“I was wrong” can be three words harder to spit out than you might think at first, and they can be even harder to get right. However, they are some of the most important words to say (and mean) when you mess up, no matter how superficial it may seem. Sometimes it isn’t enough just to say you’re sorry; accountability takes many forms. In fact, it’s rarely a simple apology.
Taking action on that promise, and doing so because you care, takes strength and maturity that can be the deciding factor for whether or not your relationship will recover. Beyond this, it’s just a plain good habit to want to improve. Once you can admit your mistakes though, you’ll both be able to breathe new air, and everyone involved will end up better off than before.
Before you even say it, you feel shaky. It’s not always so easy to realize, and sometimes you might not want to give up your perceived moral high ground. It can take restraint to swallow your pride when you think you’re right and choose your relationship over your own desires, but if you care for this person, it’s imperative that you don’t choose the latter. Whether or not you’ve made serious mistakes, you can’t be upset when left without forgiveness. So forget your ego! You should always be ready to take accountability for your actions, even at its expense.
Admitting you’re wrong is just the first step to take. You have to make a promise to do better and mean it. It will always help to try to cover an open wound than leave it out to dry. The smallest bit of lingering negativity can build up and whittle a relationship away, so it’s never worth risking the tension; otherwise you risk drifting apart even further.
Real closure will only come about through taking accountability, but it will let you finally breathe the fresh air you’ve been missing by holding in the words that you need to say. Taking accountability in itself can push you to do better in the future.
It’s not always going to be visible, and your actions going further will probably not be met with acknowledgement, but when you improve and do better for others, everybody you engage with will benefit from the better you.
Admitting when you’re wrong can help to rebuild lost trust, it encourages you to learn and be a better person in your relationship. Showing that you care by admitting even small mistakes shows that you’re self aware, and are constantly looking to improve as well. It’s always sexy to be a good person.
