How to ask for forgiveness (and look good) in 6 steps

Asking for forgiveness can be complicated if we don't find the right words. And finding them can be decisive if we want the other person to forgive us. But sometimes it is not enough to find the right word, but the most important thing is how to do it.

We all make mistakes, but not all of us are capable of making a good apology. That is why we explain how to ask for forgiveness in the best way if you want to show sincere repentance and make peace with the other person.

How to apologize effectively

Here are the guidelines you should follow if you really want to apologize:

1. admit your mistakes

Before knowing how to ask for forgiveness, the first step is to acknowledge and accept that you did something wrong. If you are not aware that something may have upset the other person, you will not believe in the need to apologize and no matter how hard you try to show regret, it will not seem sincere. Sincerity with others and with oneself is the key, so you must be honest and admit that you may have made a mistake.

In turn, not knowing what could have caused anger will not allow you to communicate with the other person. Before apologizing, you must let the other person know that you recognize and recognize your mistake. This will let them know that you understand their reaction in the first place and that you are willing to take the consequences.

2. show repentance

Once you have recognized your mistakes and have assumed the consequences, the next step on how to ask for forgiveness is show sincere regret for your actions. It is not enough to point them out and accept them, but you must show the other person that you also think it is something harmful and that it will not happen again.

It may seem like an obvious point, but the truth is that one of the reasons why most people it is difficult to apologize is that they are not willing to give in so easily and make it explicit that they have done something wrong.

Never say Never. It is also not easy to promise that you will not make the same mistake again, but letting the other person know that you do not want it to be repeated is necessary to restore their confidence.

3. Clarification

Once it has been shown that the error is recognized and there is repentance, Clarifying what happened is necessary so as not to leave any problem unresolved. It is good to know how to ask for forgiveness, but it is best to know first if the situation can be fixed. Not all the predicaments that can lead us to anger will be impossible to solve.

It may even be that there have been misunderstandings between you and everything comes to nothing. They say that things are fixed by talking, and that may be the case in this case. Therefore, talking about what happened will be beneficial for both of you and you will be able to better understand the problem and possible solutions.

4. Do not look for other culprits

It may be that while trying to clarify the previous point, sensitive issues have arisen or it has come to the fore that the problems are not only yours. It is even possible that the other person may have been partly at fault in the argument. In any case, do not blame the other.

If you try to point to the other person as the source of your reaction or your actions, you will be showing him that you do not want to assume your responsibilities. Also think that what you're trying to do is apologize, not justify yourself, so trying to make excuses for what happened will only make the situation worse.

5. Don't take it as a competition

Not taking it as a competition is essential to solve the situation, because here nobody loses or wins. It is easy for the argument to end in seeing who is right and what you are looking for is to turn the tables, but you should never take the fact of asking for forgiveness as a defeat or as a sign of weakness.

Nor should you see obtaining an apology as a triumph over the other, because the objective here is to achieve her forgiveness and heal your relationship. So put your ego aside and assume that the only purpose is conciliation.

6. Propose a compensation

The damage will already be done, but you can always try to make up for your mistake in some way. Whether proposing some gesture of generosity or some kind of arrangement, show the other person that you intend to make amends or make up for it.

If you show interest in fixing the problem or having a gesture with the other person, it shows them that you care about the relationship and that you are trying to do everything you can to keep it going.

7. Don't apologize, ask for forgiveness

The question is not only to apologize, but to ask for the other's forgiveness. If you explicitly ask for forgiveness, you are giving the other person the option of responding to your request and giving them the responsibility to settle the argument.

It is important that for this You can leave a space of time for them to assimilate the situation and decide. Even if it's someone you won't see again, it's still beneficial to apologize and make amends before going your separate ways. In this way you will not leave pending issues that may cause you regrets in the future.

Once all this is done, all that remains is to wait for the other person's response and forgiveness. Apologizing will continue to be a complicated and uncomfortable task, but we hope that these tips on how to ask sorry help you prove that they are really sincere and that you have done everything in your power to prove it.