At the beginning of the new year, the old ritual is repeated: we take stock of the year that has ended and make resolutions for the new one. With more or less conviction or sincerity we propose, once again, to resume the per diem expenses to lose weight, save to face the crisis, exercise, study English, devote more time to the family, be kinder to that relative or colleague we dislike... In final, we will try to be better people. This desire implies recognizing that some aspects of our life need correction. In general, the purpose of amendment follows repentance. If we were unaware of the wrong we have done, we would not be moved to rectification.

What example do celebrities give us in this regard? It makes sense to ask this question because these are people who, whether they like it or not, become models for many others. Good or bad behavior is learned more by coexistence and example than by theoretical teaching . I am going to give the floor to some distinguished representatives of different social fields. In politics we have Al Gore, who defended himself when corrupt practices in the management of his electoral funds came to light: "I am proud of what I have done for the party, although I will never do it again". Luis Echevarría, a former Mexican president who had been proven corrupt, declared: "I do not regret anything". Santiago Carrillo is closer to us: "What's done is done. I regret nothing", while recognizing that he had never been a saint, but a man of flesh and blood with passions and enthusiasms.

In sports we can invoke Guti, who said goodbye before leaving for Turkey: "I don't regret anything in these fourteen years". The same was said by Barça's executive director , Joan Oliver, entangled in millionaire scandals: "I don't regret anything I have done at Barça, because I have always done what I thought I should do". And someone as irreproachable as Gasol: "I don't usually regret anything in life. I make decisions for a reason, I meditate on them and when I make them, I think it's the right thing to do and I move forward".

The world of show business is very rich in this kind of testimonies. For example, Alejandro Sanz: "I have given up being perfect. I love my defects". Actress María Castro: "I don't regret anything, I learn from my mistakes". The same says her colleagues Adriana Ugarte and Nicolás Coronado. And Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana: "I don't regret anything. Thank God. I promise you, everything I've been through has made me stronger". Among the "bad officers", sanctioned by justice, we have Ilich Ramirez, alias "Carlos", alias "El Chacal", at the time the most wanted criminal in the world. From the French prison where he entered in 1994 to serve a life sentence, he affirms that he remains faithful to his "political ideals" and that he regrets nothing.

In the so-called "human interest interviews", which aim to bring to light the personality that hides behind the public appearance, it is classic to ask about the "dominant defect" of the character. No matter how high they are, celebrities, deep down, know they are human, so it would be too arrogant to recognize themselves as impeccable. Antonio David, ex of Rociíto, exemplifies what has become the standard answer to this question, compromising in appearance: "I am too clear, I have no left hand". Sincerity elevated to the category of capital vice.

What's wrong with our celebrities? There is something sick, both morally and psychologically, in this rejection of the need for repentance. Fortunately, not all of them are like that. From the vantage point of his 91 years, Antonio Mingote imparts a salutary lesson in humanity: "I regret everything... Of how I have treated my friends..., of not having been kinder to my mother, to my father, to my sister, to my family... I regret not having done things I should have done because I have always fallen short at attention with people... Above all, I regret many foolish things I have done, many frivolities, many stupidities... Ufff!, of the things I regret". Albert Boadella expresses himself more directly: "I regret many things. Otherwise, I would be part of the imbeciles".

The discrepancy between what we should be and what we are is normal. We are fragile and almost always fall short of the ideal. The core topic is in not capitulating, recognizing our failures and trying again. To the extent that we strive to be better, we can also aspire to improve society.