How easy is it for you to apologize?

@emmanola (482)
September 26, 2009 4:34pm CST
There is no doubt that all human beings do not have the same personality. For instance, some have categorized men into three broad classes: introverted, extroverted and balanced. There are other ways of classifying human beings and that's why some believe that opposite attracts as far as humans are concerned. What I want to find out is how easy it is for you to apologize or simply to say with sincerity "I'm sorry"? Each of us, since we are not perfect, make mistakes sometimes. For the sake of peace and cordial relationship with one another, do you find it easy to sincerely apologize when you've hurt someone? I even discover that for the same reasons stated earlier, one may need to say "I'm sorry" sometimes (even when one knows that one is not at fault). For example, married couples can only live together for long if they learn the law of forgiveness. However, forgiveness is easier where the guilty party is sober and shows a sign of remorse. There is no better way of showing remorse for wrong doing than to sincerely apologize to the hurt party. Do you find it easy or difficult to sincerely say: "I'm sorry"? Why? Please share your view for all to benefit from.
16 responses
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
26 Sep 09
The apology for me depends on the circumstances. Some people are easier to apologize to than others. There are situations where apologizing just doesn't seem to be enough. Swallowing your pride and admitting that you are wrong can often be harder than apologizing.
@emmanola (482)
26 Sep 09
It's true that some persons find it a bit hard to accept apology; they tend to focus more on the pain suffered instead of easily forgiving the offender. Sincere acceptance of apology offered by the offender (whether sincere or otherwise) serves to, at least, aid in the commencement of the healing process. Moreover, some persons are not so easy to say: "I'm sorry" to because they tend to revenge directly or otherwise for the injury they suffer. Whatever the case may be, at that point, the "offender" who offers a sincere apology leaves as a free man while the offended who doesn't forgive puts himself/herself in bondage. What an irony!
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
27 Sep 09
You have such good insight on the subject of apology. I hope you have been on the receiving end more than on the giving one.
@LordOzz (204)
• Philippines
27 Sep 09
Really depends on how Heavy the SIN is. But Apology is really effective. of course if its sincere.
• China
27 Sep 09
If I did do wrong,I will apologize as fast as I can.Because the more time you delay,the more harder you will find to apologize.If you didn't apologize with the first time,you will find that it is very hard for you to apologize later.
@emmanola (482)
28 Sep 09
Uuhm, you brought in another important factor into this discussion: Time. It's often said that: "Justice delayed is justice denied". The same is true of sincere apology.
@Archie0 (5636)
27 Sep 09
[i]Hello emmanola. well see if it is my mistake then i dont have any problem in apologising nor do i feel any shame or i got any extra ego in me which will stop me from apologising on my own mistakes, but then when i havent done any mistake i will never think nor do i will apologise.I sais i dont have an extra ego but whatever i have that wont make me to stop before anyone and agree wrong things nor i will ever do anyone's asskissing.[/i]
@emmanola (482)
28 Sep 09
Well meaning individuals should never find it difficult to apologize.
@sasalove (1709)
• China
27 Sep 09
It is really easy to blank out the word sorry if you really would like to as it will make me feel much more comfortable after you appologized for the mistakes. Sorry is easy to say, but it is not easier for the people who suffer your mistakes. If you really make a big mistake that other people do mind and can not forgive, no matter how millions of sorry being spoken of, it is useless as it may just a word not involving any meaning to them. Except for saying sorry, we should do more to express our regretness if we really make a big mistake, not just saying, " I am really sorry."
@emmanola (482)
28 Sep 09
It is good to try to do something to help relieve the person one hurt; sometime this may not be possible however.
@grey26 (253)
• Philippines
27 Sep 09
it depends on the circumtances and situation. If i know that i am the one who cause the problem. I will apologize sincerely. Whether he accept it or not. WHEN i know that i am not the cause. It is hard to apologize, you know that you are not the pRoblem.
@emmanola (482)
28 Sep 09
Sometimes one may apologize for the "sin" one didn't commit for the sake of peace.
@rhythm20 (67)
• India
27 Sep 09
Hey emmanola, indeed a very nice question. As said, everybody has their own personality and they cannot change it. I find it easy to apologize if I did a mistake. I will be readily doing that but if it is not my mistake and someone tells me for the sake of relationship to go and apologize, I will find it very difficult and would not want to do it. Because I have the opinion that if it is not your mistake, why should you go and say sorry even for the sake of relationship. Whose mistake it is, they need to apologize, if it is not our mistake and you are going and apologizing, then you will be the bad person standing in front of everybody, but yea you will be good in front of God, because you did a good thing, but in the world you will be bad in front of the people's eyes. So, according to me telling sorry even if its not my mistake, it would take me a lot of time to understand and apologize. But I don't have a problem to apologize if its my mistake.
@emmanola (482)
28 Sep 09
Some situation demands unorthodox approach like apologizing even when one know that one didn't do anything wrong. This approach may help in relationship until both parties are in good mood to settle their differences amicably.
@horsesrule (1957)
• United States
26 Sep 09
I don't have a problem with saying I am sorry when I have done something wrong. I hate having to do it of course but I know that I must because I was in the wrong. I can also say I'm sorry if I am not the one at fault because sometimes you need to have peace more than you need to be right. That's the part of getting along with the people you live with thing. If I know that I have hurt someone, I apologize. I don't intentionally try to hurt people but sometimes I am surprised when someone will be hurt by something I say. My adult daughter says it is because I say it like it is, I don't "pad" the truth enough. Well I can do that but it seems almost like a form of lying so often I just state the facts. You would be surprised by how many people do not want to hear the facts or the truth, they want you to "sugar coat" it so it is easier to hear. For myself, I just want to hear the truth without a lot of "sugar coating" so I can deal with it and move on.
@emmanola (482)
26 Sep 09
Those who find it easy to apologize are highly blessed. However, it's not always easy to say "I'm sorry" especially if one is mis-quoted or someone deliberately distort one's view point. Sometimes one need to swallow one's pride and apologize to one's superior even when one is not at fault (for the sake of peace). This is painful but if it will quickly put an end to an unnecessary acrimony why not? All things being equal, sincere apology helps both the offender and the offended. I hope persons who find it difficult to forgive others will learn to change their ways for to err is human but to forgive is divine.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
26 Sep 09
its not that difficult to apologize for me. if i have made a mistake, i usually apologize right away. i dont have a problem with it at all. i know people who do though.
@emmanola (482)
26 Sep 09
Please keep it up; it's the best way to maintain peace and tranquility.
@shajerrl (309)
• China
27 Sep 09
I believe somebody should say I am a extroverted guy and it's very easy for me to say "I am sorry" for his/her improper behavior, but we don't know if this apology comes from his/her deep heart or just it's his/her habits, don't care for this apology seriously. yes, indeed, "I am sorry" is very easy to say but it's very difficult to understand the true meaning behide them and follow them,,,maybe when you say "I am sorry" to sb, that means you must have an introspection for your bad behavior, and you should pay more attention for your behavior later, you should draw some lessons from it, or else, this apology will be meaningless...thanks and good day.
@emmanola (482)
27 Sep 09
Well, the best way is for one not to worry whether the offer of an apology is sincere or otherwise.
@clocks123 (1225)
• United States
26 Sep 09
it is hard for me to say i'm sorry because when i did someone said you don't mean it. that is one reason. another reason is my problem with forgiveness. i know i am hurting myself but not forgiving but i never forget. it just isn't the same as it was.
@emmanola (482)
27 Sep 09
It's true that wounds may be healed but the scar may be there as a reminder. Wounds heal faster when one truly knows the virtue of offering a sincere apology when necessary, and when learns to forgive and make conscious effort to forget the wrong one suffered. Thanks for sharing your thought.
@LaurenR (54)
• United States
27 Sep 09
I have zero problem apologizing. If I'm wrong I'll definitely apologize; if I'm not then there's no way I'm apologizing for something that I didn't do.
@emmanola (482)
27 Sep 09
How I wish everyone of us will have zero problem apologizing whenever we are wrong.
@elenyae (388)
• Australia
27 Sep 09
I find "Sorry" a very difficult word to say sincerely, because I know half the time I don't really mean it and hate to cheapen the word. If I want to apologise to someone, I usually just try to do something special for them to show them that I'm remorseful...I don't know, me and "sorry" just don't go together... I don't know why, I think it's because people use it so frivolously nowadays that I don't think that when I say it, it means anything anymore.
@emmanola (482)
27 Sep 09
I feel apologizing in words goes a long way to help both the victim and the offender. We all should learn to say I'm sorry when it is necessary. However, on no account should one cheapen the words "I'm sorry" by mis-using it.
• United States
27 Sep 09
If you need to apologize for anything, I think you should do it without hesitation. Don't be ignorant. Apologize if you did something wrong.
@emmanola (482)
27 Sep 09
Absolutely share your opinion.
@Craicha (801)
27 Sep 09
for me the word SORRY really had a meaning....thats why if i said sorry to someone i really mean it....and if someone say sorry to me he should mean it, if nah i feel bad about it...:)
@emmanola (482)
27 Sep 09
It's bad enough for someone to hurt one, it's worse for the same person to say an obviously insincere "I'm sorry". I feel the solution is simple, just pick up the pieces and move on bearing no animosity against the offender. It shall be well.
@kutedarsu (254)
• India
27 Sep 09
Being sincere in apologizing doesn't require one to be introverted, extroverted or balanced. It's just some amount of goodness and care to save the relationship. Sometimes, if we know that the person who is guilty is a close one we wouldn't mind saying a sorry, just to make them understand that ego doesn't come into picture. It's no harm to make the dear ones smile.
• Philippines
27 Sep 09
I say sorry when I know it is my fault and if the one i have hurt is someone I love. But if it is an enemy, the word "sorry" is erased from my vocabulary. (harhar :D) sometimes, i say sorry insincerely when i have to, like I am forced to say sorry to my mom cause she gives me allowance (harhar :D) even though I do not want to.. whenever I commit a serious or a very small (the extremes) mistake, I sincerely say sorry..