A Very Brief Primer on Repentance and Apologies, Genuine and Not

In the last issue of Crisis Management Today, we offered “The Basics of Saying ‘I’m Sorry'” with reference to Peter Sandman.  You can find those basics below.

But in this issue, we introduce another way of looking at apology, this time from Rabbi Richard Block, who writes:

Genuine repentance has 3 basic components: recognizing and regretting the sin; verbal confession, apology and making amends to those hurt and offended; and changing one’s behavior to avoid repetition.

To see how this works, consider the hypothetical example of a male public figure who gropes women in an unwelcome sexual manner, then makes obscene remarks about them and others, and the offensive remarks later come to widespread attention.

A perfect expression of non-repentance: It was a long time ago. I was just joking around. I apologize if anyone was offended. That type of conduct does not reflect who I am. I was wrong. I apologize. But A and B have done a lot worse and I’ll tell you more about that soon.

To read the rest of this short essay, click here.

Photo Credit:  FreeDigitalPhotos.com Stuart Miles

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The Basics of Saying “I’m Sorry.”

Say what you did.
Say you’re sorry.
Make it right: Correct the problem.
Make it right:  Compensate your victims.
Do a penance.

For more on apology, check out Peter Sandman’s comments.