"i'm sorry" - how much does it really mean?

sporina

So, the expression/sentiment "i'm sorry".. how much does it really mean?

In some situations I feel it means feck all. eg: imagine 2 best mates (male).. one sleeps with the other's wife.. they are found out.. the guilty friend says to his best mate "my intentions were not to hurt you - i'm sorry you are hurt!" - to me, it means nothing.. he is sorry his mate is hurt - but not regretful of his actions.. so what is the point of the word/sentiment "sorry"? Unless he takes responsibility for his actions, surely it would happen again? And so therefore, is he truly sorry? I seriously Q the word "sorry" a lot... to me, sorry means nada unless there is regret.. acknowledgment of inappropriate behaviour etc.. what about you guys?

Thoughts?

Sy Kick

Well. We're all very sorry you feel that way. ☹️

Wibbs

It depends entirely on the person saying it.

Redjacketboy

Sorry definitely not enough for sleeping with friends wife! I wouldn't even accept that apology. You'd literally be dead to me!

Sorry is nice when someone does something small. I know how saying sorry is hard for me to say.

Tom Mann Centuria

It's what goes with the sorry that matters.

"I'm so sorry for what I've done" Sorry

"I'm so sorry you are hurt by what I did" Less sorry.

"I'm sorry if what I did makes you feel hurt" Not very sorry at all.

"Not sorry" Not sorry.

Capt'n Midnight

There's this wonderful historic apology from the character played by Tommy Lee Jones in the film Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln reportedly asked Congressman Thaddeus Stevens about the honesty of Stevens' fellow Pennsylvanian Simon Cameron, who was being considered for the position of Secretary of War. Stevens replied that "I do not believe he would steal a red hot stove."[2]

Cameron demanded Stevens retract this insult, and so Stevens said to Lincoln, "I believe I told you he would not steal a red hot stove. I will now take that back."

Tom Mann Centuria

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117774033#Comment_117774033

Taking this way off topic but Dennis Skinner (left wing Labour MP in the UK) accused half the Conservative Party of being crooks. Was told to retract his statement by the speaker so said, okay, half the Tories opposite aren't crooks.

buried

Means f**k all but if you can sing the phrase like this dome you'll fool erybody

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vswLoSCNLlQ

policarp

I'm only sorry if I'm caught.

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117774009#Comment_117774009

ummm... food for thought.. thank you

Tom Mann Centuria

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117774126#Comment_117774126

Yeah, sorry for not being very profound (quite sorry).

Vestiapx

If someone slept with a friends wife i'd not have anything to do with them any more, they can be sorry to him and he can even forgive them but life is too short to bother with people that have that little honor.

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117774140#Comment_117774140

lol

Church on Tuesday

It's the mark of a proper grown adult to apologise for any transgressions and own that mistake/wrongdoing.

NIMAN

Why can't this useless website handle a couple of quote symbols? Its 2021 ffs.

It means very little and as a teacher, it's a pet peeve of mine that has seeped into the rest of my life. Nothing worse than an automatic and worthless I'm sorry.

I try to make my own apologies worth something with changed behaviour but we all fail at that sometimes.

freshpopcorn

I suppose it depends on the circumstances but I suppose what else can you expect people to say?

Some people obviously aren't sorry and don't even try to change their behavior.

Equally tough some people can't accept an apology over a minor enough issue and move on.

Sorry is ok for mistakes or accidents. But if someone did something knowing it would cause pain or distress deliberately then to me sorry isn’t worth a damn afterwards.

sporina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117774140#Comment_117774140

no your right - it depends what goes along with the sorry... I guess the word sorry gets abused a lot - when used, the person if often not sorry at all..

sporina

some v good replies folks cheers..