Sometimes it is necessary to say sorry to someone. It might be scary but it’s worth it if you need to work it out together. It’s better to talk about it instead of pretending it never happened. In this article you will find a step-by-step plan and tips for apologizing.
First, a few things you’d rather not do if you want to be forgiven.
Wait a second
It’s best to wait a while before apologizing. Wait until your emotions have cooled down and you can look at the situation calmly. Just don’t wait too long, otherwise it may seem to the other person that you don’t care.
Deny guilt
Saying sorry but not meaning it. Secretly putting the blame outside yourself, for example:
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you again, but I never promised you.”
If you say this, you might as well not bother apologizing, because you’re showing that you’re not sorry and don’t think you’re guilty. An acceptable apology never contains the words “if” or “but”.
“Empty” excuse
Just saying sorry is not enough, because the word “sorry” is quite an empty word. It is important that you are a little more extensive, and how to do that you will find below this:
Step 1: Understand the situation
Before you talk to that person, you need to know what you’re going to say. First try to understand what your role was in the conflict. Think about how it feels for the other person. You can also make a list of reasons to apologize. When you fully understand what you did wrong and aren’t angry, you’re ready to apologize.
Step 2: Plan a moment
It’s an option to say sorry via an app or phone call, but it’s much better to see each other in person. That shows that you really want to make it right.
Step 3: Acknowledge your guilt
The first thing you do in the conversation is take the blame. You say sorry for what you did wrong without blaming anyone/anything else.
Step 4: Explain what went wrong
Explain to the other person without excuses what went wrong on your end. Maybe the other person will have more understanding for you if they know what the cause was.
Step 5: Make new agreements together
Together you can make sure it doesn’t happen again.
