Was Your Apology Really Sincere?
By Gary Chapman
Have you ever noticed that what one person considers to be an apology is not what another person considers to be an apology?
What is an apology? It's different things to different people. After three years of research, Dr. Jennifer Thomas and I have concluded that there are five basic elements to an apology. We call them the five languages of apology.
Each person has a primary apology language. This means that one of the five speaks more deeply to them emotionally about your sincerity than the other four. If you don't speak their language, they may consider your apology insincere.
It's A Question of Your Sincerity
Ever had someone apologize to you and you questioned their sincerity? Did you ever ask yourself why? It's probably because they did not speak your apology language. They said, "I'm sorry." But what you wanted to hear was, "I was wrong." Or maybe they said, "Will you forgive me?" But what you wanted to hear was, "What can I do to make this right?"
Many of our apologies come across as insincere because we are not speaking the apology language of the offended person.
If couples can learn each other's primary apology language and speak it when they offend each other, forgiveness will be much easier.
The Five Languages of Apology
Here are the five languages of apology
# 1 - Expressing Regret with Words - "I'm sorry." "I feel badly about what I did."
# 2 - Accepting Responsibility for making a mistake - "I was wrong." "It was my fault."
# 3 - Making Restitution to repair the damage - "What can I do to make it right?"
# 4 - Genuinely Repenting and changing by not doing it again - "I'll try not to do that again."
# 5 - Requesting Forgiveness for what you did - "Will you please forgive me?"
Speaking the Right One
When you apologize, the point is that you are trying to make things right. So you say, "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I know I hurt you and I feel badly about it. Will you forgive me?" (3 out of the 5) But your spouse says, "How could you do that if you loved me? How can I forgive you when you never do anything to 'make it right'?" You feel frustrated and don't know what to do next. The problem is not your sincerity; the problem is that you are not speaking the right apology language. (In this case #3, Making Restitution.)
Which One Is Your Apology Language?
Which one of the five languages of apology do you want to hear? That is your primary apology language.
Which One Is Your Spouse's Apology Language?
You will be able to apologize effectively by learning your spouse's apology language and speaking it when you know you have offended him/her.
Ask your spouse, "When I apologize, what do you want to hear from me?" You may be surprised at their answer, but it will give you their primary apology language. Learning to speak each other's apology language will lead you to a growing marriage.
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God bless your family and your marriage.
Jim Stephens