"I am sorry" - you probably said it like hundred times a day. What is that - just a figure of speech without real meaning? What is "I am sorry" for you when you use it and do you accept this phrase as an apology for insults or offense?

I'll answer myself first - unfortunatelly i don't accept it anymore. I've heard this phrase so many times after really bad things have been done I don't believe in it anymore. Maybe I've become an insensitive and cynic asshole. Just wonder what meaning it has for you?

It's thrown around too much, dosen't mean much. I'll admit I say it alot and don't mean it. It's pointless you need some emotion in it, but nowadays it's said with no feeling or meaning.

"I am sorry"...they're just words. They don't mean anything to me. If someone is really sorry, they should prove it.

Yeah, I agree with you guys, Sorry is said too much, people don't even think about when they're saying it anymore.

It definatly is a term that is carelessly used in our society.
People toss it around so much that even my forgiving parents are like, "You're just saying that to get out of trouble,". Also, I've been in friendships where feelings have been stomped over and people expect a simple "I'm sorry" to cover it, when they've said that hundreds of times before.
I think I'll start meaning what I say more now...
*leaves to excersize*

I could go into this huge emo rant about how no one is sorry, but I refuse to lower myself to that level. They're three words. People say them whether they mean them or not. It's all in the motivation to do so.

i agree also but i have to admit i say it a lot...

I know someone that says "No you're not! You're just trying to vacuum your conscience!" Everytime I say I'm sorry.

And then, if someone says "I'm hungry" or something, I'll say I'm sorry... but if I say it to my dad, he says, "Why? It's not your fault!" Fine I just won't ever say sorry again. rawr.

Gets on my nerves when people don't accept a real apology.

to me its just something you say, when you do something like accidently step on someones shoe, or spill something in someones car, but when it comes to serious stuff it doesnt mean anything really..

I don't know, people are always saying it, I say it all the time over little things But if you've done something REALLY bad, if you mean it then the words mean more, you can just tell, at least I can.

It's not always possible to prove you're sorry, sometimes I think it just comes down to how much you trust the person to decide whether you believe the words or not.

i too think that just "im sorry" CAN be said without meaning, but i can tell when people reallly mean it and when they dont, i also think that when people say "im so sorry" that its much more meaningful

When i say sorry I make sure I mean it. I'm not sorry for many things so I don't need to use it that much. I agree though, people use it way too much when it isn't meant or needed. It's become an easy route to solve a problem but eventually people will just push I am sorry to a side when it's said because you know that the person saying it probably doesn't mean it.

i get what you all are saying i say "o sorry" a lot but you can tell when i really mean it if something bad happens but i always thought there should be another word for sorry a less meaningful word

"I'm Sorry" can mean something, if the person really means it, and you can usually tell they do by the deliverly or the words.
Same with many things, like..."I love You"

I'm sorry means something the first time someone says it...
When someone says it lots of times, it becomes meaningless.

I've heard it so much in my life that it's just become a nothing to me. A word without a value.
It's used as an insult these days and used too commonly

Some people say actions speak louder than words and in this case i think they're right

Yeah I agree with Kirsty, if I am truely sorry, I make sure I mean it, i'll make a big deal about making sure they know I am sorry.

i usually only say sorry if i mean it. i just don't say it otherwise. as far as when someone says it to me, and it looks like they mean it, then i'll usually accept it. more than sorry has to be said though if they really upset me.

wow, you can tell when it's for real? Could I get some lessons from you?

I think it's all about telling if someone is lying or not, for example if they avoid your gaze or fidget when they are saying sorry its more likely they are lying than if they look you in the eye.

I think we say it because we are just too lazy to do something else to make up for whatever we have done. I know I have said it and don't necessarily mean it.

I'm not comfortable with the words: "I am sorry"
I've never really said it in my life because I feel strange to use it.
If I say it ... then it really means so much coming from me. But I see that the most of you don't take it like that. It's sad that those words lost the power of their real meaning because some people overuse it or something.
It sounds stupid but I think that when someone turns me down after I told them I was sorry, I'll be more hurt than the person I'm telling it to. And I can't stand it anyway to have a fight with someone. A lot of people know that, also people here online.

"Im sorry" are just words.Sometime people say it without meaning anything.Like when people kill someone and say sorry to the family.
You killed someone from their fuckin family you idiot.They arent gonna forgive you .

I don't say Sorry unless I mean it, which isn't very often, I'm never sorry.

Aha, how about when it's done by phone or text, when you don't see person face to face? How would you know?

I avoid eye contact when I say it and mean it though ...

I guess over the phone it would be easier to tell because if you know someone, you should be able to pick out if they are lying or not, but online or in a text? That is sort of up in the air because you don't know what the person is thinking.

Well i guess you could listen to the tone of their voice. I mean, if you have been talking to them for a while then you should be used to how their tone changes when they are happy or sad or excited etc. Some people are totally over the top when they live to try and make it more convincing while other speak extrmely quietly or even try to change the subject. i think it all depends on the person and like I said if you are used to how they talk you should be able to tell.

I think that people say it a lot because when we are little we are always forced to say sorry. Even if we don't mean it. It is a lot harder to say sorry by actions and it doesn't matter. You are a bunch of blunt people who don't forgive.. You know, it's like someone is genuinely apologizing to you and you're like "sorry doesn't cut it" with that attitiude, you'll just push people away.

ok, i would make task even harder - lets's say its just text messages.

^ I would text back and say that I would want to see the person. I want them to be able to say it to my face rather then say it over the phone or in a text or e-mail. If you mean it, you'll say it to my face.

yeah, sometimes that luxury is not available. then you truly fucked up

Is your aim to 'Challenge' everybody?

For me, how far sorry goes depends on the person that it comes from. If "I'm Sorry" comes from a person that usually does the right thing, or doesn't bug the hell out of me intentionally all the time, chances are I'm going to forgive them. On the other hand, if "I'm Sorry" comes from someone like my brother, who is constantly annoying me or calling me names, I'm not going to accept I'm sorry..he's going to have to earn that "I forgive you".

wtf? what's your problem?

Then it would probably be better to ring them. Text's bring across no emotions or feelings at all.

I don't have a problem, light up mate.

Just go face to face with that person and say sorry like you truly mean it. If they are in china,your screwed.

hahhah, yeah I totally agree with you

Its quite easy to tell if someones lying about their sorrow, its all in the voice.
Unless they're good actors.

I think it's become more of a phrase that doesn't even have a meaning behind it. There are the few times that people, including me, actually mean it - but other than that it's just overused. If you do something on accident, "I'm sorry" somehow makes it better? I think it's lost it's meaning.

i don't say it much... it doesn't feel right coming outta my mouth.
i'll say/scream it if i say/do something to my parents so i don't feel bad, though.

when i elbow someone or something in the hall they're always the ones to say sorry, not me.

You know, I am also not really believing in these words said to someone in troubles. I'll explain - you're talking to your mate/friend/stranger and telling them that your in trouble. Responce - "Oh, sorry". My usual reaction after that - "Go fuck yourself"

There's diffrent levels of "sorry". Maybe if you bump in to somebody you say sorry and it doesn't mean that much. But if you're truly sorry the words get so much stronger and I think it's important to say it sometimes...

To me they really are just words. I say them WAY too much, I do mean it a lot tho... but i never know if who i'm saying it to thinks it's sincere... I guess it depends on the situation, but and apology --a REAL apology-- needs more than just words...

oh yes.. go to them for advice and all you get is 'i'm sorry to hear that' or 'that sucks'

That probably means they have no idea what to say and they fall back on the over used phrase that we're all talking about.

i get what you're saying and i agree. everyone including myself has said "i'm sorry" just to get out of things, even if you weren't sorry. i sill accept someone saying they're sorry but only if i can see that they really mean it. it's all just words. same goes with "i love you". sometimes it's used too much and it loses meaning. hint redundant.

I think that's also an indication they don't give a damn about you and your friken problems.

Not always. I can remeber when I was about 12 my friend's mum was diagnosed with cancer. When she told me all I could say was I'm sorry and that 'She'll be fine'. How else could you respond to that. It was such a shock to me that even if I did have better advice i don't think I could have composed myself enough to say it. I guess it depends on your problem, and i can see how it can be annoying but sometimes it's hard to hear a friend is going through a painful time.

If I feel the need to say I'm sorry it's because I'm truly apologetic (sp?).
I hate it when people say they're sorry and you know they're just lying.
Makes me sick.