I recently asked the question on twitter and facebook: “What is worse? Losing someone you loved, or losing someone you should’ve loved?”

I got an overwhelming amount of responses back, here they are:

- @fullertime : Wow…
- @jeffzelaya Losing someone you should have loved is far worse. It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
- @frcallie Losing someone you should have loved … There goes the “what if?” question.
- @BrianVasil Someone you love. In the first case you feel emotional love loss.. in the second.. just guilt over a missed opportunity. If it’s real love for a person…that loss will always trump the feeling of regret of what could have been with someone else.
- @Glowing4Him Agree with @JeffZelaya Losing someone you should have loved is far worse. It is better to have loved & lost than to never have loved at all.
- @ErinBar I think someone you should’ve loved is worse because you missed the chance to make an impact in two lives.. yours and theirs.
- @LisetteA I think losing someone you should have loved. At least the loved one you got to experience love. The other you’ll just wonder.
- @SandyLender Freakin’ excellent question. Of course the latter is the more heartwrenching. Love the concept for a book!
- @simplygreatness I think losing a loved one is worse.
- Elizabeth: Losing someone you love.
- Amanda: Since I’ve only experienced the first, I’d say that’s the worst.
- Cathy: Losing someone you love.
- Jesslyn: Someone that you should have. On top of pain there’s guilt and regret…
- Debra: Losing someone you should have loved hurts and may leave you with guilt and regret as Jesslyn said…however, losing someone you genuinely love is worse. The pain is raw, there is an overwhelming sense of sadness, loss and loneliness, sometimes anger and then the emptiness of the void they left in your life and in your heart….
- Joseph: The reason I thought of that is because my best friend and I lost touch. I know that if something happens to someone I love then I made the most of his/her life. But if something were to happen to my friend, and we never reconciled, then I would have missed out because of my own pride.

BIG thanks to everyone for the responses. What do YOU think? What’s worse? Is it really to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all? Let me know in the comment box below.