The words people use in their apologies matter, too. It matters what words you use depending on whether you're a man or a woman. Research shows that apologies are more effective when we go against gender stereotypes. "We found that women delivering masculine-style apologies benefited because they were seen as displaying higher levels of assertiveness and enhancing their perceived competence," the co-author of a 2023 study, Sarah Doyle, explained.
#23 Found Letter
Similarly, when men used more "feminine" language in their apologies, they were more likely to be perceived positively, too. "The men delivering apologies with more stereotypically feminine language were seen as having greater interpersonal sensitivity that enhanced their perceived benevolence or warmth," Doyle added.
#26 Someone Left A Note Saying They're Sorry They Hit My Car But There's No Dents Or Scratch Anywhere At All
Doyle and her colleagues looked at celebrities' apologies on X (formerly Twitter). The researchers noticed that women especially (like Lizzo, Kendra Wilkinson) benefited in the eyes of the platform users when they used assertive, "agentic" language. A one point increase in such language would result in an average of more than 17,000 additional "likes."
"It's not just about whether people should apologize more or less, but how we can construct apologies differently," Doyle believes. "It's what you include in that apology that's really going to matter."
What do you think of these apologies, Pandas? Have any of them tickled your heart or your funny bone? What do you think is the best way to apologize? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! And if you're in the mood for even more hilarious apology notes, be sure to check out some right here!
#31 A Letter I Wrote To My Middle School Principal After I Farted In The Middle Of His Speech
#33 Found Note
#36 Apology Note For An Old Boyfriend, Is This Good?
#39 My Neighbor Is Horrible At Parking, So I Left A Note. This Is Their Response. I Completely Understand
