Chances are that you've had to apologize plenty of times in your life. And there's a good chance that you've also expressed the phrase, "I never meant to hurt you."
＂Stop doing that＂, says author Caroline Myss.
In a talk Myss - a spiritual researcher - took on the topic of forgiveness and healing, and explained in no uncertain terms why "I never meant to hurt you" is never a sufficient apology, no matter who it comes from.
"Picture that person coming up to you and saying, 'Wow, I'm sorry I did this, but, you know , I never meant to hurt you. And, hey, can we just call it a day?"' Myss says.
Though it can make the two bury the hatchet and keep friendship, that type of apology won't sit well with the person on the receiving end. "That whole little thing - 'I never meant to hurt you' - that's the thing you can't forgive," she says. "It goes right to your soul, that toxic (有毒的,中毒的 ) , sick feeling."
Instead, Myss says it's important to approach the conversation differently. Basically, it's about offering more than an apology. It's about sharing a soul-to-soul confession (仟悔) . "Let's redo the scene," Myss says. "The person comes up to you and says... ＂I need to tell you something. I consciously knew what I was doing. I know I went against you. This is not an apology. 1 am confessing my soul to you, and I'm asking now for your forgiveness."
Even saying those words on stages makes Myss visibly emotional, and she points out that this is how deeply apologies within the soul are supposed to resonate (引起共鸣) .
"That's what heals," she says.
24. What does Myss think of the expression "I never meant to hurt you"?
A. It must put the friendship to an end.
B. It is a great way to express the apology.
C. It doesn't have any effect on restoring the relation.
D. It can't express the apology thoroughly and sincerely.
25. What does the underlined phrase "bury the hatchet" mean?
A. end the friendship B. make up
C. bury the fighting tool D. accept the apology
26. How should we apologize according to Myss?
A. We should confess our faults and ask for forgiveness.
B. We should say sincerely "I never meant to hurt you".
C. We can go into a deep conversation to argue with our friend.
D. We are supposed to make up with the other by giving some gifts to him.
27. What is the author's purpose of writing the passage? .
A. To encourage people to apologize first.
B. To tell people how to apologize sincerely.
C. To introduce the topic of forgiveness and healing.
D. To explain why people can't say "I never meant to hurt you".