A bookshelf, a shopping cart and a wall all have one thing in common: I’ve bumped into and said, “I’m sorry!” to each one.
But I don’t just say “I’m sorry” to inanimate objects, I say it to just about everyone and anything. Whether it be someone crashing into me, a ball being thrown at my face or someone talking over me, I never fail to immediately apologize.
I’m constantly plagued by “I’m sorry” syndrome.
It’s not that I want to apologize, or even that I really mean it when I do. It’s simply a mannerism that’s been instilled in me since I was a child, becoming a reflex over time.
Think about it logically. It takes around 16 muscles to muster a half-hearted smile, about 100 muscles in the chest, neck and mouth area to summon a phrase and a little bit of my soul as I continue to toss out words without any true intent behind them. Taking the effort to apologize seems rather excessive, especially if you aren’t sincere.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to exert all those muscles and safeguard that bit of your soul for when you truly do need to say “I’m sorry”?
Not to mention that by constantly saying it, the once potent and power-packed expression has now been reduced to a shadow of itself. The carelessness with which it is spoken has caused it to become a meager replacement for genuine concern.
And that concerns me.
This carelessness reminds me of the story, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” He cried wolf so many times that when he actually needed help from the villagers after seeing a real wolf, they didn’t come. His wails were ignored because he had repeatedly abused the power of his words.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t apologize to others. I’m simply saying there’s a balance that needs to be maintained. Say “I’m sorry” when you really did bump into someone or when you actually did something wrong. Don’t say it just for the sake of saying it.
Besides, that wall you bumped into most definitely isn’t saying it back.