An effective apology contains within it the answer to the question, "How am I to be held accountable?"

One of the most useful tasks of apology is to bring home to us how keenly, honestly, and painfully past generations pursued aims that now seem to us wrong and disgraceful. It behooves us to consider if future geenrations will similarly regard the aims we most defend today.

The purpose of apology is to extend ourselves in such a way that relationships become deeper, and life becomes richer and more human in the process.

You don't have to see eye-to-eye to walk hand-in-hand. You just have to want to go in the same direction.

Progress occurs one apology at a time.

Apologies have more power than most of us realize to restore strained relationships, free us from vengeful impulses, and create possibilities for growth.

Apology may start as a feeling, a desire to make matters right, but it requires a commitment to move that desire into practice, to actually take on the great courageous task of showing compassion to others.