feiio11

I'm still using the PC I built in 2008. I've had to replace a few things, but not much. I can still browse the web. I run the latest packages in my linux distro. I can still work with all my old files. The apps I rely on are mature, well supported, and won't be going away any time soon. And in 10 years I'm betting it will still run. I might have to replace a component or two. I might have to give up web browsing, if sites keep getting fatter and fatter. But it'll still run, and I could find a use for it.

Typically nobody apologizes for mistakes unless there are consequences for someone else.

Lets say you do something reckless, and it hurts me in some way. Without an apology, how can I tell you have genuine remorse? That you regret what you did, and want to avoid it in the future? That you are committed to fix the damage you've done? For all I know, you don't care about me, you don't want to change, and you don't plan on fixing your mistakes. I have no reason to trust you, and every reason to oppose you. An apology convinces me that you're not a threat - just a person who made a mistake. It also reminds yourself that you are capable of mistakes, and that you must not succumb to hubris.

Of course, it shouldn't be an empty apology. For it to work, the feeling must be genuine, and it should be accompanied by action.