Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth.

Feeling is information, not a lapse in manners. When you say sorry for tears or anger, you treat an honest signal as a mess you made, and you quietly teach the people around you to hide the same thing. Composure has its uses, but it is a choice about timing, not a duty to pretend.

Watch for the reflex apology this week, the one that follows a shaky voice. Try letting the moment stand without the disclaimer, then carry on with what you were saying. If you need something afterwards, ask for it plainly rather than apologising for having needed it.