"When we quarrel, how we wish we had been blameless"

This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson speaks to the human experience of remorse. When we discover ourselves in a disagreement or argument with someone, we often wish that we had not stated or done something that caused the quarrel in the very first location. We wish that we had been blameless, that we had actually not stated something that was painful or that we had not acted in such a way that was rude. We regret our actions and dream that we had been more conscious of our words and habits. This quote speaks with the universal experience of wishing we had done things differently in the past. It is a reminder to be mindful of our words and actions in the present, so that we can avoid remorse in the future.