Q&A for How to Apologize to Your Best Friend

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  • Question
    How do I take responsibility for hurting my friend's feelings?
    Michelle Shahbazyan is the Founder of The LA Life Coach, a concierge life, family, and career coaching service based in Los Angeles, California. She has over 10 years of experience with life coaching, consulting, motivational speaking, and matchmaking. She has a BA in Applied Psychology and an MS in Building Construction and Technology Management from Georgia Tech University, and a MA in Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate University.
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    Expert Answer
    When apologizing, be able to tolerate the other person's wave of hurt coming your way. Let them get their feelings out and continue to stay apologetic.
  • Question
    My best friend misunderstood me when I gave her a letter. How can I straighten things out between us?
    Community Answer
    Approach her and tell her about the misunderstanding, and explain to her what you actually meant. If she's still upset, give her time to process the information and perhaps get over her hurt feelings, then try to approach her again.
  • Question
    Does giving my best friend time mean that I should stop talking to him?
    Community Answer
    You don't have to completely cut off contact. If you see him, smile and say hello and see how he responds. Just don't put pressure on them to accept your apology if they're not quite ready. Be patient and let your friend set the tone of your interactions.
  • Question
    I broke my friend's trust again and now she's mad. How do I get her to believe that I'm trustworthy?
    Community Answer
    First give her time. If she doesn't forgive you after a reasonable amount of time, try proving to her that you can be a trustworthy friends. Start by being open and honest about everything. Just make sure that you are ready to never break that trust again.
  • Question
    What do I do if I had a large fight with my best friend and they won't forgive me?
    Community Answer
    If you apologized sincerely, there's really nothing more you can do. He/she may just be upset right now, and they may decide to forgive you later on. Just give them some space.
  • Question
    Is it okay to cry if I apologize to a friend?
    Community Answer
    If you feel like crying, go ahead and cry. This will likely cause your friend to realize that your apology is sincere.
  • Question
    What do I do if I had a fight with a friend and I want to talk to them, but don't know what to say?
    Community Answer
    If you got into a large argument and think it's awkward, then start by saying hi every so often. Then text them more often, but not a lot, almost like you want them to miss you. Then you can hit them up and ask if they want to hang out. It does take some time, so you have to be patient. Also, make sure you maintain eye contact, it shows you do care.
  • Question
    I had a fight with a friend. I have been trying to apologize but he is unwilling to answer my calls, texts, or even speak to me in school. What can I do?
    Community Answer
    You just have to wait it out until they're willing to talk to you again. Don't pressure them, just be patient. If they're a good friend and it wasn't a huge fight, it will probably blow over fairly quickly.
  • Question
    What do I do if my friend thinks that my hanging out with other friends is ditching them and they ignore me?
    Community Answer
    I've personally had this issue. You need to explain that you aren't just "their" friend, calmly but firmly. If they aren't allowing you to spend time with others without them, they aren't a good friend. But, before confronting them about the issue, make sure they aren't good friends with the people you are hanging out with. If you are in a close three/four etc. group, and you and another person continue to hang out without them, they have a right to be upset, because they're being left out. In this case, I would suggest apologizing, but also letting them know that sometimes you want to spend time with someone else, and they can do the same.
  • Question
    My best friend and I had a fight that was my fault. I apologized, but have not gotten a response. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Allow them some time to calm down, and apologize again, if need be.
  • Question
    How can I say sorry to a friend that I ignored for reasons I can't tell her?
    Community Answer
    Say you felt a range of emotions about something not regarding them and took it out on them. If they ask why, then tell them about something that's bothering you that isn't the thing you're trying to keep secret.
  • Question
    How can I get my best friend to forgive me after I lied to her?
    Emily Lee
    Community Answer
    Tell her that you know it was wrong to lie to her, and that you understand why she's upset. Let some time pass, and apologize again.
  • Question
    How do I apologize to a friend when I ditched them accidentally?
    Community Answer
    Just tell her you're sorry, and explain what happened without excusing your behavior. Tell her it was an accident, but you're going to make sure it doesn't happen again in the future.
  • Question
    What do I do if someone won't talk to me when I'm saying sorry to them?
    Community Answer
    They may need a little more time to process what happened. If they are a true friend, and you are sincere in your apology, they may come back around. Don’t pressure them, or constantly call or text them. Give them space and wait for them to contact you.
  • Question
    How do I say sorry to my best friend that's angry with me due to irritating them?
    Community Answer
    If they're really irritated right now, maybe give them some space. Wait a day, or even just a few hours, then get in touch and apologize for whatever you did specifically that irritated them.
  • Question
    What do I do if I apologized, but my friend won't forgive me and says that our friendship is over?
    Community Answer
    Give your friend time, and let them process what happened. Then, apologize again in a meaningful way.
  • Question
    How do I apologize to my best friend if they're talking about me behind my back and they're not my best friend anymore?
    Emily Lee
    Community Answer
    First, find new friends. Then, give your old friends time. Don't talk about what has happened between you and your old friends. Then, apologize like you mean it.
  • Question
    It’s been almost two weeks and I haven’t apologized to my friend yet. Have I waited too long?
    Community Answer
    While you certainly should have apologized sooner, it's really never too late. Get in touch with your friend and tell them you've been thinking things over and you're sorry for whatever happened, etc. If whatever you did wasn't too bad, they should be willing to forgive you.
  • Question
    My best friend and I had sex, and now he wants a relationship, but I would like for us to remain friends. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Just be honest. Say something like, "I had a really great time the other night, but I'm not really interested in a relationship right now. I really care for you as a friend, and I hope this doesn't change things for us."
  • Question
    What should I do if my best friend says that we can't be best friends anymore because of what happened between us?
    Community Answer
    Give them time and space. You might just want things to be normal again, but time is the best healer. After some time, apologise for everything that happened and see if they are willing to be friends again.
  • Question
    My best friend and I are arguing and fighting a lot. What can I do to straighten things out with her?
    Community Answer
    Talk to her/him and give them a sincere apology. If they are ignoring you or don’t want to talk, then just give them some time
  • Question
    How do I help a friend that lets a friend get themselves get pushed around?
    Community Answer
    You can only be there for them when they get pushed so hard they can't get up alone. They often can't see they're being pushed around and they avoid the conflict when you bring it up. So just be ready to help them up, but make sure they know what made them fall so it doesn't happen again.
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