Rant: The trick that saved me from my own YouTube apology video

I got called out last year for a dumb tweet from 2016, and everyone wanted me to do the whole groveling apology video thing. Instead of giving in, I just waited 48 hours and posted a short text statement owning it without the tears or excuses. It cut the drama in half, and almost nobody is still talking about it. Has anyone else avoided the full apology circus by just staying quiet for a bit?

3 comments

3 Comments

alexw7527d ago

Waiting that 48 hours is the key, honestly. In my case I had a similar thing happen over a work-related blog post that got taken the wrong way. My first instinct was to jump online and explain myself, but my wife talked me into sitting on it for a full day. By the time I did respond, most of the anger had cooled off and people were more willing to listen. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes when you let the initial fire burn out before you add any more fuel.

kim96327d ago

That part about the fire burning out first is spot on @alexw75... the waiting game is everything in these situations. I've seen so many people try to jump in right away and it just feeds the anger machine, like they're throwing gas on their own fire. The 48 hour rule works because it gives the mob time to get bored and move on to the next thing, plus it shows you're actually thinking instead of panicking. The typed statement without the tears is way smarter too, because video apologies just give people more to pick apart and screenshot. You did it right by letting the noise settle before you even said a word.

margaretm2327d ago

Not gonna lie, I think the "48 hour rule" can backfire just as bad. If the story is already spinning out of control and people are mad because you haven't said anything yet, waiting makes it look like you're hiding or don't care. A quick, calm "we're looking into it" can actually stop the fire from spreading before it gets out of hand.