Debate: Should you send an apology even if it might make things worse?

I still remember that Tuesday in July 2022 when everything went wrong at once. My truck broke down on I-35 near Austin at 7 AM, I forgot my lunch on the counter, and my phone died just as I was about to call my boss. Then my kid's school called saying she had a fever, so I had to hitch a ride with a stranger to pick her up, only to find out she just wanted attention because her goldfish died. That whole week just kept snowballing, like the universe was playing a practical joke on me. By Friday, I'd spilled coffee on my only clean shirt and locked my keys in the car at the grocery store. It stands out because every little thing piled up, but nothing was truly catastrophic on its own. What's the worst string of bad luck you've ever had in a single week?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles_hall26d agoMost Upvoted

July 2019 was my worst week - my laptop died right before a client deadline, my girlfriend's cat somehow got into my art supplies and ruined a project, and I locked myself out of my apartment in the rain twice in three days. The thing about apologies is they work best when you're specific about what you're sorry for, not just saying "sorry" as a blanket statement, which is why @hall.joel's friend probably had that backfire moment. If you really messed up, own the exact mistake and mention what you'll do different next time - that way even if it doesn't fix everything, the other person at least knows you see what actually happened.

hall.joel27d ago

Tbh my friend tried to apologize after a fight and it just made her ex even more mad.

bennett.evan27d ago

Nah I gotta disagree here. An apology only makes things worse if it feels forced or you're just saying sorry to end the argument. A real genuine apology usually helps calm things down.