Apology without empathy first is just a ritual, says Marshall Rosenberg

“Most of the time we apologise to another person we haven’t even empathised with them first. We don’t even realise that when we apologise without even giving empathy, in order to get forgiveness to ourselves, we are adding insult to injury. The other person needs empathy before they can trust that you have sincerely mourned what you did. No apology is trusted until we feel first that the other person empathises; otherwise it is just a ritual” (Marshall Rosenberg, Six Steps to Reconciliation & Forgiveness)