i-m-sorry-dave-i-m-afraid-i-can-t-do-that

The piece I wrote for Real Simple back in June, about how NOT to apologize, is now online. Feel free to read it and to check out SorryWatch, the wee yet impassioned blog Susan McCarthy and I do together.

2 Comments

  1. tanita August 13, 2014 at 8:40 am

    Excellent article – and what a dramatic author photo! (Purty!) …however, do you normally go by Josie? I was pretty sure that was your wee girl’s name?

  2. Wendy Darling August 15, 2014 at 3:28 am

    “A bad apology is cagey and ungenerous.” So true! I am a big believer in apologies as well, and I dislike dealing with people who don’t own up to responsibility for their actions.

    It’s nice that you’re teaching your children to be mindful of other people’s feelings, too. Although we’ve always had a good relationship (barring the usual mother/daughter terrors when I was a teenager), my own mother never used to apologize for anything–it just wasn’t how she was raised, or what she was used to. I realized, after a long time, that it was partly because no one ever apologized to her. Understanding that made it easier to deal with, and she’s gotten better over the years with my need to hear it, too. Occasionally. 😉

    Wendy

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