My friends and I were packed in the car together while carpooling. Every time the driver would make a sharp turn, one friend (sitting to the left of me the middle seater) would inadvertently lean against me. And every single time she apologized! I finally had to tell her that she didn’t need to apologize for the laws of gravity.

I definitely agree that our habit of apologizing is very much rooted in societal expectations for us to not take up space, not be assertive, and to not come off as ‘intimidating’ or ‘domineering’. We’re called bossy/bitchy in situations where a guy would be called ‘assertive/a good leader’. I continue to remind myself that unless I’ve done something worth apologizing over that leading in anything with ‘sorry’ is a mistake. Thanks so much for sharing!