When a child does something that requires apologizing, like throwing his toys or shoving a little friend at daycare, we make him say, “I’m sorry.” It’s the so-called right thing to do as a parent, but as any parent knows, a forced apology means zilch. Over time he’ll learn that certain actions result in needing to say those words, so he’ll likely throw out the phrase, almost automatically, to resolve an issue, make a problem go away, or heal a relationship. I know this because the same is true for adults too.
It’s really easy to put forth an insincere apology and much harder to train yourself to apologize properly, but the latter can absolutely be done. I’m not talking about trivial apologies either, like knocking a cup of milk over or accidentally locking the garage door; we’re focusing on the hard stuff here. Apologizing is a trait everyone can benefit from honing—so even if you think you’re “good” at apologizing, try the three exercises outlined in this challenge to sharpen your skills.