Do we choose below or above the line behaviour?
Ignore? Justify? Deny? Blame someone else?These are all below the line behaviours.
The only productive and respectful response is to take responsibility. Taking responsibility is above the line behaviour.
It takes courage – and I have already explored the concept of what would I do if I were not afraid. I have found fronting up rebuilds trust.
Sometimes for the sake of peace, and if we are blocked from making progress, because of a perceived hurt, then I have said I am sorry that my actions caused the other person to feel bad or mad. There are so many nuances and different meanings to words and actions that something tame in one culture can cause alarm in another. “Sorry” is a bridge to getting back to a point of agreement.
I learned to say sorry as I blundered along in new territory.
However, saying “sorry” too often can be irritating for others (I was told once to stop apologizing). Sometimes a better option was to change my “sorry” to “thank you” or another way of acknowledging that the other person had been impacted.
A resource if you too suffer from too much “Sorry-ness”:
Another learning curve on my journey….. sorry!
A Worthy Woman 