Larissa Leeper ENG101XD Week2 '' Classification Essay Final Draft 3-4-09 The Apology: Sincere vs. Fake Humans are emotional beings. We base our liveson loves and hates, likes and dislikes. Whether or not it's easy to admit, we oftenmake decisions out of emotion, especially the decision to argue. Although arguments come in many different forms, the beginning of anyargument is always the same, one person's will vs. the other person's will. The correct ending of any argument is the apology. If an apology is sincere, behaviors can change immediately, and feelings can be restored. If an apology is fake, the same argument is bound to resurface because there was no real resolution. A fake apology can also make things worse if the other persondetects the lack of sincerity. Of the fake apology and the sincere apology, only one brings about real healing, and knowing this can solve an argument, or stop an argument before it starts. Reading this, you might say that you know what an apology is,and how to do it. But you may be surprised to find out that just saying "I'm sorry" can be classified as a fake apology, oran attempt to drop the subject without taking any actual blame. In solitude, the words "I'm sorry" can be said with a bad attitude or with sarcasm, immediately taking the meaning out of the attempted apology. A sincere apology begins with, "I'm sorry for..." followed by a confession of the one or many things you have done wrong in the argument. I have found that it is nearly impossible to list the exact things you have done wrong with a bad attitude or with sarcasm. Gary Chapman, in his book about apology in marriage, states, " If the apology neglects accepting responsibility for their actions, many partners will not feel as though the apology was meaningful and sincere." Reference:
Chapman, Gary. The Five Languages of Apology. Northfield Publishing. 2008.