It’s hard to get a real apology these days. Sometimes you’ll get the backhanded variety, like “I’m sorry your feelings are hurt.” That’s really just as bad as no apology at all.
I used to hate to apologize but decided in most cases, I’d rather be the one to make the move to heal the hurt than walk around wounded or wounding others. An apology can build bridges…sometimes.
Just because you give an apology doesn’t mean it will be accepted. I was a realllllllllllll asshole to someone in college. I was 18 or 19 and had the social finesse of a bulldozer. I was a complete jerk to a very kind person. When I realized later how dreadful I’d been, I tried to apologize, because I never meant to be hurtful. He refused to accept my apology. We are not pals.
Other times, either saying or hearing a heartfelt apology has changed the course of everything for the better. Honest words, no BS, no ego, can soothe, heal. Being genuinely sorry is meaningful. It just seems like in today’s world, folks don’t want to say “sorry;” instead, they just want to be right.