Sorry Quotes

"Sorry quotes" or quotes on or about apologies are an interesting way to learn about people's views on saying sorry.  While some are humorous and others profound, they all reflect on the human condition and show us how much we have in common.

Below is a listing of quotes gathered from public sources that we found to be particularly interesting.

"A businessman is the only man who is forever apologizing for his occupation." Gilbert K. Chesterton


"A stiff apology is a second insult... The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt." Gilbert K. Chesterton



"An apology for the devil: it must be remembered that we have heard one side of the case. God has written all the books." Samuel Butler


"An apology is a good way to have the last word." Author Unknown


"Apologies only account for that which they do not alter." Benjamin Disraeli


"An apology is the superglue of life. It can repair just about anything." Lynn Johnston


"An apology might help, but you can change your life without one." Robin Quivers


"An apology? Bah! Disgusting! Cowardly! Beneath the dignity of any gentleman, however wrong he might be." Steve Martin


"Apologizing - a very desperate habit - one that is rarely cured." Oliver Wendell Holmes


"Apology is only egotism wrong side out."
Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

Below are some recent additions to our sorry quote list.  If you know of any sorry quotes that you feel should be added to our list, please contact us we'd love to hear about them.

"Friends are God's apology for relations."
Hugh Kingsmill

"It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them."
P.G. Wodehouse


"I don't ask for an apology because it's only tomorrow's fish-and-chip paper." Tracey Emin


"If it's a good idea, go ahead and do it. It's much easier to apologize than it is to get permission." Grace Hopper


"In some families, please is described as the magic word. In our house, however, it was sorry." Margaret Laurence


"It takes a great deal of character strength to apologize quickly out of one's heart rather than out of pity. A person must possess himself and have a deep sense of security in fundamental principles and values in order to genuinely apologize."
Stephan Covey


"It will never do to plead sin as an excuse for sin, or to attempt to justify sinful acts by pleading that we have an evil heart. This instead of being a valid apology, is the very ground of our condemnation." Archibald Alexander


"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so you apologize for truth." Benjamin Disraeli


"Right actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past." Tryon Edwards


"Never make a defense or an apology until you are accused." King Charles I


"The only correct actions are those that demand no explanation and no apology." Red Auerbach


"The only good thing about punctuality is that it usually gets you an apology." Author Unknown


"Apology is a lovely perfume; it can transform the clumsiest moment into a gracious gift."
Margaret Lee Runbeck


"Maturity is the ability to reap without apology and not complain when things don't go well." Jim Rohn


"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." Lois Wyse


"Never ruin an apology with an excuse."
Kimberly Johnson



"When you realize you've made a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm." Dan Heist


"Keep your words soft and tender because tomorrow you may have to eat them."
Author Unknown

We hope that you enjoyed reading some of these sorry quotes and can appreciate them for what they are—an insightful look into one of the most famous quotes of all by Alexander Pope "...to err is human, to forgive divine..."

See our collection of quotes on forgiveness.

Or return from...
Sorry Quotes to Ways to Apologize