Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern.

Let them earn respect by demonstrating that they understand their wrongs and taking ongoing substantive action to change.

> offering no incentive for changing one's mind

What offers even less incentive is when someone knows they will never be held accountable.

Give them some credit when they give a mild amount of evidence that they have actually changed their ways. Doing the right thing in a single instance is not enough evidence.

Mitch: "I'm sorry baby, take me back. I promise I won't do it again."

I've been in abusive relationships, fuck a single apology, change materializes due to consequences. There need to be consequences first.

When the murderer stops stabbing his victim for a second to take a breath you dont commend him. These are adults. They are malicious. They are not trying to do the right thing, and deserve no commendation.

You don't appease Hitler, you stop him.

This is an OK attitude to young children, not adults.

And one day trump will finally be Presidential (TM)

Any one off act is meaningless. What matters is continued, persistent good behaviour. Once in a blue moon is just bad behaviour.

Your standards are too low, and encourages people with bad behaviour to not change. After all, you get accolades for doing one good thing in a sea of bad, but get admonished for one bad thing amidst a sea of good

You give recognition to a toddler when it learns how to use the toilet, not when grown men in positions of responsibility do the bare minimum it's expected of them

You mean, treat them like special snowflakes?