In the quote from Nick Hornby's "How to Be Good," the author explores the concept of regret and the human experience with it. He suggests that everyone inevitably makes mistakes, opening the door to regret, but some people manage to delay its impact for many years. This highlights a common struggle in life where individuals strive to avoid the feeling of regret while knowing it is an inevitable reality.
Hornby reflects on his own life and that of his acquaintances, noting how he and his friend David both encountered significant regret by the age of thirty-seven, with his brother experiencing it even earlier. The author expresses doubt about whether a true remedy for regret exists, indicating that it is an inescapable part of the human condition that may plague us throughout our lives.