091: I’m Sorry…and Why You Should Stop Saying It

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In this week’s show we discuss the compulsive use of the words, “I’m Sorry” and why saying it isn’t really helping anyone. We’ve all said it and had it said to us as we go along on our travels and in almost every single instance, it is incredibly inappropriate and inaccurate for the situation. But, why do we say it?
Well, there are several reasons. The first of course is that it seems to have become a part of our odd cultural conditioning. Another likely more valid reason is that it is one of many ways that we may be attempting to soften our language. We don’t want to seem like totally aggressive individuals out to use everyone as an object for our own gain so, we throw in a good ‘ole sorry here and there. Another possibility that runs in the same vein is that saying “I’m sorry” allows us to diminish ourselves just a bit in the eyes of others and keeps us a bit smaller. Yikes, that sounds dreadful. Well, it sort of is. The truth is that when we’ve really impacted another person in a less than ideal way, it is best to just say what is really occurring for us versus attempting to use words that really don’t apply. Lastly, offering any type of apology without an associated behavioral change really makes the apology pointless in the first place.
So, listen to this week’s show and let us know what you think. We would love to hear it and we’re not sorry if you don’t like it.