While being defensive is natural, it’s not very productive. Sometimes you just need to apologize. Here’s a tutorial.
1. Saying “I’m sorry.”
So you accidentally said something offensive, got backlash, and handled it poorly. Apologizing for your response often makes people a lot more likely to listen to your side of the story.
2. Hearing their side of the story
If you accidentally say something offensive, it’s important to know why it came off that way. Asking why your message came off that way to find out why.
3. Ending the apology
With newfound context, you can now write a genuine apology. Good luck!