If someone says that you hurt them, YOU DO NOT GET TO DECIDE THAT YOU DID NOT.

Apologizing by saying, “IF I…” is not an acknowledgement that you’ve harmed someone. You’re still defending your INTENT rather than responding to the IMPACT. And impact is what people remember. What’s that cliché/adage? The road to hell is paved with good intentions…

Learn to sow peace by honoring others’ experiences, and 3 things are going to happen: (1) You will begin to monitor and manage your own interactions for maximum peace—maybe even recognizing that your tone, word choices, and actions aren’t as good as you THINK they are (like you REALLY ARE A JERK); (2) You will force other people —who are reactive emotionally—to begin to reflect on their experiences and maybe learn to manage their emotions better; or (3) You will learn who in your life is committed to drama and govern yourself accordingly.