2026-03-30 03:59 UTC
Have seen the word ‘regretful’ in news stories twice today, both times dubiously used in a pro forma apology. Is this tortured usage standard for nonpologies?
“‘Your honor, I understand that my actions are regretful,’ he told the judge who heard his case. Although he knew he’d broken the law, he silently stewed, believing he was a victim of government retribution…” (Jan. 6 rioter quoted in WaPo)
If regret is genuine, it’s felt by a subject, not vaguely pinned near some actions.
Replies (1)
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@faerye@pie.gd 2026-03-30 04:05
(The other apologizer was a bodyguard who does not work for Chappell Roan, who intimidated a mother and child at a hotel in Brazil, they thought on behalf of Chappell Roan. The end of his public statement reads “My sole interaction with the mother was calm and with good intentions, and the outcome of the encounter is regretful.")