In life is it better to be a ”has been” as oppose to a ”never was”??

I suppose there can be advantages or benefits to both; if you were a ”never was” you will not have to deal with people comparing you to who you use to be, and asking what happened that diminished or took away your fame or prestige. If you were a ”never was”, you don’t have the pain of loss, or the idea you are less now than in the past. If you were a ”has been”, at least you can say you did do something or achieved something even if you were not able to sustain it. What you did do is history and no one can take it from you especially if it is the record, or history book. Family can at least say someone in the family did something. Over all, in your opinion, is it better to be a ”has been” or a “never was”?