From the archive

An apology without change is permission to do it again

The most convenient part begins with the demand to end the conversation. “I already apologized.” As though they've presented a receipt and you're refusing to hand over forgiveness. You can accept an apology and still refuse renewed access to your money. Decline another shared project. End the relationship. Not want to test how sincere this particular evening was. Acknowledging wrongdoing doesn't oblige the person harmed to participate in the next experiment. It certainly doesn't give you the right to resent them because rebuilding trust takes longer than saying “sorry.”