has 'sorry' lost its meaning???

smiley21 · #1 03-08-2003, 09:35 AM

today, sorry is now an excuse to screw people over. it pisses me off. when i am at work and the two guys i am working with leaves me to do all the work so they can goof off, all they can say is sorry!

when my mom says something kinda insulting to me, all she can say is 'i am sorry'.

when my sister yells at me, she will turn around and say i'm sorry..

when my boyfriend does one particular thing that REALLY pisses me off, all he says is i am sorry..

does anyone know what that means??!!! if you were really sorry about hurting someone, then you should not have done it. you can say something mean and then two seconds later say i am sorry. you should not have said it in the first place. you know you cant take back your words but 'sorry' is apparently a ticket to freely screw someone over cause sorry has turned into a band aid to cover up the wound when we all know that it is still there.
you want to really apoplogize, wait a few days. then we at least know you gave your mishap some thought..

ok i am done venting.....

Kevin · #2 03-08-2003, 09:38 AM

I agree.

I know lots of people that use sorry as almost every other word!

Not to sound sexist but females more than males seem to use it (I'm pretty sure this is backed up by some kind of research as we've discussed it in one of my classes). It's 'disempowering' language or weak language. I agree that it's overused but I'm pretty sure it's not something new.

I prefer "oops."

MoxieGrrl · #3 03-08-2003, 09:42 AM

I'm with you, smiley. It's nice to hear the word as a formality, but sorry is *much* easier said than done.

KillarneyRose · #4 03-08-2003, 10:02 AM

I don't know who originally said it, but this reminds me of a quote I've heard, "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission."

James · #5 03-08-2003, 11:55 AM

I heard that was a Jesuit Saying actually.

Quote:

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
I don't know who originally said it, but this reminds me of a quote I've heard, "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission."

James · #6 03-08-2003, 12:10 PM

what you are saying is true. I read a book on social linguistics once and it discussed it . . .

Let me commence with generalization:

Men use sorry as an admission of guilt, fault, wrong doing, which is why in the past men woudln't apologize when a women desperately wanted to hear it lol. Although this may be changing in the newer more feminized generation of males.

Women supposedly use sorry or an apology in general not so much as an admission of guilt, but to say, "Ok, lets move on, let this go and we'll move on to the next topic" its a different type of apology, more emotional and designed to smooth over things ina relationship.

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake
I agree.

I know lots of people that use sorry as almost every other word!

Not to sound sexist but females more than males seem to use it (I'm pretty sure this is backed up by some kind of research as we've discussed it in one of my classes). It's 'disempowering' language or weak language. I agree that it's overused but I'm pretty sure it's not something new.

I prefer "oops."

XOMichelle · #7 03-08-2003, 07:59 PM

People always do thing that they later regret. Hello! We are human! The tricky part is if the people keep doing it, even though they know it hurts you.

If you didn't say you were sorry, how would you apologize???

smiley21 · #8 03-08-2003, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by XOMichelle
People always do thing that they later regret. Hello! We are human! The tricky part is if the people keep doing it, even though they know it hurts you.

If you didn't say you were sorry, how would you apologize???

i know that. my problem is when people do stuff intentionally hurting you and then immediately after saying sorry like that makes it all better.
i know we are human. but we do not need to be that selfish

KappaKittyCat · #9 03-08-2003, 09:31 PM

Now that I think about it, I do say "sorry" a lot. But when it comes down to apologizing for something for which I'm really contrite (as opposed to the smooth-things-over-and-move-on apology), I generally don't use that word at all.

Dionysus · #10 03-08-2003, 09:53 PM

I usually say I'm sorry when (that) I get caught.

Sistermadly · #11 03-09-2003, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake

I know lots of people that use sorry as almost every other word!

That's especially true in Canada. Where I'm from, people say "excuse me", but here they say "sorry". It's kinda cute.

But yes, I think the word is meaningless now - just like people throw around the word "love" carelessly.