A real apology is an expression of regret and an appeal to mercy. It is not transactional or representative, it's an acknowledgement of a personal, transgressio

A real apology is an expression of regret and an appeal to mercy. It is not transactional or representative, it's an acknowledgement of a personal, transgression, and demonstrates a new understanding. A lot of people aren't worth apologizing to, as the offense they took can often be attributed to a lack of charitable sentiment on their part. An apology must be given freely, with no expectation, but also don't waste them on people without a track record of magnanimity. I've found people forgive honesty and honest mistakes. If you make a real mistake, people forgive you when you prevail over it, but bending a knee for posterity or to acknowledge authority is worse than not owning it because it rewards sanctimony and cant from bad people. An apology is for accepting consequences you are prepared to accept, not for avoiding them or mollifying others. I don't agree with the professors approach.