- 29 Oct 2023 17:20
#15293301
Classic "I'm sorry."
When I was a little kid a half a century ago, the word "sorry" was used to express regret and sadness at having injured someone else.
You felt something heavy in your heart, would spend some time probing your soul for what you had done wrong, how it negatively impacted others, and what words or gestures you could employ to compensate or erase the pain you had caused.
And along with compensating the victim(s), you would say, "I am sorry."
***
Post-modern "Sorry!"
Fast-forward to 2023...
A cellphone-clutching person barges her way through a crowd of people, bumping into them and causing friction, dropped objects, and other awkward social situations and discomfort.
When she quickly says "Sorry!" to each of her serial victims, she has not intention of stopping, mitigating, or compensating anyone. In fact, she seems to suggest that saying "sorry!" gives her permission to continue hurting other people.
This new post-modern "sorry" means: "Deal with this because I'm not going to change."
This is a very different animal we're dealing with today.
***
For young people who no longer remember what "sorry" used to be deployed for, here is an instruction on how to apologize old school style.
***
The Sorries
Expression.....................Definition...............................Equivalent non-verbal act
"I'm sorry" (classic).........."I regret what I have done.".......... Crying while gazing guiltily at victim
"Sorry!" (post-modern)....."Get used to this. I ain't changing!"..........Parking in a bike lane with blinkers on
***
soundtrack
Complicity: giving billions of dollars worth of drill bits and cannibal recipes
to Jeffrey Dahmer
Classic "I'm sorry."
When I was a little kid a half a century ago, the word "sorry" was used to express regret and sadness at having injured someone else.
You felt something heavy in your heart, would spend some time probing your soul for what you had done wrong, how it negatively impacted others, and what words or gestures you could employ to compensate or erase the pain you had caused.
And along with compensating the victim(s), you would say, "I am sorry."
***
Post-modern "Sorry!"
Fast-forward to 2023...
A cellphone-clutching person barges her way through a crowd of people, bumping into them and causing friction, dropped objects, and other awkward social situations and discomfort.
When she quickly says "Sorry!" to each of her serial victims, she has not intention of stopping, mitigating, or compensating anyone. In fact, she seems to suggest that saying "sorry!" gives her permission to continue hurting other people.
This new post-modern "sorry" means: "Deal with this because I'm not going to change."
This is a very different animal we're dealing with today.
***
For young people who no longer remember what "sorry" used to be deployed for, here is an instruction on how to apologize old school style.
***
The Sorries
Expression.....................Definition...............................Equivalent non-verbal act
"I'm sorry" (classic).........."I regret what I have done.".......... Crying while gazing guiltily at victim
"Sorry!" (post-modern)....."Get used to this. I ain't changing!"..........Parking in a bike lane with blinkers on
***
soundtrack
Complicity: giving billions of dollars worth of drill bits and cannibal recipes
to Jeffrey Dahmer