Is it really difficult to say sorry?
I think it’s the personality of an individual which stops him/her to say sorry. But, I have also seen people who have said sorry gracefully. From my experience I’d say some don’t want to say they are sorry due to burden of ego. Underneath the ego is the core issue of fear of looking stupid, fear of not being respected, and fear of not being accepted.
Depending on the situation it could also mean fear of losing job, becoming weaker in a relationship or position…or power, or losing control. I think on a very simple and basic level people want to feel heard, appreciated and if they admit a mistake then might somehow look ‘stupid’, ‘wrong’, or ‘bad’.
Mistakes’ are only mistakes. We need to learn from them. And if we learn something then they are lessons to remember, they are examples, they are opportunities, they are chances, and gifts. They perhaps are not the easiest kind, but they are a path to learning and growing. If you are being true and genuine to yourself, then you know saying sorry doesn’t necessarily mean you have lost and somebody else has won or you are wrong and somebody else is right; it just means you are making yourself responsible for the actions that you suppose deem of an apology. Remember friends, saying sorry requires courage and insight both. It is certainly not a sign of weakness.
The more we argue to conceal our mistakes, it consumes more energy, more time and it branches out into irrelevant issues, fretting and fuming. Personally, I think once we see the effort which goes into a debate and nothing worth coming out of it it’s better to put a logical end to it. It is silliness to think that by backing out of an argument you lose your credibility, and I suppose this is probably how giving up is generally regarded. It’s nice to reach a compromise in an argument than just to go on and on arguing for the sake of it.
We always wonder whether our apology would be accepted or people will give us cold shoulder or make us feel insecure. As a result, I think we tend to find comfort in rationalizing, as well as justifying our mistakes. It’s unfortunate that this occurs often in positions of leadership. Apologizing generously requires a good deal of courage. And, a good leader always has it. One should feel comfortable of admitting an error, or to acknowledge that some of our action has caused harm to someone or it has caused inconvenience. So when someone truly apologizes, we know he or she is putting honesty and honor above personal comfort or self-protection. It’s inspiring to see someone admitting his/her error; I consider it a sign of bravery.
To err is human and to forgive is divine. Saying sorry is taking ownership of your mistake. It’s very counter-productive and it just works wonders!!!
