Sometimes I do really stupid things, and they hurt peoples feelings. All too often these stupid things come from strong unexplainable opinions on things that really don’t matter.
And then I react to their hurt feelings by trying to explain my opinions, as if this is going to help for some reason.
Does it matter that I don’t like reality TV? No!
Is the important issue that I interrupted someone and made them feel like their opinions are invalid? Yes!
So why the hell would it help to tell them why I don’t like reality TV? It won’t! In fact, it’ll just make things worse! All it’s really doing is reinforcing the impression that I think my opinions are the only ones that matter (which I, of course, don’t believe at all).
Is there anything I could say that is going to help? I don’t know. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ sounds hollow and doesn’t really reinforce the bond I’ve wounded. The words “I’m sorry” have been said by so many people for so many wrong reasons, that the meaning is all jumbled, and it doesn’t even come close to conveying the guilt and regret for the hurt caused. It sounds more like an attempt at appeasement than an expression of sorrow. Of course I am sorrowful, because I’ve hurt the feelings of someone I care about and whose opinions I value greatly.