Q&A for How to Make a Genuine Apology

Try to really listen and understand where they're coming from. The most important part of apologizing is being genuine and being able to tolerate the other person's wave of hurt coming your way, whatever that may look like. Let them get that out and continue to stay apologetic.

Talk to the other person to find out why they're upset. Tell them you really care about them and want to know what you did wrong so you can fix things. Really listen to them, and accept how your actions hurt them.

Try to apologize by admitting you were wrong, and slowly explaining in a calm tone what is going on.

Yes. If they genuinely apologized, talk to them normally, without constantly rehashing their mistake. Take it slow and give them time to earn back your trust.

Tell him that you're sorry, that you like him and that you don't agree with the way your friends talked about him. He will likely get over it soon enough. If anyone makes fun of him again, stand up for him. If he still refuses to talk to you despite your efforts to be kind to him, he's probably not worth wasting your time on.

Dear {teacher's name}, I am sorry for interrupting your class and being disrespectful to others. I will make sure to improve my behavior by {whatever you will do}. I would like you to let my classmates know that I am sorry for my inappropriate behavior during their time to talk. Sincerely, {your name}

Make a new date and be on time. Then make another date and be on time again. There's nothing stronger to show what you mean than actually doing what you mean. Don't make a big deal of it, the dates are the important things, go out and have fun. If you have only one date and you were late, then you were late for 100% of your dates. If you have a hundred dates and you were late just once, that percentage becomes insignificant.

The only thing you can really do is just leave the situation as it is. She may or may not be open to positive communication in the future after she's had time to think things over but until then, the more you attempt to talk to her, the more resistant she'll be.

State that you are sorry. Get to the point and explain why you didn't attend. Be honest. Then tell the teacher that you've learned from this mistake and it won't happen again.

Either immediately, and genuinely, with politeness and brevity, or afterwards in a letter. You can always send a letter to the restaurant or wherever the person works, detailing the situation and listing the reasons why you're sorry and what you have learned, as well as how you hope to not repeat this is the future.

Give him a little time, then go to see him in person and ask to talk. You can't make him forgive you, but if you sincerely apologize (and if you haven't been a repeat offender with things like this), there's a good chance he'll make up with you.

Try talking to one of his friends. Tell them how you feel and ask them to tell your crush that you're sorry. You might also just have to give him a little time to get over his hurt feelings. It will probably blow over, and then you can try talking to him again.

Apologize once more, sincerely, and ask your parents if they'd be willing to hire a tutor for you. Tell them you're trying your best, but it doesn't seem to be good enough. You can also talk to your teachers and ask them if they'd be willing to give you extra help before or after school.

Just don't walk out. If you find yourself getting so upset (angry, sad, etc.) that you think you're going to lash out, say something like, "I'm getting really upset, and I'd appreciate it if we could talk about this when I've had a chance to calm down." Other than that, just listen to what she's saying to you, and calmly present your side of the argument. Sometimes it's best just to say, "You've given me a lot to think about. Can we revisit this issue tomorrow?" And of course, if you know you've done something wrong, offer a sincere apology.

Feeling genuinely sorry, combined with a genuine apology, is enough to right a wrong. But no one can force this onto the other. One apology suffices. Don't apologize over and over again. If the other person doesn't accept, it forcibly ends your friendship. If you continue the friendship, you risk forever being placed in a subordinate position. Now, generally, it is socially considered rude to not accept a genuine apology, as time heals all wounds, but no one can be forced to accept it. That was the risk you took when you did whatever it was you apologized for.

If the person reacts badly, that could be a sign. But also, if you don't want to be selfish, then don't make it all about you, tell the other person that you understand how they feel and are really sorry that it might have been down to you. Also, admitting that you were wrong means that you are not being selfish.