The outgoing message on my answering machine goes a little something like this:
“Hey, you’ve reached Scott, Nupe, and Jason. Sorry we missed your call, but leave a message, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.”
There are a few things wrong with this.
One: I don’t actually have roommates. I just said a couple extra names so that people think I do.
And two: I’m not sorry that I missed your call. I’m really not. It was beyond my control. Do you really expect me to sit home all day on account of the possiblility that you might call. I was out doing stuff. I’m not sorry for that. Not at all.
Bottom line: people say sorry for things that they have no power over. We’ve all done it.
“Hey, how you doing?”
“Well, I’ve been better. Kinda having a bad day.”
“I’m sorry.”
Um, for what? Did you kick this person in the shins? Did you spit on them or rob them or intentionally hurt them in any way?
No?
Well, then you’re not sorry. You feel bad for them, but you’re not really sorry ’cause, at least to me, “I’m sorry” insinuates that you did something wrong, and you know what? You probably didn’t.
So, please, people. Let’s stop the rampant overuse of the word sorry…unless of course you did actually spit on someone.
Then you really should apologize.
For further reading, see also On Needless Apologies