Can you apologize without qualifying it?

well, that really depends on the situation... if i am really in the wrong position, then i will say 'sorry' without anything attached to it... but if i think that both of us are wrong, then of course i will say sorry and tell the other person that he/she is wrong as well... the point is, there is no use in blaming each other in this situation... better to try to find a solution rather than to make things worst by blaming each other and try to find each other's faults... that's what i experienced... take care and have a nice day...

I've had the unfortunate experience of being around people who say they are sorry and don't even mean it. It's gotten to the point that I hear "I'm sorry" and it just sounds so hollow, if you know what I mean? I guess I try to behave in such a way as to not hurt people and not have to apologize - but we all mess up now and again, even unintentionally. I agree with you that you are either sorry or you're not... and there is nothing worse than a fake apology that is given just to make the other person "feel better." If I hurt someone, yes, I can just say "I'm sorry" and mean it. Maybe because of how I've been treated, I am more sensitive to the value of a sincere apology.

I think it depends if you are really sorry or not. Awhile back I had to apologize to a stupid coworker because she rushed to human resources before I did (I'm just not that type of person). She had said some really horrible things to me, and I finally fired back at her. Just one comment, but several weeks after I said it she decided to complain. So anyhow, long story short I was forced to apologize. So I said I wanted an apology from her too. So she says, "I'm sorry you think I said those things." because she is trying to play innocent. So I say, "I'm sorry that you think you were offended." It had the word sorry in it though, so it counted. But after all the stuff she said to me and then her fake apology there was no way she was going to get a genuine apology.

saying sorry is one tough thing to do specially if we think that the other person we say sorry will be ego bloated. and so that makes harder. anyways, but i don't say sorry that often. and also i am not in a relationship. but i am talking about saying sorry to other people besides your boy friend or girl friend. but i think we all need to learn how to say sorry or else don't do intentionally a mistake or anything that can hurt a person if you don't know how to say sorry truthfully or sincerely.

I'm sorry.....but you started this discussion I know what you mean, some people find it hard to apologise without justifying it or going on the defensive. Some people just hate to admit that they are wrong. I know people that will say sorry for their mistakes but never really mean it. I think it takes a certain character to really apologise and mean it. In my opinion I think, sometimes actions speak louder than words and it is what one does rather than what they say. Sometimes "sorry" is just a word we use all to often, without really meaning it.

If someone only says "I'm sorry" it doesn't feels convinced enough whether they were really sorry or not, they probably gonna do the same mistake again in the future ;)

haha! sound like the very same person i know. well i guess it is just part of the person who is like that. they say sorry and they do mean what they have said but still they are saying that they have done something wrong because of something or someone else. they are looking for another party to be the main reason for them being at the wrong side of the argument...

That depends on what it is about and what the issue and history on it is. If I truly feel I was wrong you bet I can apologize and not qualify it. But, if I feel a need to qualify it you bet I will. Communication is important and I sometimes feel I have to have the very last word! So, I guess the answer to your question would be a resounding no. But, let me qualify that..............teehee.

Yes, I learned to say I'm sorry a long time ago. I think alot of it had to do when I started working in health care. Everyday I have to cause pain to do my job which ultimately lets my patients live another day. Sometimes it hurts a little less than others, but it's an unavoidable part of the job. So I find myself saying I'm sorry quite a bit. This has just made it easier for me to say it in other parts of my life as well. Sometimes though a qualification is necessary. For example if I were to lose my temper in an argument because I felt you weren't listening to me, that would be an "I'm sorry..." for losing my temper "...but, it's because I felt you weren't listening to me." It all depends on the situation, and what exactly I was apologizing for. Now, if someone can't ever admit they're wrong, that's an entirely different thing altogether.

Hi, Yes,It needs Courage! Sometimes when U know U r right,even at that time to say sincerely-'I'm Sorry!' I practice,I do. I've seen It satisfies ego of others. point of misunderstanding/contention evaporates, when U say'I'm sorry!'The door of arriving 'win-win situation' opens suddenly! =Lahiri,Kolkata,India.

Corty- You bring up a really good question. I know it's something my husband and I work on in our own communication, especially when we have discussions. I'm not sure why we as humans feel the need to qualify other than we seem to want to rationalize everything. In our case, we try to work in stages. We allow each other to cool down first so we don't say anything colorful when we're still in the heat of the argument. We even leave the room because that helps to break the tension and allows us to focus. We then both say we're sorry. Just "I'm sorry". Then we speak about what occured. The reason for this is not that we're qualifying it, but we're now both calm enough to speak rationally about what occured, because that is how we're going to grow as individuals and as a couple. Namaste-Anora

When I first opened the email telling me you had started a new discussion I thought by qualifying that you meant "I am sorry because." When I navigated to the page to read the full post about your boyfriends's apolgy habits I realized you were talking about something else. I hate to say it but his approach to apology is just childish. Accountablity is about being accountable for what YOU have done, not telling other people how they are complicit.

Sorry it means you apologizeng hwta we did and what does the person does for you. but if we put it in relationship. if they both love each other they can accept to say im sorry whether they are not did this fault.