If I Truly Regret It, Why Do I Keep Falling Into the Same Pattern?

Repeating a failure does not automatically prove that the earlier regret was false. A sincere decision can coexist with an old habit whose pathways are still strong. The danger is perfectionism: if change counts only when the failure disappears completely, one relapse becomes evidence that the whole effort was meaningless. A more demanding and more realistic measure asks whether awareness appears earlier, the fall is less automatic, recovery is faster, and the new choice is slowly gaining ground. Repentance is not permission to repeat. It is also not a promise that human change happens without struggle.