Apologies for Deliberate Wrongdoing

These are awfully vague questions. Can you give more specifics?

I am not even sure what the word "should" means in this context. I would
feel morally justified to apologize even if I wasn't sorry in some cases (for example if it were required to keep my job).

maxdancona-

Sometimes someone in public life is charged with wrongdoing. He committed the wrongful act deliberately because there was a reward for the wrongdoer.

If the wrongdoer is caught, he apologizes. By apologizing, he gets credit for apologizing. If the victim doesn't accept the phony apology, then the victim is criticized.

An example would be President Biden received a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law, ranked 76th in his class of 85, after failing a course due to an acknowledged "mistake" when he plagiarized a law review article for a paper he wrote in his first year at law school. He was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

If my goal is to be elected, I am going to say whatever will increase mynchances of being elected. If my highly paid advisers tell me to apologize, I will not only apologize, but I will employ my well paid speech writers to make sure it is sincere.

And I will certainly run it by a focus group with whatever demographic is involved.

In public life, sincerity is worth nevery penny.

If you are contrite, you should apologize. Just because the original act was intentional does not mean the perpetrator can't later feel regret.

engineer-

Thank you.

Sometimes the person apologizing is not actually contrite. He gets "credit" for apologizing. Some people will say, "I did nothing wrong, but I apologize." They get credit for apologizing while not conceding anything.

Yes (but they should be generally remorseful of the act otherwise the apology would not bee sincere) and yes (if it was sincere).

I know others on here said it depends on the situation - but pretty much the above is true.

That is what someone should do - now it might be understandable that someone may not accept an apology even a sincere one, however, it is usually helpful to the person that had the wrong doing towards them to let go and accept the apology - which does not mean they forget the act and does not necessarily mean they become best friends with the offender again - simply that they accept the person is remorseful and lets go of the angst and anger they feel

This is not a sincere apology -to me that is the same as not apologizing as it is a lie - a real apology is one is which someone feels regret and remorse and wants to make things as right as they can.

I disagree. People who say "I did nothing wrong, but I apologize" don't get any credit, especially in the Internet age. People who also say stuff like "I'm sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings" or "I'm sorry if my actions were misconstrued" also find themselves in for a world of hurt. Even heartfelt apologies are often viewed with skepticism. If you have an example otherwise I'd be willing to discuss it. The example you provided of a student who was caught cheating, was punished by failing the class and had to retake it doesn't seem to fit the bill. We don't know if the student was apologetic although after failing the class he was most likely sorry, punishment was meted out and there was no long term harm to be accounted for later. If you want to talk about politicians, Nixon, Clinton or Trump could provide good examples but I doubt you could say they received credit for their "apologies".

Linkat, what do you do when you are forced to apologize when you don't feel you did anything wrong? If the big boss comes and says "you will give a sincere apology to Kathy, or you will no longer work here."

In this circumstance do you give a (dishonest) apology as sincerely as you can, or do you stand on principle and take whatever consequences.

We are taught to give insincere apologies as children. I think most of us would give an insincere apologies to save our jobs. Probably people give more insincere apologies than we want to think about.

Well I have not been in that situation - but you would suck it up if you needed the job and give an insincere apology - Kathy knows you are not sincere and "pretends" to accept just you I pretended to feel sorry - we all know it is fake including the boss - it is called CYA and other such crap you deal with at work. It really is not hurting anyone and it all just to save face. But no that would not be a true apology and everyone knows it.

If you don't need the job you tell them so and you stand up for yourself.

I still stand by that these insincere apologies are not really apologies just crap like you said that we learn to deal with and learn what is worse - saying I am sorry for xyz when you really did not do it - and in the end really does not matter because you know you are not guilty...or staying after school in detention because you stood by your principals over something small.

But that is not the premise - the premise is if the offender did act wrongfully and deliberately.

The word "wrongfully" is subjective. Most of the time people give an insincere apology, they feel they are not in the wrong (i.e. their action was justified in some way).

If I believe my action was actually wrong, I can't think of a situation where I would give an insincere apology.

I think we all give insincere apologies far more than you suggest. Just this morning I told a recruiter "I am sorry for not getting back to you earlier". It was social lubricant... some polite formula as part of a purely business relationship. I am not actually remosefull.

I will apologize on the bus when some jerk cuts in front of me an I bump into him. Again, I have no remorse, what I am really saying is that we bumped and I don't want any conflict.

I think insincere apologies are common practice in funcioning adults.

I don't think getting "credit" is part of a sincere apology. When I truly feel remorse I apologize to the person or people I wronged. My goal is to express my sadness, to state my intent to be better in the future or to say that a relationship is important to me.

A real apology doesn't demand anything from the other person. I may ask for their forgiveness but I don't give them any obligation. I apologize to express my feelings and my desire to be better... nothing more and nothing less. In this case, I don't ask for credit... nor do I even know what "credit" would mean?

We have created this dramatic spectacle of the public apology often being demanded by an outraged mob on twitter. The only purpose for this strange ritual is to save your own skin.

A public apology is forced. A sincere apology is spontaneous. I don't think it is possible for a public apology to be real.

This concept of apologizing has been on my mind lately.

I am waiting for an apology from someone. Instead of acknowledging their wrongdoing or their character flaw that made them do a certain act, they go off on a tangent or turn around and even blame the victim.

This person now wants to know “if things are OK between us now.”

No, they are not.

engineer-

Re: Clinton
In April 1994, genocide broke out in Rwanda. Intelligence reports indicate that Clinton was aware a "final solution to eliminate all Tutsis" was underway, long before the administration publicly used the word "genocide". Fearing a reprisal of the events in Somalia the previous year, Clinton chose not to intervene.

President Clinton has referred to the failure of the U.S. government to intervene in the genocide as one of his main foreign policy failings, saying "I don't think we could have ended the violence, but I think we could have cut it down. And I regret it."

Do you believe he was insincere? Do you believe he received any "credit" from his detractors?

Is this an apology?

Clinton is talking about his legacy to an audience of admirers who have mever set foot in Central Africa. I feel like if there is to be an applogy, the victims should at least be aware it is happening.

maxdancona-

It appeared to be apologetic in tone.

I think he chose to travel to Rwanda after leaving his presidency. He didn't need to go there or to admit anything.

I respect him for making the trip and for addressing a painful subject.