There's a great amount of ego wrapped up in it. Nobody really likes the idea of being wrong or incompetent, or being seen to be weak or ineffective – despite it

There's a great amount of ego wrapped up in it. Nobody really likes the idea of being wrong or incompetent, or being seen to be weak or ineffective – despite it being a thing that happens to all of us, all the time, and it not being a moral failing. Different people do seem to develop quite different tools for dealing with this – some people over-apologise for minor transgressions the point of annoyance; others react with anger at the idea someone might accuse them of being less-than-flawless. Still others have a habit of avoiding engaging in anything with the risk of making them look foolish, or beat themselves up relentlessly, or just live in denial that anything's gone wrong. I would definitely back up what you say, though. There's probably not much that leaves me with more confidence in a person's competence and character than taking ownership or an error and apologising for the inconvenience.