Are People Sorry For What They Do
Or For Getting Caught Doing It?

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Published by Rachelle Disbennett-Lee
Monday, February 11, 2002
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I always wonder when people are caught doing something and they apologize. Are they sorry for committing the act or sorry for getting caught? If they were sorry for doing it, wouldn't they have come forward on their own and claimed responsibility?

We all do things that we later regret. When we realize we have made a mistake the right thing to do is take responsibly and admit to the mistake. Make amends for the error in judgment and go on with life. Admitting to our mistakes will get us in a lot less trouble and be a lot less work than trying to cover up the folly in judgment.

Another way to avoid embarrassing moments is to use consequential thinking. If we simply give ourselves a few moments to think through what we are about to do, we could then have the opportunity to discontinue the activity if the end result was not acceptable. One of the best questions to ask before taking action is, "What is the worst thing that can happen and can I live with it?" If the answer to part two of the question, "can I live with it" is no, stop.

Coaching

If we would just give ourselves a moment to consider what the consequences of exposure to an act might mean, we may rethink what we do. It is great to live in the moment. But, we have to realize that everything we do in this moment affects the next. We will get caught either by our conscience or by someone else. The question to ask is, "Is this the outcome I want to live with?"

Are you prepared to get caught?

Daily Success Formula

Getting Caught = Not taking responsibility

Quotes

"Getting caught is the mother of invention." Robert Byrne

"Every choice carries a consequence. For better or worse, each choice is the unavoidable consequence of its predecessor. There are no exceptions. If you can accept that a bad choice carries the seed of its own punishment, why not accept the fact that a good choice yields desirable fruit?" Gary Ryan Blair

"Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm. But the harm does not interest them." T.S. Eliot