I came across this short story from Chris Guillebeau last month.
Grab a plate and throw it on the ground.
-Okay.
Did it break?
-Yes.
Now say sorry to it.
-Okay.
Did it go back to the way it was before?
-No.
Do you understand now?
There are at least three lessons in the story:
- If someone has hurt you, it doesn’t have to be magically okay. It will probably continue to hurt for a while.
- If you’ve hurt someone else, you should do everything you can to make it right—but you also shouldn’t expect it to be completely fixed.
- Whenever possible, avoid these situations in the first place. Don’t be careless with plates, or with people.
