We live in a world where some people hurt others multiple times and expect that saying "sorry" will make everything okay. But what many forget is that while "sorry" might heal a wound, it cannot remove the scar. Saying sorry once can be accepted as a mistake, but when the same action is repeated, especially in the same situation, it can no longer be seen as an accident.
For example, imagine someone accidentally hits you with a stick and says "sorry." Since it’s the first time, you may accept that it was truly a mistake. But what if the person does it again and again, still saying "sorry" each time? How would you feel? Would you still believe it was a mistake? The answer is clear.
A few weeks ago, I visited a school to see my friend, who teaches there. As I entered the compound, I noticed a student (let’s call him Student A) running after another student (Student B). Student B kept shouting, "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" but Student A caught up with him and slapped him. A fight was about to start when I quickly stepped in.
"Stop that! Why did you hit him?" I asked Student A.
"Sir, he splashed sachet water on my shirt and ran away," he replied.
"But he was telling you sorry," I said.
"Yes, sir, but this is the third time he has done this. I already told him I don’t like this kind of play, but he keeps doing it," Student A explained.
At that moment, Student B interrupted, "But sir, I told him sorry!"
I turned to him and asked, "How many times have you done this? Was it up to three times?"
"Yes, sir, but it was a mistake, and I said sorry," he replied.
"You did the same thing three times and still expect him to accept your sorry? If you were in his shoes, would you?" I asked. He had no answer and just looked at me. At that point, I knew it wasn’t a mistake, it was intentional.
I told them both to go back to class and warned Student B never to do it again.
In life, many of us face similar situations where people hurt us repeatedly and expect a simple "sorry" to fix everything. We must understand why we say "sorry" and not just say it without meaning.
Whenever you say sorry, it should mean you won’t repeat the same mistake.
Sorry can heal the pain caused by your actions, but it cannot erase the scar left behind.
A mistake that happens once can be forgiven as an accident, but when it keeps happening, it becomes a habit, not a mistake.
Let’s do the right thing and avoid saying "sorry" for the same mistakes over and over again.
