Here’s How to Apologize to a Smart 20-Year-Old

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According to a bit of research from the Ohio State University, the best apologies contain two elements:

  • Acknowledgment of responsibility
  • Offer of repair

That’s it. It’s also nice—but not really necessary—to express regret, explain how you screwed up, and say you’re sorry. Asking for forgiveness can be tossed in the ash can. Nobody cares.

This is good to know. However, it’s also good to know that this is your typical SocSci study, conducted with some folks online and then repeated with a bunch of undergrads. So this is basically a study of what kind of apology your typical high-IQ 20-year-old appreciates most. Whether this says anything about the rest of us I couldn’t say.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And the essential ingredient that makes all this possible? Readers like you.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to devote the time and resources to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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