--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Saying sorry does not make you look…" description: "\"“Saying sorry does not make you look small—it makes you look big.”\" — Alexander McCall Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_apology_saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-smal_2415276.png" --- # Saying sorry does not make you look small—it makes you… ![“Saying sorry does not make you look small—it makes you look big.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_apology_saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-smal_2415276.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_apology_saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-smal_2415276.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_apology_saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-smal_2415276.png) > ““Saying sorry does not make you look small—it makes you look big.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explains that apologizing demonstrates confidence and maturity, not weakness. **In simple terms:** Apology shows strength. Key Takeaway Own mistakes openly. Themes humility leadership communication Mood empathetic encouraging Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace dynamics - customer service - team collaboration Key Concepts emotional intelligence conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - When have you apologized and felt empowered? - How can apologies improve trust? A Different Perspective Some view apologies as signs of weakness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology/) [Saying sorry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-sorry/) ## Related quotes > [“Saying sorry does not make you look small—it makes you look big.” “I think so too,” said Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. “But some people are small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-small-it-makes-you-look-big-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“So sorry does not unfuck this situation, Lee”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieran-shea/so-sorry-does-not-unfuck-this-situation-lee/) Kieran Shea > [Sorry does not mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark/sorry-does-not-mean/) [Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark/) > [“That's the thing about saying "sorry" or "excuse me" in this city. No one ever does. Or when we do apologize, we don't actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susane-colasanti/that-s-the-thing-about-saying-sorry-or-excuse-me-in-this-city-no-one/) [Susane Colasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susane-colasanti/) > [You can make up a quarrel, but it will always show where it was patched.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/you-can-make-up-a-quarrel-but-it-will-always-show-where-it-was-patched/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [Saying sorry dosnt mean you feel no guit, Being forgiving dosnt mean the pain is gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/saying-sorry-dosnt-mean-you-feel-no-guit-being-forgiving-dosnt-mean/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Saying sorry too much is an anchor on your upward mobility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-cohen/saying-sorry-too-much-is-an-anchor-on-your-upward-mobility/) Aimee Cohen > [Saying sorry doesn't always mean that you were wrong. . Sometimes it means you value your relationships more than your ego...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/saying-sorry-doesn-t-always-mean-that-you-were-wrong-sometimes-it/) UnKown > [To be honest, 'I'm sorry' doesn't mean a thing to me. Don't keep on saying you're sorry if you're gonna keep making the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-honest-i-m-sorry-doesn-t-mean-a-thing-to-me-don-t-keep-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’m sorry.’ The two most inadequate words in the English language.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-revis/i-m-sorry-the-two-most-inadequate-words-in-the-english-language/) [Beth Revis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-revis/) > [“The one thing you should never do to a woman, whether you make love to her or fuck her, is apologise straight after.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianna-hardy/the-one-thing-you-should-never-do-to-a-woman-whether-you-make-love-to/) [Dianna Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianna-hardy/) > [Saying 'sorry' to others FIRST does not show that it's all your fault. . but it shows that you have realized YOUR mistake before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/saying-sorry-to-others-first-does-not-show-that-it-s-all-your-fault/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Avant-garde means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ribot/avant-garde-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Marc Ribot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ribot/) > [To be honest I'm sorry doesn't mean shit to me. Don't keep saying you're sorry if your gonna keep doing the same shit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-honest-i-m-sorry-doesn-t-mean-shit-to-me-don-t-keep-saying-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-wasn-t-saying-whatever-they-re-saying-i-was-saying-i-m-sorry-i-said/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Apology quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) Elizabeth Tambascio > [It's hard to say sorry when It's really your fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakii-retondo/it-s-hard-to-say-sorry-when-it-s-really-your-fault/) [Rakii Retondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakii-retondo/) > [“A lady need never apologize. ~ Joseph de Bonaparte (Brother of Napoleon)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pataki/a-lady-need-never-apologize-joseph-de-bonaparte-brother-of-napoleon/) Allison Pataki > [And apologies, once postponed, become harder and harder to make, and finally impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/and-apologies-once-postponed-become-harder-and-harder-to-make-and/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [In the formation of such a government, it is not only the right, but the indispensable duty of every citizen to examine the principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/in-the-formation-of-such-a-government-it-is-not-only-the-right-but/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [Apologizing does not always mean you are wrong, it just means that value your relationships more than your ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinier-bennett/apologizing-does-not-always-mean-you-are-wrong-it-just-means-that/) [Chinier Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinier-bennett/) > [If I can get enough signatures, to present an apology to slavery, I will present it to the President. The House of Representatives has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/if-i-can-get-enough-signatures-to-present-an-apology-to-slavery-i/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [“I don’t care if you’ve changed. I don’t care who you are now. I don’t need or want your explanations because what you did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-young/i-don-t-care-if-you-ve-changed-i-don-t-care-who-you-are-now-i-don-t/) [Samantha Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-young/) > [I never said Kristen ruined my wedding. At the time, when a million other things had fallen apart that day, I felt like she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scheana-shay/i-never-said-kristen-ruined-my-wedding-at-the-time-when-a-million/) [Scheana Shay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scheana-shay/) > [The greatest form of maturity is at harvest time. This is when we must learn how to reap without complaint if the amounts are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-greatest-form-of-maturity-is-at-harvest-time-this-is-when-we-must/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [“It's clear he still feels something, but what? Is the whole reason he made such a big deal about wanting to talk to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-heywood/it-s-clear-he-still-feels-something-but-what-is-the-whole-reason-he/) [Carey Heywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-heywood/) > [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-wasn-t-saying-whatever-they-re-saying-i-was-saying-i-m-sorry-i-said/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [For every person who atones, a hundred others find regret sufficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/for-every-person-who-atones-a-hundred-others-find-regret-sufficient/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) [Browse all 1,300 Apology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Saying sorry does not make you look small—it makes you look big.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-small-it-makes-you-look-big/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Apology" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-small-it-makes-you-look-big/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_apology_saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-smal_2415276.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_apology_saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-smal_2415276.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/alexander-mccall-smith-372_apology_saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-smal_2415276.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Saying sorry does not make you look small—it makes you look big.” — Alexander McCall Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Saying sorry does not make you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-small-it-makes-you-look-big/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/saying-sorry-does-not-make-you-look-small-it-makes-you-look-big/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```