Why is it so Difficult to Apologize

Why is it so hard for some of us to say that we are sorry even when we know that our actions were wrong? If you don’t know this, allow me to educate you on a fact of life. We are all human so there is not a person in this world who has never made a mistake. We are all capable of making mistakes in the future so they are no big deal. If you live you will make bad judgments and wrong decisions. There is no way to escape that fact. I think that the person who is afraid to apologize is already living on rocky ground. I really believe that if that person says that they are sorry it will damage their already low self esteem. The confident person will admit mistakes because the admission of making a mistake will not cloud their concept of who they are. They have lived long enough to have faith in their abilities and to know that a mistake will not lose the war or the battle for that sake. I have a five year old grandson who knows the value of an apology. Whenever he makes a mistake like all children will do he will immediately come to me and say dada I’m sorry. He will come to me and let me know before I find out from another source. The effect of this action is to totally disarm me so that I can’t get angry. He knows that his mistake won’t wreck our relationship or my opinion of him. People with low self esteem can learn a lot from this child. A mistake or two doesn’t define your character so don’t be afraid to make an apology if it is necessary for you to do so. A person who will apologize for making mistakes has to have a strong sense of who he or she is and strong moral fiber. They are not worried that others will think less of them if they apologize for a wrong action because they won’t think less of themselves. They won’t feel like admitting their mistake gives the other party the upper hand because they are not worried about gaining, losing, or maintaining the upper hand. Apologizing for your actions requires a degree of wisdom because it should disarm a situation which could otherwise be explosive. Unsaid apologies may hang in the air and cause uneasiness in the situation. Sometimes a simple apology can work wonders for a relationship. If the party who receives the apology refuses to accept it then the person who has offered is relieved of any burden if he or she has offered it willingly and sincerely. In some relationships which may remain troubled a simply apology may be the one thing that can set the relationship right and make it healthy again. When I read the story of King David in the bible I saw where he had Bathsheba’s husband murdered in battle. Years later when one of his sons wanted to depose him from the throne one of his inner circle leaders was anxious to assist. When I did the research into this story I found that the cabinet member was related to one of the victim’s of King David’s transgressions. Even though the trouble occurred many years later the point of the story is that this man harbored hatred and resentment for the king over many years. He probably never said anything out loud because he was afraid to speak out against the king. The problem was that David had never bothered to make this transgression right with people. Because of this when he got to the point that he needed an ally he didn’t have one. What about you? Are there any unresolved issues that you need to take care of with others? Are you sure? The Good Life