Woohoo: Being sorry
It’s an incredibly valuable and genuine thing to truly feel sorry. What’s even more genuine is when you express these feelings with sincerity to another person.
Sincere apologies build connections, mend close relationships with loved ones and friends, and help one to develop both personally and interpersonally. Many times, giving a sincere apology can be a difficult task, but imagine what a terrible world we’d live in if no one felt apologetic towards one another.
Those who give sincere apologies are put at odds with their own beliefs — they must examine and reflect on their actions, and then internalize their situation so that they can learn about it for next time. I find that this is one of the most valuable lessons a person can learn.
Boohoo: Saying sorry
A couple days ago on a fairly crowded bus, I accidentally brushed up against someone — and by “brush up,” I mean I barely touched her as I shifted past. She immediately turned to me and said “sorry!”
Returning from a restroom on campus yesterday, I opened the door just as another person approached. He stood to the side and waited for me to exit. “Sorry,” he said.
I find myself a little frustrated by how we tend to apologize to other for really no reason at all. No harm was done in either of these situations, so these instant apologies aren’t justified and seem, frankly, a bit ridiculous. I find that anxiety propels our “sorry” culture, as people are afraid to come off as rude while in public. The use of “sorry” now occurs so often that it’s been ingrained into our psyche to use in even the most meagre of situations.
So please, folks, give an apology when the situation actually requires one, and when you say “sorry” to someone, make sure you mean it.
The responder misunderstands.
‘Sorry’ is an announcement to the receiver and all around that we are Canadian: we have an ingrained culture of manners. We are, as they say, inoculated at birth. Like the flag, we even flaunt it.
Further, we politely and politically correctly disapprove of those who do not have manners but, worse than anything, do not respect ours.