My pride does not take a hit when I apologize…
I do not see it as the balancing of cosmic scales
I do not see it as a win or a loss on a hypothetical scoreboard
I do not see it as the admittance of you being my better
I certainly do not see it as war reparations.
My apology is instead driven by a need to preserve
The nature of my values and the transparency of my soul;
What you feel and think as a result of my apology is, quite honestly,
None of my business.
– O.D. ©2019
Art by: JoeyJazz
My sister said, “You are uncompromising with your identity” and told me she admired that about me. It was sweet.
She made mention of that based on our experiences together. She noticed that no matter what we may be doing; unless I’m genuinely interested in doing something, I won’t do it (with the exception of responsibilities). I won’t flinch, even when those around me feel like I’m killing the mood.
lol You’re killing the mood, whenever anyone says that I smell a collective that is in desperate need of my evasion. But I digress.
Authenticity is one of the reasons why apologies are so easy for me. Its the preservation of my own integrity first, then whatever you’re feeling second lol. I won’t pretend, I value authenticity far too much for that.
In turn, the admittance of a mistake won’t take anything from me, I’m learning like everyone else.
Another key quote I like to remember when I’m in the midst of a heated situation is “Retreating to keep the peace does not make you a coward”
To the few that may ask “why?” It’s simple. Because I’ve got nothing to prove to anyone.
O.D. 
Perfect! I notice that those with fragile egos are very reluctant to apologize for anything. It’s definitely a red flag. No matter their bluster, a failure to admit error is the surest sign of insecurity. Great post!
Thank you Paula 🙂 I’ll admit I had not seen it that way, but now that you say it I can see how those who are not secure may see it as something bigger than it has to be 😀
Yesssssssss. I’m certain there are very few that are uncompromising with their identity. It’s refreshing to see.
And true: apologies take nothing away. Buuuuuuut an apology for e v e r y t h i n g or just not having the ability to apologize gets under my skin. Too extreme for my taste!
I feel like we can sometimes feel when an apology is genuine and when it isn’t. I’ve always gone with the notion that I’d would rather see hoe sorry someone is rather than them telling me.
e.g. I could punch someone and say “sorry”. But tomorrow I punch them again and say “sorry” lol. Show me you’re sorry, unfortunately words mean very little to some people in different places.
true true true
Yes! You preserve your values with the apology and that is of paramount importance. Nice post!
Thank you Anne! ❤