Thursday 13 September 2012

Apologizing - a clarification

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Apologizing is something you might reasonably do concerning something you did, or for which you were responsible.

But when you 'apologize' for something you didn't do, and for which you were not responsible - then this is a different thing from apologizing: that thing is called blaming someone else.

Apologizing may be praiseworthy (or may not), but it has the virtue of being psychologically difficult and emotionally unpleasant; but blamimg someone else for something you didn't do under the guise of apologizing is merely a species of self-indulgence.

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3 comments:

Wurmbrand said...

See Owen Barfield's book of lectures History, Guilt, and Habit.

Bruce said...

Apologizing for something you didn’t do is like praying as the Pharisee does rather than as the Publican does.

Bruce Charlton said...

@Bruce - Good comparison (what a remarkable passage of the Bible that one is!) - so no wonder it is so popular among modern politicians, chief executives and bureaucrats...