Each day, maybe 16,000 words or more come out of our mouths.  Odds are that some of these words will end up offending the people around us.  So how do you react when you’ve offended someone?  Here are several common reactions.  First, we become defensive.  We move the blame onto the very person we’ve offended by saying things like, “If only you hadn’t been so sensitive.” Instead of defending yourself, it’s often best to simply own up to the mistake.   Second, we become frustrated. When the offense is unintentional, we don’t want to apologize for something we didn’t mean to do.  But saying we’re sorry is often the best solution.  Here are the rest of my thoughts on what to do when you’ve offended someone.