Yes, Des Spence's letter to his younger self was good and refreshing.
But there is this bit: "apologising to them doesn’t mean you were wrong".
If that's current usage, and I don't deny that it is, then sooner or later
we shall need a new word that does mean you were wrong.
Mr. Blair expressed "regret" for invading Iraq without saying that he
is "sorry" and the question "Is that an apology?" was left unanswered.
However, governments freely apologise for actions of long-ago generations
for which they cannot possibly be responsible.
If the 23-year-old Dr. Spence is a bit bewildered by this part of the
message, I don't blame him.
Competing interests:
When I apologise it means I acknowledge I was wrong - but I am a bit last-century.
Rapid Response:
What does apologise mean?
Yes, Des Spence's letter to his younger self was good and refreshing.
But there is this bit: "apologising to them doesn’t mean you were wrong".
If that's current usage, and I don't deny that it is, then sooner or later
we shall need a new word that does mean you were wrong.
Mr. Blair expressed "regret" for invading Iraq without saying that he
is "sorry" and the question "Is that an apology?" was left unanswered.
However, governments freely apologise for actions of long-ago generations
for which they cannot possibly be responsible.
If the 23-year-old Dr. Spence is a bit bewildered by this part of the
message, I don't blame him.
Competing interests:
When I apologise it means I acknowledge I was wrong - but I am a bit last-century.
Competing interests: No competing interests