Saying "I'm sorry" has become a social mechanism. We don't feel it, we don't realize it, but we say it. It's not quite clear how the system started. Probably when the cavemen first experimented with fire and one of them charred the other's dwelling and family, he might have looked in awe at the result of his small experiment, scratched his head and mumbled something expressing both regret and fear of punishment. As centuries passed and the reasons for regret and fear of punishment increased tremendously, we developed this all-purpose, all-comprising phrase "I'm sorry". But how does it really work, and what does it really mean in the present? Let's just examine a few classic situations. "I'm sorry, I don't have the change for 100 dollars". Really! The truth is I'm not sorry at all, you have the choice to leave 98 dollars worth of shopping behind, or leave me an extra 2 dollars. I'm not sorry at all, but I still say it. "I'm sorry, the manager is in a meeting and cannot be disturbed." Truth be said, I'm relieved he's in a meeting, because he really didn't want to talk to you and would certainly belabour me afterwards. "We are sorry, the AOL customer is not answering. Please call back later." Now that's getting even better. Automatic response machines have entered the social excuse system as well. But I've kept the best for last. "Sorry, the operating system has encountered a fatal error and needs to shut down." Indeed, you fried my hard disk, I'm losing my work for the last 3 months, but the OS is sorry. And how exactly can it understand the concept of being sorry? Mainly, that implies "being", "living", "existing" and of course it's not the case with computers (yet). They are just the innocent victims of our social mechanisms and prejudices. In my country there is the habit of addressing women with a polite (now rather abandoned be the younger generation) phrase that could be translated by "kiss your hand". In the past it really was the habit of kissing women's hands as a form of salute. Little by little, the gesture became blamed as an intrusion on privacy and intimacy and people simply changed the gesture with the words describing it, in a desperate attempt to reconcile politeness and the respect of privacy. I have and aunt I can't stand. She's a snob and gets on my nerves. And yet, every time I see her, I salute her with "kiss your hand". It's my personal social mechanism I can't get rid of. And yet, I still think it's stupid. Both that I should say that to her, since can't see eye to eye with her; and that when I meet a nice, polite, good looking man, he should just say the words instead of actually kissing my hand. The last social mechanism that comes to my mind now is the recent uproar of "harassments". Now men are simply afraid to admire a beautiful woman, or vice-versa, for fear of a harassment suit. Let's get real! We all like to be admired deep inside. What really makes us shun all these forms of attention is not really fear of some sexual deviant, but fear that we should look shallow, easy or in any way of doubtful morals if we enjoy these faraway and non-committal tokens of admirations. So, gentlemen, you have my full approval to look at me, turn your heads, whistle and honk if you happen to be in the car. And kiss my hand, of course. For all the opinions expressed above I'm not sorry. I'm fact, I'm rather proud of all of them.