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It is more than a ‘how to’ formula.
Apologies are messy. They are the direct result of an interaction between two feeling humans which has resulted in the percolating of negative responses that threaten a relationship.
It doesn’t matter the relationship: spouses, friends, colleagues, even corporations and its’ consumers. The foundation of apologizing is based on human response to what has mentally or physically threatened them.
In this day and age, sincere apologies are falling to the wayside. Society’s litigiousness has greatly impacted what can and cannot be said on corporate malfeasance. On the personal standpoint, there is an argument to be made that the dependency on social media rather than in-person dialogue has therefore weakened human interactions. Apologizing may be a casualty of this weakening, as interpretation puts additional pressure on the already stunted communication created by years of hiding behind a virtual wall.
Our technological progression has moved society from the Duels of honour that took place in history into online Duels. The former obviously took more guts as only one came out alive. One could argue however that the authenticity of placing your life on the line may highlight today’s lack of basic human consequences and remove the psychology involved in apologizing.
By no means am I at all advocating for a revival of the former societal conventions of settling a disagreement. What it does bring forward is the visceral reaction to…
