Words You Regret—You can’t unsay what you said—but you can stop saying it. Begin with: ‘I’m sorry. I feel bad about it. I’ll strive to do better!’
Words You Regret: How to Swallow Pride, Say Sorry, and Actually Mean It
“Words You Regret—You can’t unsay what you said—but you can stop saying it. Begin with: ‘I’m sorry. I feel bad about it. I’ll strive to do better!’”
Oof. That quote hits like a slap and a hug.
We’ve all been there. Mouth opens, words fly, and suddenly you’re staring at a mess you can’t mop up. It happens fast—and it lingers. But here’s the truth: while you can’t rewind, you can redirect.
Let’s break down the damage control plan for when your mouth writes checks your heart doesn’t want to cash.
You Can’t Unsay It… and That Stings
Once those syllables hit the air, they’re airborne missiles—launched, landed, and often lodged deep. Take Buzz Malone. At a party, he blurts to Darla Daydream, “You’re too loud for your own good.” He meant it as a joke. Her face said it landed like an insult wrapped in a slap.
No rewind. No unsend. Just the awkward silence of a moment that can’t be undone. And guess what? We’ve all had a Jim moment.
But here’s what matters most: what you do next.
Stop the Bleed: Don’t Make It Worse
You can’t unsay it. But you can stop repeating it. Jim didn’t double down with, “Relax, I’m just being honest,” or worse, “You always overreact.” He shut it down. No damage control speech. Just a pause.
Sometimes silence isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom in sneakers. That “walk away” move? It’s not quitting. It’s choosing not to dig deeper when you’ve already hit rock-bottom with your comment.
Say the Hard Stuff: I’m Sorry. I Feel Bad. I’ll Strive to Do Better.
This is where the grown-up shoes go on.
Apologies can feel like chewing glass, but nothing rebuilds trust faster. One guy shared this: he snapped at his sister Nibbles McGee for leaving dishes in the sink. Called her a slob. Her eyes went glassy. He felt like garbage.
So, he said: “I’m sorry. I feel rotten. I’ll chill out next time.”
No, it didn’t fix the dishes. But it fixed them.
Those three little sentences—I’m sorry. I feel bad. I’ll strive to do better—are humble, healing, and human. No excuses. No “but you also…” Just ownership, empathy, and a plan to grow. That’s what real strength looks like.
✍️ Note to Self: Next time you’re tempted to drop a zinger, picture it tattooed on your forehead. Still wanna say it?
The Word-Regret Recovery Plan
Got a case of foot-in-mouth? Good news: you’re not alone. But don’t camp there—course-correct.
Try this:
- Hit pause before you pounce.
- If you mess up, own it out loud.
- Strive to be better—not perfect, just better.
Words can be weapons or bridges. You choose which.
When in doubt? Chew on the thought, not on the person.
What’s one moment you wish you could “un-say”? How’d you move forward—or how could you?
AI Sidekick Alert: Today’s Quote was unpacked and shaped with more than a little help from my brilliant, behind-the-scenes AI tools.
About Tony
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Tony Brigmon | Speaker—Emcee | TonyBrigmon.com
Tony Brigmon is a party animal. He’s been known to stay up well past nine o’clock drinking root beer and telling G-rated jokes. Sure, the neighbors complain, but that doesn’t stop him. Because Tony is serious about having fun. Serious fun, with serious results.
As a result of his questionable spelling skills, Tony learned at an early age that his name spelled backward is “YNOT.” As in, “YNOT take a closer look at his book?” Or “YNOT smile when you should be crying?”
Tony was a Southwest Airlines “Insider” and the former “face” of their renowned culture as their official “Ambassador of Fun”. At Southwest Airlines, “fun” was the power of “positivity” that helped catapult a small carrier into a force that changed the airline industry.
Today, Tony is a popular speaker, emcee, and author of The FUNomenal™ Workplace. (FUNomenal™ is pronounced the same as phenomenal but it’s a lot more FUN.)
Former CEO of Southwest Airlines Howard Putnam says: “Tony has a gift for blending fun and capturing ideas in a manner that sticks for audiences.” Tony’s friends say that no one should have so much fun while sober. Tony’s wife said she has had about all the cheerfulness she can stand.
“Fun” transformed this author’s work and life. YNOT discover if the serious power of fun can transform the next 30 seconds of your day or 30 years of your life?
YNOT arrange to have Tony Brigmon teach you and your team how the power of fun can help you get more done, bring out the best in everyone, and make you irresistibly attractive in your communication with others. You can do this. So, YNOT?
