[jollybean]

" it is absolutely not okay to have to denounce yourself if you have done nothing wrong."

There are cases where offence is highly subjective and in some of those scenarios it's just polite to say sorry and move on. Not as admission of having done anything wrong, but just as a matter of recognizing the other persons position.

Obviously we don't want to get caught up in individuals aggravated and systematic abuse of that, i.e. to see everything as a slight, but it's definitely worth considering.

I speak a little bit too loudly - not too much but a bit.

Rarely someone will ask me to be more quiet on a plane. Sometimes rudely. I just say 'sorry' and move on. There's principle here other than just getting along. If it was 'removing a statue' I would think a little bit harder about it.