People confuse explanations with excuses. It's okay to provide an explanation as long as you're not excusing the thing you did was wrong. For example: "I apolo

People confuse explanations with excuses. It's okay to provide an explanation as long as you're not excusing the thing you did was wrong. For example: "I apologize for shouting at you. I was short on sleep and frustrated about something else. I was wrong to take out my frustration on you." vs: "I apologize for shouting at you but I was tired and frustrated." An explanation can make the apology stronger because it demonstrates that you realize what it is you're apologizing for.