How do you make amends when you’ve
inadvertently wronged someone? Is it okay to just apologize? Are there occasions
where a mere apology is insufficient? No, I do not have straight answers to
these questions, I will only attempt to state what I may do if I ever find myself
in any of these situations.
There is only one wrong that cannot
be remedied, that is the death or permanent injury caused to someone. Most
other wrongs can be remedied even if not absolutely. Take for instance, I say a
hurtful word to someone, I can counter that silly action with true apologies,
of course it may not be sufficient, but in that scenario, it is better than
doing nothing. What if I mistakenly bash someone’s car who probably does not
have a car insurance and I also forgot to renew mine; a mere apology wouldn’t
be sufficient here, I should also try to make amends by offering to repair the
car. It is entirely different where the person offended decides to forgive my
actions and further rejects my offer to foot the bill for the car repairs. In
life, we are bound to take actions that may hurt people. How we handle this
situation determines how well we maintain our relationships with people. Learn
to go beyond an apology when you offend someone, especially when such action
was done intentionally.
This does not mean you should go
overboard when you hurt someone, do only what you can truly afford. Try as much
as it lies in your power to limit actions that may hurt other people, but where
they happen despite the care you took, then do your best to restitute.
Have a nice
week.