Why We Might Need To Permanently Delete the Word “Sorry”
The word “sorry” seems to be turning into such a commonplace, one size fits all, excuse word, that it barely registers at all anymore.
In the market, people say sorry as they barge in front of you, reach around you to grab something off the shelf, or bang into your cart as they surge forward. Other people say sorry in emails and tweets as they jump in and out of commitments. Then there are the really incredible ones, who cut out on major events at the very last minute with rather dubious excuses as they text to say sorry.
Then there is the other side
The other half of the sorry picture, is filled with people who feel compelled to apologize for everything. Prevention.com talks about all of the things people say they are sorry for, that really do not call for apologies. If you go out with them they may tell you they are sorry for their appearance, or the weather, or beating you in a game. They may also say sorry for taking a moment alone, not fixing the perfect dinner, or disagreeing with your opinion. These people probably should think about what they are saying, and ask themselves why they feel they should apologize.
You probably have your own list of sorry offenders
People who cut you off mid-sentence to take a very important call are definitely not on my first list. Other people who always arrive late for events, but never understand when you are late, are also in the dubious column for me.
But there are still things that we all do need to apologize for
When we go home and toss a fit over something little, when actually we were really agitated about some earlier issue, the spouse, child or friend who becomes the recipient, needs to hear us apologize and explain why we were angry and why they deserve our apology.
When we take on too many commitments, and then roar through other situations, trying to jam everything through, we may need to stop, make corrections and then apologize to those who were slighted.
None of us are perfect. We go too fast, misjudge time, forget things, and often react to the moment. But remembering to treat everyone as well as possible, and to respect the time, feelings, and needs of others, as much as we respect our own, can go a long way to making things good without sorry excuses.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Digi Tailwag
