Three little words
15/01/09 11:33 Filed in: Current Events
According to the Irish Independent, on ‘Today with Pat Kenny’ last Wednesday the general manager of the D4 hotel chain declared that all rooms were available at €20.09, including the penthouse “if you are lucky”.
“It's €20.09, our rooms per night. All our rooms, every single room,” general manager Sarah Curran said on Wednesday.
Unsurprisingly the hotels—including the Ballsbridge Inn and the Ballsbridge Court Hotel—were inundated. But apparently only a certain number of rooms had been set at the €20.09 price and staff turned customers away when they ran out of the preset rooms.
Ms Curran returned to the programme the next day and performed the usual trio of tactics we employ when caught out:
1. Play with the words. She said that when she said ‘all rooms’ she meant ‘all rooms marked at the €20 price’—which of course could mean one room in the whole complex!
2. Blame others for misunderstanding you. “Apologies if that's what was perceived.” Apparently it wasn’t her fault, but it was the perception of others.
3. Under no circumstances admit you were wrong.
It’s hardly fair to pick on Ms Curran, in fact we could have picked any number of celebrities, sportsmen, politicians etc who similarly fail to admit responsibility.
We hear these phrases all the time. “I’m sorry if you were offended”. “It was a misunderstanding”. “My behaviour was inappropriate”. We hear it all the time.
What we never hear is: “I’m sorry, I was wrong.” Instead we get all sorts of euphemisms, wriggling and rewriting of events.
Sometimes we get, “I would like to issue an apology” – maybe I’m being picky but if you would like to issue an apology then why not do it and say, “I’m sorry, I was wrong.” Occasionally we do get someone saying, “I’m sorry,” but they seldom admit that they were in the wrong. What they appear to mean is that they were sorry that they got caught. Other times we get, “I’m sorry if I’ve caused offence,” which again shirks responsibility, almost blaming others for being petty enough to be offended.
“I was wrong” – three little words, but perhaps the hardest to say.
Not only is it a vital lesson for life, its also the first step in approaching God. I was wrong. I have failed. Forgive me please. Or as the tax collector in Jesus’ parable said, “God have mercy on me, the sinner.” (Luke 18:13)
Is that too hard for us to say?
“It's €20.09, our rooms per night. All our rooms, every single room,” general manager Sarah Curran said on Wednesday.
Unsurprisingly the hotels—including the Ballsbridge Inn and the Ballsbridge Court Hotel—were inundated. But apparently only a certain number of rooms had been set at the €20.09 price and staff turned customers away when they ran out of the preset rooms.
Ms Curran returned to the programme the next day and performed the usual trio of tactics we employ when caught out:
1. Play with the words. She said that when she said ‘all rooms’ she meant ‘all rooms marked at the €20 price’—which of course could mean one room in the whole complex!
2. Blame others for misunderstanding you. “Apologies if that's what was perceived.” Apparently it wasn’t her fault, but it was the perception of others.
3. Under no circumstances admit you were wrong.
It’s hardly fair to pick on Ms Curran, in fact we could have picked any number of celebrities, sportsmen, politicians etc who similarly fail to admit responsibility.
We hear these phrases all the time. “I’m sorry if you were offended”. “It was a misunderstanding”. “My behaviour was inappropriate”. We hear it all the time.
What we never hear is: “I’m sorry, I was wrong.” Instead we get all sorts of euphemisms, wriggling and rewriting of events.
Sometimes we get, “I would like to issue an apology” – maybe I’m being picky but if you would like to issue an apology then why not do it and say, “I’m sorry, I was wrong.” Occasionally we do get someone saying, “I’m sorry,” but they seldom admit that they were in the wrong. What they appear to mean is that they were sorry that they got caught. Other times we get, “I’m sorry if I’ve caused offence,” which again shirks responsibility, almost blaming others for being petty enough to be offended.
“I was wrong” – three little words, but perhaps the hardest to say.
Not only is it a vital lesson for life, its also the first step in approaching God. I was wrong. I have failed. Forgive me please. Or as the tax collector in Jesus’ parable said, “God have mercy on me, the sinner.” (Luke 18:13)
Is that too hard for us to say?