"The more we invest with foresight, the less we will regret in hindsight"
About this Quote
The intent is political without sounding partisan. “Invest” is the key word: it reframes precautionary spending as productive capital allocation, not indulgence. That matters in debates where anything long-term (climate adaptation, resilient infrastructure, financial regulation) gets painted as speculative or elitist. By promising fewer regrets, Carney appeals to a universal fear among decision-makers: being caught flat-footed and blamed after the fact. Hindsight is where inquiries, hearings, and headlines live.
The subtext is a critique of short-termism and the institutional incentives that reward it. Markets discount the future; election cycles compress it; quarterly earnings privatize the upside and socialize the fallout. Carney, as a central banker turned climate-finance advocate, has spent years translating systemic risk into language treasuries and boardrooms will accept. This quote is that translation in miniature: a soft coercion wrapped in common sense.
It also quietly shifts responsibility. If regret is avoidable, then failure to prepare isn’t bad luck - it’s negligence. That’s the rhetorical move: turning uncertainty from an excuse into a bill that will come due.
Quote Details
| Topic | Investment |
|---|---|
| Source | Speech: “Breaking the tragedy of the horizon , climate change and financial stability” (Lloyd’s of London, 29 September 2015) |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Carney, Mark. (2026, January 25). The more we invest with foresight, the less we will regret in hindsight. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-more-we-invest-with-foresight-the-less-we-184179/
Chicago Style
Carney, Mark. "The more we invest with foresight, the less we will regret in hindsight." FixQuotes. January 25, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-more-we-invest-with-foresight-the-less-we-184179/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The more we invest with foresight, the less we will regret in hindsight." FixQuotes, 25 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-more-we-invest-with-foresight-the-less-we-184179/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.








