--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being able to make a sincere apology…" description: "\"Being able to make a sincere apology - one that says, \"Yes, I get it; I screwed up. Your feelings make sense, and I'm taking this seriously\" - is at th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/harriet-lerner-4248_apologizing_being-able-to-make-a-sincere-apology-one_158738.jpg" --- # Being able to make a sincere apology - one that says… ![“Being able to make a sincere apology - one that says, "Yes, I get it; I screwed up. Your feelings make sense, and I'm taking this seriously" - is at the heart of being successful in leadership, parenting, and friendship, as well as our own integrity and self-worth. And the failure to apologize?…” quote by Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/harriet-lerner-4248_apologizing_being-able-to-make-a-sincere-apology-one_158738.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/harriet-lerner-4248_apologizing_being-able-to-make-a-sincere-apology-one_158738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/harriet-lerner-4248_apologizing_being-able-to-make-a-sincere-apology-one_158738.jpg) > “Being able to make a sincere apology - one that says, "Yes, I get it; I screwed up. Your feelings make sense, and I'm taking this seriously" - is at the heart of being successful in leadership, parenting, and friendship, as well as our own integrity and self-worth. And the failure to apologize? Even a good relationship will suffer quietly - because we really feel it when someone won't take responsibility for what they said, or didn't say.” [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sincere apologies restore relationships and self‑respect, while avoiding responsibility erodes trust and wellbeing. **In simple terms:** Apologizing honestly heals; not apologizing harms. Key Takeaway Apologize sincerely to maintain trust. Themes leadership relationships integrity Mood empathetic inspiring Type advice reflective When to use this quote - workplace - family - friendships Key Concepts emotional intelligence conflict resolution self‑worth Questions to Reflect On - What makes an apology feel genuine? - How can you ensure apologies lead to action? A Different Perspective Apologies may be seen as weakness if not followed by change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apologize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologize/) [Apologize Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologize-good-1746212/) [Apologizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologizing/) [Apology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology/) [Apology Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology-says-1746211/) [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Failure Apologize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-apologize-1746210/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Good relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-relationship/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Make Apology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-apology-1517521/) [Make sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-sense/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Sincere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincere/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Taking responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [I am here today to again apologize for the personal mistakes I have made and the embarrassment I have caused. I make this apology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-weiner/i-am-here-today-to-again-apologize-for-the-personal-mistakes-i-have/) [Anthony Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-weiner/) > [If I have something to apologize, I want to be the first one to step up and make that apology. I don't want anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-shocked/if-i-have-something-to-apologize-i-want-to-be-the-first-one-to-step/) [Michelle Shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-shocked/) > [“Sorry,’ he mutters back, in that reflexive British way where you’re apologetic that someone else has had to make an apology.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/sorry-he-mutters-back-in-that-reflexive-british-way-where-you-re/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [“Apologizing to me again, thought Miles miserably. For me. He keeps telling me I'm all right—and then apologizing. Inconsistent, Father.He shuffled back and forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/apologizing-to-me-again-thought-miles-miserably-for-me-he-keeps/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [I have been trying to create a campaign to have our country make an apology for slavery, for the way that blacks were treated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-have-been-trying-to-create-a-campaign-to-have-our-country-make-an/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [I am human and we have all said things to each other that we would love to put back in our mouths but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-zarin/i-am-human-and-we-have-all-said-things-to-each-other-that-we-would/) [Jill Zarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-zarin/) > [I make no apology about being a hillbilly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/i-make-no-apology-about-being-a-hillbilly/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [In the case of the Japanese, they usually commit suicide before they make any apology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/in-the-case-of-the-japanese-they-usually-commit-suicide-before-they/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [We make no apology then for raising our voices loud to a world that is ripening in sin the lord has said,” Say nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/we-make-no-apology-then-for-raising-our-voices-loud-to-a-world-that/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [“We are sorry about the way things turned out. We gave, in the phrasing of our words if not literally in the words themselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-nilsen/we-are-sorry-about-the-way-things-turned-out-we-gave-in-the-phrasing/) [Anders Nilsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-nilsen/) > [People don't change. They just say they do to make their apology sound better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-don-t-change-they-just-say-they-do-to-make-their-apology-sound/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We live in an age of apologies. Apologies, fake or true, are expected from the descendants of empire builders, slave owners and persecutors of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-guinness/we-live-in-an-age-of-apologies-apologies-fake-or-true-are-expected/) [Alec Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-guinness/) > [First off, I'm not a scientist, and I make no apology for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-off-i-m-not-a-scientist-and-i-make-no-apology-for-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I make no apology for the love of competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/i-make-no-apology-for-the-love-of-competition/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [You can't have the fruits without the roots. It's the principle of sequencing: Private Victories proceed Public Victories. Self-mastery and self-discipline are the foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/you-can-t-have-the-fruits-without-the-roots-it-s-the-principle-of/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) ## More by Harriet Lerner > [“Letting go of anger and hate requires us to give up the hope for a different past, along with the hope of a fantasized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/letting-go-of-anger-and-hate-requires-us-to-give-up-the-hope-for-a/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [“There’s a widespread belief that if you have solid self-esteem you don’t need outside affirmation and praise. This is patently untrue, by the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/there-s-a-widespread-belief-that-if-you-have-solid-self-esteem-you/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [It is an act of courage to acknowledge our own uncertainty and sit with it for a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/it-is-an-act-of-courage-to-acknowledge-our-own-uncertainty-and-sit/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [Silence can pose a greater threat than the difficult truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/silence-can-pose-a-greater-threat-than-the-difficult-truth/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [Nothing you say can ensure that the other person will get it, or respond the way you want. You may never exceed his threshold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/nothing-you-say-can-ensure-that-the-other-person-will-get-it-or/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [If you exchanged wedding vows, tape them to your bathroom mirror and read them aloud to yourself every morning along with the ritual brushing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/if-you-exchanged-wedding-vows-tape-them-to-your-bathroom-mirror-and/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [Kids want nothing more than for all the important adults in their life to get along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/kids-want-nothing-more-than-for-all-the-important-adults-in-their/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [“People's sense of self worth is pivotal to their ability to look clearly at the hurt they've caused. The more solid one's sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/people-s-sense-of-self-worth-is-pivotal-to-their-ability-to-look/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [“Everyone freaks out. Sometimes the best we can do with fear is befriend it. Expect it and understand that fear will always reappear. Eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/everyone-freaks-out-sometimes-the-best-we-can-do-with-fear-is/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [The bolder and more courageous you are, the more you will learn about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/the-bolder-and-more-courageous-you-are-the-more-you-will-learn-about/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [Underground issues from one relationship or context invariably fuel our fires in another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/underground-issues-from-one-relationship-or-context-invariably-fuel/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [There are some things for which there is no apology, and on the question of slavery, there is no adequate apology for ripping people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/there-are-some-things-for-which-there-is-no-apology-and-on-the/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [Don't count on the power of your love or your nagging to create something that wasn't there to begin with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/don-t-count-on-the-power-of-your-love-or-your-nagging-to-create/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [If we only listened with the same passion that we feel about being heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/if-we-only-listened-with-the-same-passion-that-we-feel-about-being/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [Telling a true story about personal experience is not just a matter of being oneself, or even or finding oneself. It is also a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/telling-a-true-story-about-personal-experience-is-not-just-a-matter/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) [Explore all 113 Harriet Lerner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) ## More Apologize quotes > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He wished he could somehow go back and find the iPhone people whom he'd jostled on the sidewalk earlier, apologize to them - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/he-wished-he-could-somehow-go-back-and-find-the-iphone-people-whom-he/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-tambascio/) > [“Sorry I wish you could apologize to something you broke and it brings it back to what it was without losing its core I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rania-naim/sorry-i-wish-you-could-apologize-to-something-you-broke-and-it-brings/) [Rania Naim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rania-naim/) > [I'm sorry I want to apologize for being careless and hurting your feelings. Please forgive me ! I'm a jerk your friendship means a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/i-m-sorry-i-want-to-apologize-for-being-careless-and-hurting-your/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [A jerk will keep hurting you then apologize to keep you from leaving them, and then do it all over again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/a-jerk-will-keep-hurting-you-then-apologize-to-keep-you-from-leaving/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [To apologize for what you most wanted to do, to concede that it was obnoxious, boring, 'vulgar and unsafe' --- that was the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hollinghurst/to-apologize-for-what-you-most-wanted-to-do-to-concede-that-it-was/) [Alan Hollinghurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hollinghurst/) > [To truly repent of a big thing, you have to go into it with your heart open and force yourself to deal with it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-wilkinson/to-truly-repent-of-a-big-thing-you-have-to-go-into-it-with-your-heart/) [Bruce Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-wilkinson/) > [I would like to publicly apologize to anyone I have NOT offended¦I will get to you shortly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-would-like-to-publicly-apologize-to-anyone-i-have-not-offended-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have a responsibility, and it's something that I did wrong, and if I could personally apologize to every single person that has lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-richie/i-have-a-responsibility-and-it-s-something-that-i-did-wrong-and-if-i/) [Nicole Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-richie/) > [To the millions of Americans whove attempted to use HealthCare.gov to shop and enroll in health-care coverage, I want to apologize to you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-tavenner/to-the-millions-of-americans-whove-attempted-to-use-healthcare-gov-to/) [Marilyn Tavenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-tavenner/) > [“When someone says that it's too late for apologize when you have to do it anyway because it's your duty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-teris-bit-ns/when-someone-says-that-it-s-too-late-for-apologize-when-you-have-to/) [Pēteris Bitāns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-teris-bit-ns/) > [Life is short so, kiss slowly, forgive quickly, and love deeply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney/life-is-short-so-kiss-slowly-forgive-quickly-and-love-deeply/) [Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney/) > [Life is too short to worry about stupid things. Have fun, fall in love, and regret nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/life-is-too-short-to-worry-about-stupid-things-have-fun-fall-in-love/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [I ain't never going to apologize for a 21-point win over a state rival, ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/i-ain-t-never-going-to-apologize-for-a-21-point-win-over-a-state/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) [Browse all 900 Apologize quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologize/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being able to make a sincere apology - one that says, \"Yes, I get it; I screwed up. Your feelings make sense, and I'm taking this seriously\" - is at the heart of being successful in leadership, parenting, and friendship, as well as our own integrity and self-worth. And the failure to apologize? 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