"Sorry" is meant to be a sincere, genuine word. Lately, though, it has become just a filler word. It's said to strangers, friends, family, and co-workers too often. For example, it is unnecessarily said to often soften the blow of an opinion. But everyone is entitled to an opinion and should be respected for it. Let’s make the word "sorry" meaningful again and bring value back to our own opinions.
In any type of relationship, the word "sorry" has become the "protecting word" to lessen the validity of your opinion. Apologizing is great when necessary, but when you constantly do it just to end an argument, it loses it's value. You end up apologizing for something that may not even be your fault. All relationships need to be real and substantial, and by apologizing as a means to an end just causes more damage.
To strangers, "sorry" is used so you do not seem like an awful person. For example, I ride the train to work every morning and when someone slams into me, I always say I’m sorry - even when I may not have done anything. "Sorry" becomes the word you say just to say something. In reality though, if I actually said what I was feeling, no one would fault me for being a mean person. After all, I am the one who got bumped into. Each and every time I have actually voiced my opinion and not apologized for something that was not actually my fault, I have felt better. There is never the regret of, "I should have just said something.”
“I’m sorry, but...” is often used to not offend someone. If a sentence starts with, “I’m sorry, but...” the sorry is probably not needed. “I’m sorry, but this isn’t working anymore” or, “I’m sorry, but we are going to have to let you go" are all examples. Although it seems the words of "I’m sorry" are consoling, no one is going to remember the apology. They are going to remember the terrible thing that came after. Not everything needs to be sugarcoated. Sometimes, the raw truth can even be appreciated.
Saying "sorry" can lessen your opinion. And when overused, the credibility of the word is weakened. "Sorry" needs to stop being used as a way to quickly end arguments, an opinion-stopper, and as a filler-word. It needs to be used in its purest form, as a genuine form of an apology.
