The Right Apology Includes Changed Behavior

Words are the easiest part of saying sorry. The real apology lives in what happens next -- in the pattern that breaks, in the effort that didn't exist before. If someone keeps apologizing for the same thing, they're not sorry; they're managing your reaction. And if you keep accepting apologies without change, you're teaching them that words are enough. An apology without altered behavior is just a receipt for the next time they do it.