Power of Apology

• Apology has the power to repair harm, mend relationships, soothe wounds and heal broken hearts.
• Apology is not only a social nicety but also an important ritual, a way of showing respect and empathy for the wronged person.
• It is a way of acknowledging an act that might compromise the relationship.
• Apology disarms others of their anger and to prevent further misunderstandings.
• Apology cannot undo past actions, but it can undo the negative effects of those actions.
• Apology actually affects the bodily functions of the person receiving it, blood pressure decreases, heart rate slows and breathing becomes steadier.
• When we receive an apology, we no longer perceive the wrongdoer as a personal threat. 
• Apology helps us to move past our anger and prevents us from being stuck in the past. 
• Apology opens the door to forgiveness by allowing us to have empathy for the wrongdoer.
• By apologizing and taking responsibility for our actions we help rid ourselves of esteem-robbing self-reproach and guilt.
• Apology has the power to humble even the most arrogant. 
• When we develop the courage to admit we are wrong, we develop a deep sense of self-respect.
• Apologizing helps us remain emotionally connected to our friends and loved ones. 
• Knowing we have wronged, but once we have apologized we feel freer to be vulnerable and intimate.
• Apologizing usually causes us to feel humiliated but acts as a deterrent not to repeat the act.
• When wrongdoers apologize, we find it easier to forgive them.
• When someone confesses to and apologizes, the person's humility and apology cause us to see him as more human, more like ourselves and this moves us.
• It easy to forgive an apologetic wrongdoer, because apology and confession increase empathy, that heightens the ability to forgive.
• Apology encourages forgiveness by eliciting sympathy.
• Apology leads to empathy and empathy mediates forgiveness.
• If apology does not come sincerely, it will not feel meaningful to the other person.
• The desire to apologize must come from within. 
• Apology, when sincere and intentional, is a powerful and life-altering tool for both the giver and the receiver.
• Apologies that are used as manipulations or mere social gestures will come across as empty and meaningless.

Apologizing is the best way to deal with a mistake.

It simply disarms the opponent.