Newswise — From Pope Benedict XVI to actor Mel Gibson to Virginian Senator George Allen, the state of public apologies is not truly a sorry one, according to Gettysburg College philosophy professor Steven Gimbel.
"We have seen a spate of public apologies recently. Senator Allen apologized for referring to an Indian-American as 'macaca,' Gibson apologized for a drunken anti-Semitic rant and the Pope apologized for including in a speech the words of emperor Manuel II Palaeologus," Gimbel said. "Interestingly, all these apologies had the same general form: "I am sorry that people were offended by my words."
According to Gimbel, apologies are interesting linguistic acts because they may be intended to accomplish any of a number of distinct purposes. You may apologize to gain the forgiveness of someone you have wronged, to comfort someone who has been injured, to express deep contrition for your actions - or merely to appear as if you are expressing deep contrition. Like a child given a birthday present he does not like - who says "thank you" only because it is socially expected of him - sometimes we apologize for reasons of etiquette and not genuine regret. "We cannot know the intentions of these three individuals, but we can say something about the structure of all the apologies: They were outward-pointing," Gimbel said. "These apologies have the problem of seeming to say to the recipient that if you had not felt offended, I would have nothing to apologize for. When an apology focuses on the feelings of others and not the acts of oneself, the apology sounds weak."
Outward-pointing apologies, or apologies paired with excuses, may not ring true with those receiving them Gimbel said. An effective apology not only acknowledges the hurt of the victim but also clearly demonstrates an understanding of one's own responsibility for bringing about the harm, authentically expresses one's intention to avoid such actions in the future, and offers a sincere regret for having done it in the first place.
"When an apology only notes the suffering without taking full ownership of the act that caused the suffering, the apology can sound hollow, even if it is meant in all sincerity," Gimbel said.
Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With approximately 2,600 students, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1832.
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