A stiff apology is a second insult. The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt.
–G.K. Chesterton, author (1874-1936)
I’ve annoyed quite a few people because I will not accept or acknowledge apologies given under duress.
If someone over about 6 years old has been told to apologize for something, I do not believe the apology is sincere. Anyone over that age who doesn’t have some sort of disability should be able to tell that he has done or said something hurtful or out of line.
I won’t ask for an apology for the same reason. If someone is apologetic, she will apologize on her own.
I suppose I’m also odd in that I do not consider a tossed-off “sorry” an apology. An apology includes acknowledgment of the wrong done and an expression of regret. If you’ve done something more than accidentally bump into a person in public without any harm done, “sorry” isn’t sufficient.
EDIT: There’s no hidden meaning in this post. It was provoked solely by the quote, which was in a mailing list message. I don’t think I’m waiting for an apology about anything from anyone. Really.
