The Power of Words

We all know Justin Bieber. As a celebrity he is constantly in the news. In the past few months it has not always been for positive reasons. Justin’s streak of bad publicity continued this past week when two old videos leaked to the public; both videos were of Justin telling jokes using the “n” word.  After the first video Justin Bieber came out with a written apology, which is what I would like to focus on.

I really liked this article written about how well Justin and his team handled this situation. I agree with what they said and it really made me think about what makes a good apology. There seems to have been a lot of racial comments made lately by public figures and they are now taking the heat. As these issues happen, whether a racial comment or other unpleasing comment is made, an apology is necessary for someone’s reputation. Just the lack of an apology will likely harm a reputation.

As I thought about how I would advise Justin on his apology I thought of some key points. The key to the apology is to own up to the mistake. Nobody wants to hear your excuses even if they are really good. Being accountable for your actions shows that you are human and people will be more likely to forgive you when you admit your own wrong doing. Next, is a sincere apology, saying you’re sorry and asking for forgiveness. You may explain a little of why you may have done something, but keep your apology the main point of your statement. Lastly, it is really important to show what you’ve learned from this experience and how you will change and move forward from it. You need to show the public that you will be different than before. This shows that you are proactive in improving your life and possibly helping others. Of course each apology will differ depending on the situation; these are the core parts of a good apology.

Just as we read about in our chapter for class today and in previous chapter, words are powerful and we need to use them carefully. Your word choice can make all of the difference. Though Justin was in the wrong, he and his team make a great statement that many will respect, even if they don’t quite think this 19 year old as “a man,” they can respect that he’s learning and growing. 

These are the two articles I read for this post. Time and Eonline