I use humor at work to make things go better, but sometimes it can be misinterpreted and offend people.
So when I think that I may have offended someone, I apologize. Apologies never hurt and they are always appreciated.
Why apologize? Why not? If you hurt someone’s feelings it never hurts to acknowledge that and to make them know they are important. If you didn’t hurt their feelings, they still think more of you that you can admit mistakes.
I have learned that apologizing at an early age has been nothing but beneficial. The funny thing about apologizing is that it gets easier. I think that our pride sometimes makes us feel completely justified in everything we do. Yes, we can believe in ourselves, but we can also acknowledge that other people’s reality is just as real as our reality.
Apologizing has benefits. It lets you forgive others and move on emotionally with your life. Sometimes you have to apologize to yourself. At times we don’t always treat ourselves with respect. We sometimes pick up habits from others that are not helpful to us.
One benefit of apologizing is the reduction of ego. It is funny that the more you try to protect the image of what others think of you, the more distorted it becomes. Often people’s downfall in life is their trying to protect their image. When you don’t try to protect your image, you often find that your reputation is better than you imagine.
For example, I rarely explain my actions. Not because I don’t want to, but because I have learned that people believe what they want to believe. You can’t force someone to believe your intentions. All you can do is just show your behavior and let people choose whatever they want to believe.
I often am misunderstood but that is ok. I can’t go around and explain my behavior. More importantly by apologizing, I don’t have to explain anything. I can let them believe whatever they want, and I can go my merry way knowing I did my best. Life doesn’t require perfection, just the best attempt.