In today’s generation, the simple phrase “I’m sorry” is used far less than it should be. Instead, many people play the blame game or deflect responsibility rather than taking personal accountability for their actions and choices.

Receiving an apology for an unprovoked action of another can feel wonderful, but the crucial question remains: Does an apology reflect true sincerity, or is it a strategic avoidance of consequences, or quite possibly it’s merely a passive phrasing like “How are you?”, “Dude”, or “Man” but really has no substance?

Google defines an apology as “a regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure.” Taking this definition a step further, Google defines “regretful” as “feeling sad or repentant.” This leads us to the core of the issue: what does it mean to be “repentant”?

According to Google, to be repentant means “to feel a sincere regret for wrongdoing, leading to a sincere change of mind and a commitment to turn away from error and toward a better path and a demonstrated change in behavior.”

And there it is: a changed behavior. Is this what an apology truly entails, or has the genuine “I’m sorry,” as evident by a realized change of behavior, become a relic of the past?