Tag Archives: speech

The Paris Olympics Excuse

After worldwide condemnation for the Dionysus-inspired revelry of the Opening Ceremony in July 2024 for the Paris Olympics, Anne Deschamps, a spokesperson for the Paris Olympics, gave an excuse for the Opening Ceremony. Although tendered as an apology, her statement … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Apologies That Don’t Work

Apologies are supposed to restore social relations. To repair the damage of an insult. To acknowledge that you’ve fallen short of what you promised. To acknowledge a wrong that you did or were part of, and start repairing the damage. … Continue reading

Posted in Conflict, Language | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Stress Response

The Stress Response is that set of physiological processes engaged when we face a challenging stimulus — a stressor. The Stress Response is commonly known as the Fight-or-Flight Response.(1) The stress hormones that are released energize your body to deal … Continue reading

Posted in Language, Stress | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Art of the Apology – Part 1

An apology is not about making yourself small or weak; it’s about restoring relationships. If you make yourself small or weak, this does not help the social group. If you restore the relationship, this helps the social group. There are … Continue reading

Posted in Language, The Language Toolkit | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Art of the Apology – Part 2

The way you apologize depends on whether you caused the hurt or whether someone or something else caused the hurt. There’s the direct apology: (1) Accept responsibility: “I’m sorry I upset you”, (2) Apologize: “when I ….” or “that I … Continue reading

Posted in Language, The Language Toolkit | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Art of the Apology – Part 3

Sometimes, we don’t know what to say or how to say it. There are times when the other person is so stuck in the emotional whirlpool of their anger that they are, quite literally, unable to hear the apology or … Continue reading

Posted in Language, The Language Toolkit | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Let’s Have a Festive — Not Feisty — Holiday

It’s that time of year again. You know, the one with Christmas trees, lights all over the place, Christmas carols, gifts, and family gatherings. There’s the later-remembered fun of finding a Christmas tree and decorating it. There’s often the dread … Continue reading

Posted in Conflict, Language | Tagged , , | Leave a comment