The Five Languages of Apology - Gary Chapman & Jennifer Thomas

[goodreads]

Title: The Five Languages of Apology
Author: Gary Chapman & Jennifer Thomas
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 260
Date read: February, 2013

Just as you have a different love language, you also hear and express the words and gestures of apology in a different language. It's not just a matter of that you apologize but also how you apologize. By helping people identify the languages of apology, this book clears the way toward healing and sustaining vital relationships. The authors detail proven techniques for giving and receiving effective apologies.

The five languages of apology are: Expressing regret, Accepting responsibility, Making restitution, Genuinely repenting, Requesting forgiveness.

Unfortunately not nearly as good as "The Five Love Languages". I do think the authors have a point, that there are different languages of apology, but I found it a lot harder to relate to the differences between the languages, and I still have absolutely no clue what my primary language of apology is!

It's not a book I'd want to read in one sitting - although that's what I did with TFLL - because as it's a book about apology you're automatically made to think of times when you owed others an apology, or they owed you one. Made for rather depressing reading at times.

Gary and Jennifer do have some good points at times though, and while I still have no idea what neither my own nor my husband's language of apology is, I now know to rephrase my apology using several different ones. Besides, I do know one or two that it's definitely NOT, so that always helps.

Comments

[breathingbooks.livejournal.com]

Don't you need ALL of those for a good apology?!

[bogormen.livejournal.com]

Depends on the infraction I suppose. I wouldn't expect such elaborate apology if somebody was just apologizing for e.g. bumping into me on the train. But yes, for a really heartfelt apology, I agree.

The idea is that people hear one of those languages as more "genuine" than the others, and are more likely to accept the apology, or believe the sincerity of it, if that language is spoken. I can follow the idea in theory, but am not sure I agree with in in practice.