" Requesting forgiveness: Don’t do this immediately, because actions speak louder than words. To truly earn forgiveness, you need to sustain your corrective actions until they become part of who you are. At this point—and not before—go back to the person you’ve hurt and say, “Are you able to forgive me for hurting you? "

― Mark Goulston , Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone