---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Apologizing - a very desperate habit…"
description: "\"Apologizing - a very desperate habit - one that is rarely cured. Apology is only egotism wrong side out. ~Oliver Wendell\" — Oliver Wendell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/oliver-wendell-98015_apologizing_apologizing-a-very-desperate-habit-one-t_845839.jpg"
---

#  Apologizing - a very desperate habit - one that is rarely…

![“Apologizing - a very desperate habit - one that is rarely cured. Apology is only egotism wrong side out. ~Oliver Wendell” quote by Oliver Wendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/oliver-wendell-98015_apologizing_apologizing-a-very-desperate-habit-one-t_845839.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/oliver-wendell-98015_apologizing_apologizing-a-very-desperate-habit-one-t_845839.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/oliver-wendell-98015_apologizing_apologizing-a-very-desperate-habit-one-t_845839.jpg)

> “Apologizing - a very desperate habit - one that is rarely cured. Apology is only egotism wrong side out. ~Oliver Wendell”

[Oliver Wendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Apologizing is portrayed as a desperate, ego‑driven habit that is hard to cure, suggesting a critique of insincere remorse.

**In simple terms:** Apology can be ego‑driven and hard to change.

Key Takeaway

Seek genuine humility.

Themes

Apology Egotism Habit Desperation Self‑awareness Psychology

Mood

critical thoughtful analytical

Type

Apologizing:1 Apology:1 Habits:0 Apology Egotism:1 Apologizing Desperate:0 Cured Apology:0 Desperate Habit:0

When to use this quote

- Personal growth
- Conflict resolution
- Therapeutic practice

Key Concepts

Human behavior Moral psychology Communication ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- When is an apology truly sincere?
- How does ego affect remorse?

A Different Perspective

Apology may be sincere; not all apologies are desperate.

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[Apologizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologizing/) [Apologizing Desperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologizing-desperate-694330/) [Apology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology/) [Apology Egotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology-egotism-694329/) [Cured Apology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cured-apology-694331/) [Desperate Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate-habit-694332/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/)

## Related quotes

> [Apologizing - a very desperate habit - one that is rarely cured. Apology is only egotism wrong side out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/apologizing-a-very-desperate-habit-one-that-is-rarely-cured-apology-2/)

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> [If you apologize then follow with an excuse, you're ruining your apology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-apologize-then-follow-with-an-excuse-you-re-ruining-your/)

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> [Being able to make a sincere apology - one that says, "Yes, I get it; I screwed up. Your feelings make sense, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/being-able-to-make-a-sincere-apology-one-that-says-yes-i-get-it-i/)

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> [We need to stop apologizing for celebrating life. We need to stop apologizing for wanting to protect an individual's right to build a business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/we-need-to-stop-apologizing-for-celebrating-life-we-need-to-stop/)

[Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/)

> [APOLOGIZE. It brings healing, provides closure, and frees your mind. A simple apology can open up peoples heart again, which in return, can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-lahart/apologize-it-brings-healing-provides-closure-and-frees-your-mind-a/)

[Stephanie Lahart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-lahart/)

> [Sometimes when the spouse is really the culprit, it is hard to admit what you consider your little failures, but if you are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/sometimes-when-the-spouse-is-really-the-culprit-it-is-hard-to-admit/)

[Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/)

> [Never say sorry to anyone if you don't really mean it, and don't commit about anything that you know you don't really mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/never-say-sorry-to-anyone-if-you-don-t-really-mean-it-and-don-t/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [Every young sculptor seems to think that he must give the world some specimen of indecorous womanhood, and call it Eve, Venus, a Nymph,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/every-young-sculptor-seems-to-think-that-he-must-give-the-world-some/)

[Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/)

> [A poor choice of words conveyed to some the impression that I embrace the discarded policies of the past. Nothing could be further from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-lott/a-poor-choice-of-words-conveyed-to-some-the-impression-that-i-embrace/)

[Trent Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-lott/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [“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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pataki/)

## More by Oliver Wendell

> [Where we love is home- home that our feet may leave- not our hearts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell/where-we-love-is-home-home-that-our-feet-may-leave-not-our-hearts/)

[Oliver Wendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell/)

[Explore all 2 Oliver Wendell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell/)

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> [“There were probably many factors that kept the relationship going and kept your love alive. There were all his promises. "I promise this will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-kennedy-dugan/there-were-probably-many-factors-that-kept-the-relationship-going-and/)

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[Tim Tebow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tebow/)

> [I apologize for the cruel things that I did but I don't regret one single word I said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/five-finger-death-punch/i-apologize-for-the-cruel-things-that-i-did-but-i-don-t-regret-one/)

[Five Finger Death Punch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/five-finger-death-punch/)

[Browse all 854 Apologizing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologizing/)

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