1. "...Sometimes a true, obviously heartfelt apology is just what you don't want; all you want is a little reminder that you are owed something." (pg. 23)
I think this quote is saying that although apologies are often defined as being "heartfelt" as a requirement for effectiveness, it is important to recognize that there are many types of apologies, and that particular ones may be more or less appropriate in different situations.
This quote struck me as very interesting because it verbalizes a commonly felt, yet likely unacknowledged sentiment that many people experience on a regular basis. I enjoy stumbling upon ideas or theories that I feel I can relate to, but may not have been able to identify until they were worded by another person. This statement really made me question the essence of an apology, and later on throughout the article, the essence of language in its entirety. For me, this is the kind of quote that can really draw the reader further into the material and be able to understand what the author is saying from a new enlightened perspective.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I completely agree with your assessment of the quote. On many occasions people do give apologies that aren't heartfelt and as a society we see those apologies as acceptable. I agree with Lakoff's comment because it is completely true that a heartfelt apology is not always what we want. A lot of time we just want some to at least acknowledge that they did something wrong. If someone steps on my foot I do not really want a heartfelt apology.
This quote had actually gone pretty unnoticed by me until I read your blog on it! I then understood how intriguing and related to life it can be-I enjoy those kinds of quotes, too! I also found the apology-oriented pages at the end of our selection to be very interesting. I never thought there could be so many different reasons and motives to an apology, but I appreciate them more now than ever before because of this reading.
Post a Comment