Just like we all are different and our communication skills different too, we find out that sometimes during our interaction with others, we might say or do something that will offend them and they become angry at us. The only thing that will make them calm at that point is genuine apology.
These simple words I am sorry for.. or please forgive me for..., are very powerful and can calm any situation if genuinely said.
Apologizing is something I do easily because it was a habit I learnt right from childhood. You dare not refuse to apologize when you offend someone, my parents will give you a brain reset, hehehe. So it's now easy for me to do, infact sometimes I will just apologize even when I'm sure I didn't actually offend someone just for peace to reign.
I remember the day I replied to someone's threads playfully expecting him to also flow along but he got angry. Immediately I apologized and avoided his threads all through that day. I did that not because my reply was wrong or annoying but just to avoid being trolled, some can be that mean
Inasmuch as I try to apologize often that doesn't mean that I will accept being bullied into doing it. We know that there are people who are fond of name calling and abuse just because someone offended them. Granted you are angry but that is not enough reason to rain insults at the offender and still expect an apology, no way will it work with me.
Also there are some people who are habitual non apologizers, nothing would ever make them apologize even when they offend someone. Instead they will twist the whole thing making themselves look like the victims and then expect apology from the same person whom they offended. Try that with me and I will help you twist the victimization more.
Sometime last year, a client came to our office to place an advert. I asked him what he wanted to advertise and requested to see his script but he said that he didn't write anything, that it is on voice record and that he will play it for me to write.
I responded "No sir, you have to write it yourself."
He replied "You don't know your work again, how can you tell me to write script when it is your work to do so? You don't have manners, you're this, you're that.".
I just smiled in a bid to control my own anger and that seemed to annoy him more as he continued;
"See I said it, you're smiling instead of apologizing, instead of apologizing"
Oh he was expecting me to apologize even after calling me names, he ain't seen anything yet. E go shock am.
Next thing I said was "Sir, since you want to know my work, I will tell you. My work is not to write your advert script but to book your advert, but if you need someone to help you do it, you have to pay for it."
One of the clients who was waiting to be attended to even got angry and told him that he was wrong to talk to me that way and that he's the one to write his script not me. He even showed his own script to him.
When he found out that he wasn't getting his way, he had to write it. After that he paid and before leaving I thanked him for doing business with us and encouraged him to come again, lol.
He just murmured something and left. I'm sure he learnt one or two lessons and may not treat someone else like that again.
This is my response to this week's Thinker's Corner prompt by @kenechukwu97.
The contest is still open till Sunday, Fetch the link here
Still the #threadsaddict 😂
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