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Autopologizer

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Autopologizer

Rethinking the Art of Apologizing

Tree Langdon
May 19, 2023
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Here’s A New Word, An Idea, and A Question.

the word sorry, written in ink on a pink background
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

A New Word

This is where I share a word that really should exist. This is a word that should be in the dictionary.

Autopologizer

: Someone who’s always apologizing. Sometimes known as ‘a Canadian'.

//When someone bumps into you in the street, and you say sorry, you’re an autopologizer. You say it again when some arrogant fool pushes you aside in the elevator so that they can get out first. Maybe you even say it to your toast in the morning if you've burned it. Whatever the case, you say it so much it has lost all meaning.

When I tell you that you don't need to apologize so often and that all the world's problems are not your fault, you apologize again for apologizing! It's not your fault, don't be sorry!


An autopologizer joke:

How do you make a Canadian say I'm sorry?

You step on his foot.

🤣🤣🤣


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An Idea

You’d think an apology would always be the right move. That’s not necessarily the case.

Here are three reasons why you might choose not to apologize:

  1. You don’t care.
    Apologizing without genuine remorse or understanding of your actions will undermine the relationship. If you feel you can’t give a genuine apology, it may be better not to apologize at all. Insincere apologies can erode trust.

  2. You keep misbehaving.
    Constantly apologizing for the same behavior without making any effort to change will diminish the value of an apology. If you’re using an apology as a quick fix, you’ll soon be caught out.

  3. It’s bad for your mental health.
    Shouldering blame that doesn’t belong to you can damage your emotional well-being. If you apologize for something that’s outside of your control or not your responsibility you’re not helping anyone.

There’s nothing more valuable than a genuine apology. It can boost your personal growth, repair a broken relationship and allow you both to move on with your life.

But don’t apologize unless it’s going to help the situation.


A Question

Have you ever been in a position where you apologized for something that you couldn’t control? How did that work out?


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Mark Bartolo
Writes Stecular Marks
May 20Liked by Tree Langdon

Apologies that are bad for your mental health was never a thing I have thought about until reading this.

Definitely made me think about things that were outside of my control or my responsibility. It really does not help anyone. Definitely could lead to misunderstanding.

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