Saying a simple "sorry," can do more harm than good. In our childhood, most of us were led to believe that if we uttered "sorry," the underlying anger would dissipate. However, as adults, we know that resolving tricky situations isn't that simple.
I vividly remember when I accidentally brushed past a girl's shoulder in the hallway and said "sorry." Instead of accepting it, she gave me a mean glare. I did not know the girl, nor was she in a class with me. Sometimes people have a chip on their shoulder. Maybe they grew up in a bad environment and believe people are out to get them. In those circumstances, you cannot say anything to remedy the situation and have to go about your day.
In high school, when I was told "sorry" by a teacher for a bad grade I received, the pity made me feel weak. It felt as though the teacher believed that I was not strong enough to accept my grade. She also did not suggest a way for me to improve my grade. Saying "sorry" was not going to magically boost my grade, it was just going to cut into an already deep wound.
Another situation that is unnerving is when people use "sorry" to patronize you. If you were to ask a classmate about an assignment that has a close deadline and they laughed, giggled or smirked and said "sorry" as if you could not handle the work.
These are probably nitpicky, but I believe it would be best if our culture would closely examine how to connect with others to avoid the pity party and focus on uplifting one another through our actions.
We tend to believe that we are in control of our story, and that is healthy, but I also believe that if we looked out for one another, we could create a healthier society with a positive mindset. Rather than relying on saying "sorry," actions could improve our relationships.
