Pantene Ad - Women Apologizing Too Much?

[meikle]

I haven't got a clue what people think about it. I guess someone could think that because I apologize for them bumping into me, I don't mean my apology when I apologize for losing my temper or being unkind or something. That just seems awfully... strange?

When behavior is examined on a sociological level, it often doesn't make a lot of sense or seems counter-intuitive on a personal level.

Looking at the paper I posted, the thing to take away from it is not "the more you, personally, apologize, the less people will believe you are sincere," but rather, "because we belong to a segment of the population that is expected to behave a particular way, people are more likely to assume we're only following social guidelines and not behaving sincerely." 

As with a lot of social phenomenon, people don't necessarily realize they're doing it, likely aren't doing it consciously or purposefully, but we reach these conclusions by comparing data points (why are people more likely to say that they expected an apology from women?  Why are people more likely to say that apologies from women are less sincere?) and trying to make sense of them.

[rou]

That actually clears things up a lot, meikle. (: Makes more sense to me now. I should really get on top of my Sociology. xD

[gaggedLouise]

*nods* Men toss a lot less smiles at strangers, to grease some kind of quick social interaction, than women do - feel obliged to do...

[Thesunmaid]

Men are from Mars
Women are from Canada

As a Canadian woman...hehe i suppose I sort of break this rule. I do not apologize..If you look at my title I was called this once...It was meant to be an insult but I grinned and said thanks!
I do not apologize unless I actually need to like say...I accidentally knock something over...I bang into someone because I am not paying attention or on occasion at work when I need to stop a flow of stupid.(the last only being there because I will get fired if I don't)
I do try to help people...we have cruise ships that come into my city all summer long...I was trying to get through our farmers market...and for some reason tourists seem to like congregating around door ways. This particular one was a double door way but this group was blocking off both doors.Myself and a old lady with a walker were trying to get through. I politely said..excuse me....was ignored...said it a bit louder....again was ignored...finally I used my not so Canadian voice and growled"Move!"The people who were ignoring me looked startled but moved. Some one looked at me and said that was rather rude!" Then the little old lady who was behind me and following me out the door said"She was not being rude dear...you were...personally if I were the one who was trying to get through I would have kicked you." I then walked and chatted with the lady whose name turned out to be Iris to the church across the street from my building. I do not apologize for being myself..and I speak my mind...if it makes me rude and bitchy so be it.

We should try and be polite when the situation needs it...but then there are just times when you have to body check your way through life. Sometimes apologies are necessary...but when they are not I will be damned if I say I am sorry for something that's not my fault. I had someone ask me to be honest(most of the time when someone says this they don't mean it...who would have thought..) So I was...they did not speak to me for a month and someone commented "well you should say your sorry." I replied"But i'm not sorry...and they needed to hear it." The person came back a month later and said at the time they hated me for it but they realized that they needed to hear it.

So yeah apologizing when necessary...like you do something actually wrong..have at it..I do dumb shit sometimes I apologize..but when I do people who know me know I mean it because I actually feel badly...not because I am trying to grease some social wheel or appease someone.(unless i am at work...but that's required to keep getting a pay check)