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How to Say Sorry

It’s baffling how so many people don’t know how to give a proper apology. Everyone messes up but when you make a mistake, do something wrong (and know or at least sense you’re wrong), owning it and apologizing the right way can make a difference. People will do all kinds of things in place of saying sorry. They might…

Be kind just to feel you out, even if they know something is up.
Pretend nothing ever happened.
Shower you with gifts or other meaningful gestures.
Say “my bad” and wear it out so many times to the point where it gets annoying.
Or say something like, “If I did or said something that hurt you, I’m sorry…” (this is seriously one of the weakest apologies ever. If you sense you did or said something that hurt someone, try coming with a better approach.)

Examples of better and/or right ways to apologize?
“I’d like to apologize for...”
“I’m sorry for…”

I understand that pride and ego can get in the way of giving a proper apology, but being the kind of person that can go back and say, “I’m sorry” means a lot. Just saying. 
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