Apologizing Is a Form of Weakness
![[Being sorry.].](http://7pproductions.com/img/r-z/sorrowful.jpg)
When you apologize, you show people that you are fallible and that you make mistakes. In a world of hyper-productivity, success means everything and failure is nothing. Whether we like it or not, the truth is that an apology is admitting to the world a weakness and that you failed.
Good. Be weak. Show you’re human. Make mistakes. Make them early and make them often. Learn from them. Grow.
When you fail, say, “I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time.”
And make sure you back those words up.
Failure is Overrated
I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
- Thomas Edison
Sometimes there’s too much attention spent on mistakes and failures. We don’t remember the 9,999 times Edison failed to invent the light bulb. We only remember the successful 10,000th attempt.
Failure doesn’t define you (and neither should success). The fear of failure should not stop you from what you want to do, or perhaps what you need to do. You’ll still be the same person you were before you took that chance on success. Instead of dwelling on your fear of failure, replace it with a fear of inaction.
Apologizing to others for not succeeding is OK. Apologizing to yourself for not trying is not.
The goal is not to be better than the other person, but to be better than your previous self.
-An old Hindu proverb
Al at 7P
Mitcehll Allen
Ron Hitson
Chris | Martial Development
“I never apologize. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way I am.” - Homer Simpson
D’oh!
I like your sentiment about the fear of inaction. Failure is the least of our worries!
To apologize is difficult. But it is the number 1 factor for creating peace! Just think how many family feuds continue just because someone is too proud to apologize.
In Canada and New Zealand the government has apologized for past injustices to indigenous. This has had a huge and positive impact.
To apologize takes courage.
This is really a quotable quote…
Apologizing to others for not succeeding is OK. Apologizing to yourself for not trying is not.
Thanks Al!
Robert
apologising is not a sign of weakness. being able to apologise is a sign of strength.
Hello Bamboo Forest,
Agreed - failure is overrated. It’s not dangerous as inaction. Thanks for the feedback!
Hi Mary,
Courage is indeed required to make a sincere apology. Not only when facing the person you’re apologizing, but also for the introspection needed to make the apology sincere. That last part is needed in order to be better and to grow from it.
I always found it interesting how the heads of large governments and institutions apologize for acts done decades before their time. Clearly it’s important; otherwise, they wouldn’t even bother.
Hi Robert - thanks for the positive feedback!
Hi drque - I wanted to respond to your comment:
I would argue that it’s both. The weakness caused the situation that needed an apology, but the strength is needed to make amends. Would you agree?
The great thing about failure is sooner or later you are going to succeed
Hi Al,
Nice post. I saw the title and read your article the first time shaking my head. But when I re-read it I came to understand where you were coming from.
As you say in one of your comments above, an apology is really both a weakness and a strength.
Hey Al
I had to read that twice but I think I understand where you are coming from now.
I love where you say “Good. Be weak. Show you’re human. Make mistakes. Make them early and make them often. Learn from them. Grow.”
In a comment you write about “the introspection needed to make the apology sincere”. It reminds me of something I say to myself often, “you have to allow yourself to be vulnerable to succeed”.
In love, light and abundance x x x
@ Mark - that’s a great way to look at it… failure means you’re one step closer to success. Thanks for the comment
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@ Peter - Thanks for being willing to re-read the post. I’d hate to have known that you got the wrong impression based on how I started the post!
@ Lola - Thank you also for re-reading the post to get what I really wanted to say. I think I need to get to the point in my posts a little bit faster.
[…] recently wrote about how failure is better than inaction, and I also mentioned how defeat can be a set-up for more […]
well done and useful content