I liked the article and I absolutely get where it comes from. I'm also "guilty" of apologizing a lot.

However, at the same time, it makes me a little sad being how much focus we (as a society) are putting into stigmatizing vulnerability.

As I wrote in my latest article (it's pinned in my profile if you are interested), "I'm sorry" can mean many different things. And that's fine because languages are dynamic and adapt to represent our culture and circumstances. I agree it may be ideal to be able to find the exact words all the time to express ourselves more assertively. However, that's obviously not always possible.

Although I know it's naïve, I strive to put my energy on the other side. I don't want to continue punishing "vulnerability" and bashing myself (or others!) for saying sorry so often. On the other hand, I would like to see people become more accepting of different realities. I wish not everything in life weren't reduced to a battle of giving up/taking in power.

I know that I can't choose how others behave and I only have power (I know, jokes on me) over my actions. But that's why, for me, sorry can mean many different things, and "thank you for understanding" doesn't necessarily equate to any of them.