>Matches my anecdata. The people I know that never apologize definitely have more confidence and self esteem than the people I've seen apologize. That sounds a

>Matches my anecdata. The people I know that never apologize definitely have more confidence and self esteem than the people I've seen apologize. That sounds about right. But those same people are also pretty universally considered gigantic assholes. On the other hand, as someone who tries hard to take responsibility for my actions, including apologizing for my screw ups, I have lots of confidence and self esteem. Much of that comes from my belief (whether founded or not) that being a decent human being is an important part of living a good life. And when I take responsibility for myself, that enhances my sense of personal integrity and value. On the gripping hand, there are no absolutes and context is vital. As such, YMMV.