It seems like there are two standards for when a person should apologize . On one hand , you could say that a person should apologize in order to take accountability for their own wrongdoing . It is implied by this conceptualization that , when a person has done nothing ' wrong , ' there is no reason to apologize . On the other hand , you could say that a person should apologize any time when it is clear that another ' s pain or discomfort is a result of the person ' s actions either directly or indirectly . By this standard , a person is able to validate the legitimacy of the other person ' s concerns without admitting to having done any wrong . You can adopt whichever standard you please , but I think it ' s quite obvious which one would make you the nicer , more agreeable person . Now , there is a third scenario , which isn ' t actually an apology . Suppose your friend ' s pet died . You may say something along the lines of I ' m sorry that your pet died , although you have nothing to do with the death of their pet . You may not even care much for the pet and think that your friend is overreacting . In this case , you are merely expressing the fact that you feel bad that your friend feels bad . It is actually a crucial part of forming healthy relationships . In my opinion , people who believe that apologizing , or saying I ' m sorry , demonstrates some kind of fault of their own are performing a disservice to themselves , to their friends and loved ones , and to their community .