Sunday, July 20, 2008

Stop the Argument -- 3 Steps to Apologizing to a Friend


It’s important to apologize if you’ve done something to hurt a friend and the two of you ended up having an argument. Sometimes it’s hard to tell someone you’re sorry, that you’re in the wrong. However, there are ways to make up and save the friendship.


Here are tips on fixing and keeping your relationship:


  • Don’t wait too long. Let your tempers cool down, but don’t end up waiting too long. Talk to your friend about the argument. Chances are your friend feels as badly as you do. Talking about the problem might keep you and your friend from arguing about the same thing later. If you don’t take care of the problem, the next time, it could be an even bigger issue.

  • Try to understand why your friend’s feelings were hurt. We’re all different people, and we see things differently. Ask them to also understand why the argument happened, and explain why you felt the way you did.

  • Tell your friend you’re sorry and you’ll try not to let it happen again. Your friend needs to know you care about him and his feelings.


    • Even though friendship is work, it’s worth it. Can you imagine your life without friends? You won’t have to worry about that if you use the three steps listed above. Your friends will be glad you care enough about them to work on your friendships.

      2 comments:

      Carma Dutra said...

      Lisa, it is better to teach children how to apologize not just for the sake of it but for learning a lesson that friendship is more important.

      Carma
      http://carmaswindow.blogspot.com

      Judy said...

      Hi Lisa,
      We always had the rule that it was necessary to say I am sorry for "whatever is was. We felt it made them more aware of others feelings.

      Learning to recognize the value of our friends is a lesson that should be learned sooner rather than later.
      Thanks for such a thoughtful post.

      Judy
      http://www.localfoodconnections.com