pretty interesting replies.
Some decisions age badly, and some become the kind of story people repeat for years. That is exactly what happened in a Reddit thread asking which single decision in history was the worst ever made by one person.
Reddit user u/Benemir posted the question in r/AskReddit, and the replies quickly turned into a wild mix of history, regret, and some truly disastrous choices. From ancient rulers to modern business blunders, people had plenty to say about the moments that changed everything.
Some of the answers are brutal, some are funny, and a few are hard to believe were real. Here are the ones that stood out most.
1. Mao Zedong
“Pest campaign: He basically told his nation to take pots and pans to kill all the sparrows. However, the ecosystem was disturbed, and the locust population skyrocketed.Seeds: He thought that planting seeds 1 meter in the ground would result in greater roots and better harvests. He also believed that putting tons of seeds in one compact area would lead to a better harvest. All the seeds died, however. Around 30 million people died from famine under his rule.“Hey! Look at the other nations industrializing! Let's smelt all our metal to build better infrastructure. What? It creates pig iron, which is super unstable and impure, therefore ultimately useless? Oops!” -Mao
Some of the replies go straight for the biggest disasters in history.
Research indicates that decision-making under uncertainty can lead to significant anxiety and regret, particularly when consequences are severe.
2. Invading England
“The decision by the Scots to invade England during the Black Death must be up there.”
3. Killing Elephants
“Allan Savory, the ecologist who killed 40,000 elephants because it was believed that grazing was causing the desertification of Africa, later found out that elephants were essential to prevent desertification.”
4. Very bad move
“Eastman Kodak deciding not to move forward with their own newly invented digital cameras and instead sticking with film because it made them so much money at the time.”
That kind of hindsight makes these answers hit even harder.
5. Just a dollar
“The guy who sold the bottling rights for Coca-Cola for $1 and never even made the guy pay the $1.”
6. Steve Jobs' Co-Founder
“Maybe not the *worst*, but Ronald Wayne, who was a co-founder of Apple along with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. Just 12 days after forming the company, he sold his shares for $800. He owned 10% of the company, which would be worth ~$80,000,000,000 (80 billion) today.”
7. The guy who discovered Titanic
“Robert Ballard, one of the individuals who discovered the Titanic, says that his biggest regret is that he and Jean-Louis Michel didn’t bring a piece of the Titanic up with them when they first discovered it in 1985. At the time, they didn’t want to disturb the wreck and leave it pristine. However, if they had done so, they would have been able to claim legal ownership of the wreck under international maritime law, and therefore have more control over it.Because they chose not to do that, everyone and their grandma is free to take artifacts and pieces of the wreck, making preservation impossible.A fair number of people have been asking this in the comments, so instead of replying to everyone individually, I thought I’d put this in as an edit. Thanks to the commenters who helped explain this!There is a school of thought that Robert Ballard (and I, incidentally) subscribe to, which holds that the wreck is the final resting place of the more than 1,500 souls who perished that cold night on April 14, 1912, and must therefore be treated with the same respect and dignity.Private companies that take artifacts and pieces of the wreck and sell them for profit are effectively grave-robbing. While the wreck is gradually deteriorating into nothing, the argument is that this doesn’t matter - it’s just nature taking its course. Of course, there is the argument that removing cert...[truncated]"
One comment even turns a historical wreck into a preservation debate.
8. Dividing India and Pakistan
“Radcliffe Line - The process to divide the India-Pakistan boundary in 1947 was done hastily and without major consideration for the local populace's religion. Radcliffe was not a geography expert and significantly messed up the process. Millions died.”
9. The painting would have been worth millions upon millions today
“My great-great-grandfather, a carpenter, did some work for a poor painter in the neighborhood. The painter had no money, so he offered either a bottle of wine or a painting. My great-great-grandfather chose the wine.The painter was Edvard Munch, and the painting would have been worth millions upon millions today, or even just a few decades later (if translated to today's money).”
10. The Brother Of Jesus Christ
“Hong Xiuquan declared the Taiping Rebellion after he had a nervous breakdown from failing the imperial examinations. He proclaimed that he was the brother of Jesus Christ. Between 20 and 30 million people died.”
11. Kaiser Wilhelm II firing Otto von Bismarck
“Kaiser Wilhelm II firing Otto von Bismarck. Bismarck had a plan. He always had a plan. But not when an incompetent Kaiser boots him out of his means of putting his plans into action. Bismarck had everything set up perfectly, but Wilhelm II decided to mess up everything he had arranged and got into World War I because of it.”
12. Cannibal Pioneers
“The Donner Party of 90 pioneers chose to take a shortcut when heading west from Illinois to California in 1846. This shortcut led to them getting trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains and resorting to cannibalism.”
13. Brutus joining Cassius in murdering Caesar
“Brutus decided to join Cassius in murdering the dictatorial tyrant, Caesar. The reason? They suspected his intent to become a king.This then started a chain of events leading to his adopted son Caesar becoming a military dictator without equal, having all the powers of a king without being called one.When this Caesar Augustus died, his name and title were passed on for the next four hundred years, almost like one would pass a crown. Monarchies then returned all over Europe in the style of Augustus Caesar.Thus, the decision of Brutus to join the conspiracy effectively changed all of Western civilization for the next 1,900 years to adopt the very political style he wanted to avoid.It would not be until the 1770s when America and later France would begin revolting and experimenting with democracies and republics.”
14. Never a good idea
“Let’s invade Russia” must be somewhere up the list. Twice.”
"Gavrillo Princip shooting Archduke Franz Ferdinand."
“On that day, a man acted upon his self-constructed vendetta against a non-tyrannical monarch, thinking the world would remember him as a symbol against foreign tyranny, a symbol of national sovereignty.A year later, 10 million men were dead.”
History really does keep receipts.
A cognitive psychologist at Yale University describes how regret often stems from our decision-making processes, particularly under uncertainty.
Studies show that individuals frequently analyze past decisions through a lens of hindsight bias, leading to feelings of regret when outcomes diverge from expectations.
This reflection can trigger a cycle of negative emotions, emphasizing the importance of understanding our cognitive biases when evaluating past choices.
Research highlights the psychological concept of 'loss aversion,' where individuals feel the pain of a bad decision more acutely than the pleasure of a good one.
This aversion can lead to decision paralysis in future situations, as people fear making another mistake.
The article highlights the profound consequences of individual choices, illustrating how seemingly minor decisions can spiral into significant chaos and destruction. This serves as a stark reminder of the importance of reflecting on our past decisions. By recognizing these moments as opportunities for growth, individuals can cultivate resilience and improve their future decision-making processes. The exploration into these worst decisions in history not only sheds light on the specific choices made but also prompts readers to consider the broader implications of their own actions.
The exploration of catastrophic decisions throughout history highlights a critical aspect of human behavior: the emotional consequences that accompany these choices. The ripple effects of poor decisions can lead to a cascade of self-blame and a decline in self-esteem, as individuals grapple with the fallout of their actions. The article illustrates how reflecting on one's mistakes, rather than harshly criticizing oneself, can facilitate a more robust recovery from regretful choices.
Moreover, the importance of self-compassion emerges as a vital theme. By viewing mistakes as opportunities for growth, individuals can shift their perspectives and embrace resilience. This shift not only promotes a healthier mindset but also fosters a growth-oriented approach to future decisions, ultimately shaping a more thoughtful and informed decision-making process.
The article highlights how seemingly innocuous decisions can spiral into catastrophic outcomes, shedding light on the complexities of human choice. It is evident that the lack of cognitive awareness often underpins these critical missteps. Many individuals act impulsively, failing to consider the broader implications of their actions, which can lead to chaos and destruction. Reflective practices and the cultivation of emotional intelligence are essential for individuals who wish to navigate their choices more effectively. A balanced approach that melds intuition with rational analysis not only aids in avoiding dire consequences but also promotes personal growth and accountability, as evidenced by the patterns observed in the choices recounted in this article.
Some mistakes echo for centuries.
After Mao’s disastrous “seed” plan, see why this couple fought over rehoming a cat.
