Fitzwilliam Darcy
From Pride and Prejudice
I once delivered an insult so public and so inexcusable that I cringe to recall it. "She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me." Those words haunted me. But here is what I learned: the mistake matters far less than what follows it. Acknowledge your error directly to those affected — not with excessive self-flagellation, but with genuine accountability. Then demonstrate change through consistent action. People will remember your recovery more than your failure, if you give them something worth remembering.
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