Apology Quote

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” -Benjamin Franklin

Students wrote about what they think the quote means.  A few words of wisdom from the students...

• "It's like Dr. Phil says...if you say I love you, but...  all people hear is what comes after the but.  Everything you said before the but doesn't matter."
• "When you give an excuse it's like you're trying to put the blame on someone else."

An apology is not an excuse, not an explanation of why you did what you did.  It is a chance to acknowledge your wrong doing, to accept that your actions may have hurt or inconvenienced someone else.  This is your chance to take responsibility for your actions.  To let someone know that you understand that you messed up.
Do not cheapen it by offering excuses or reasons.  Do not cheapen it by making it seem like no big deal, like it wasn't your fault.
Just be sorry, honestly, truly, sincerely.