10 Reasons You Need to Stop Apologizing

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10 Reasons You Need to Stop Apologizing

When you were growing up, your parents most likely taught you how to say please and thank you and to mind your manners. They probably also taught you to always respect your elders, hold the door open for others, as well as treat people the way you want to be treated. It is probably safe to assume that they also taught you how to apologize for your wrong doings.

Growing up, you probably grew accustomed to saying you were sorry when you hurt someone’s feelings, made a mistake, or did something that would

cause someone harm. Kids make mistakes. They act foolish and silly because they are still developing and learning the ways of the world. As a result of these foolish actions, children often grow accustomed to using this word to apologize for all of their misdoings and to correct wrongful doings.

As a kid, saying you are sorry for something is innocent. Often times, it comes from the heart and is a knee-jerk reaction to mom and dad’s constant reminders of being kind and respectful to others. As an adult, saying you are sorry is also important. The problem is that most adults tend to overuse this expression, saying they are sorry for things that don’t command an apology or that they aren’t truly sorry for.

If you, yourself, are one of these adults who tends to overuse the expression, it is time to make a change. Here are 10 reasons why you need to stop apologizing now.

10It Can be Annoying

Apologies are annoying

9It is Probably Unnecessary

Not needed

8It Makes You Look Weak

Apologies are for the weak

7It Makes You Look Guilty

Only the guilty apologize, don’t do it

6It Takes Away From the True Meaning of Your Message

Don’t cry wolf

5You Can’t Accept Someone Else’s Blame

They’ll all blame you if you let them

4It Sets a Poor Example

Don’t let them make you a bad example, don’t apologize

3You Set the Wrong Tone for the Future

It’s a slippery slope

2You Need to Learn How to Embrace Silence

Shhhhh!! Shut your face

1You Need to Find Another Phrase

At the end of the day, if you are overusing the word ‘sorry’ and apologizing every chance you get without even really thinking about it, you need to find another word or phrase to use.

It has become fairly common for people to use the word, ‘sorry,’ as they would the word, ‘um’ or ‘uh.’ These are common pauses in the English language that provide people with an extra second of time to gather their thoughts or the words to fit the rest of their sentence. They become so accustomed to using this word that they don’t even notice they are using it.

There are more than 170,000 words in use in the English language today. Out of that many words, is it really necessary to use the word, ‘sorry,’ as a placeholder? If you notice that you use overuse this word and apologize way more that you should, it is time to consider using some other words. Explore some other options and don’t be afraid to expand your vocabulary. As you speak, make note of all the times that you say you are sorry. Take a tally in your head and be more mindful of how much you use this word moving forward. Try to swap it out with another word that has a similar meaning and see how that works.

Small changes can lead to big results. At the end of the day, if you are apologizing way too much, maybe it is time to make small changes with simple words. Big results start one word at a time.

Conclusion

Apologizing for something that you said or did wrong is one thing. Saying it over, and over, and over again as a subconscious conversation filler is another. No one likes to be around someone who apologizes every five seconds for something they didn’t even do! Not only does this get to be old, but it is also gets very annoying!

If you are one of those people that subconsciously uses this word way more than you should, it is time to make a few changes. When you constantly apologize in conversation, it makes you look weak and guilty. Not only this, but it also takes away from the validity of your apology when it is time to actually deliver a sincere one.

Modifying your behavior to cut down on a meaningless apology is not that difficult. With a little time and attention, it is possible to recognize such behavior and proactively make changes to improve the quality of your dialogue for more thoughtful, and less apologetic, conversations.