How do I apologize to someone I really hurt?
I did something that genuinely hurt a close friend and I feel terrible about it. I want to apologize properly but I'm afraid 'sorry' won't be enough. How do I make a real, meaningful apology? What should I say and what should I avoid? Is there anything I can do to actually repair the relationship?
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I'd ask your parents or grandparents how things were when they were your age. You'll be surprised — a lot of what feels brand new today actually happened before in a slightly different form. History rhymes.
4 Answers
I'd ask your parents or grandparents how things were when they were your age. You'll be surprised — a lot of what feels brand new today actually happened before in a slightly different form. History rhymes.
The cultural context matters a lot here. What's considered normal or acceptable varies enormously between different regions, generations, and social groups. There's no universal standard on this.
I think kindness goes a long way here. Whatever the 'right' answer is, you can usually find it by treating people the way you'd want to be treated. That old rule still works better than any complicated theory.
I think the real issue here is that society is changing faster than most people can keep up with. What was normal 20 years ago might be considered outdated now, and what we think is normal today will probably seem old-fashioned in 20 years.
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