A lovely maxim paraphrased from graffiti artist Banksy, but what do people think of this? There seem to be a fair few holes in the idea (which is hardly surprising, really).
I think it definitely depends on what you do. Somethings are hard to apologise for but wouldn't have been so hard to ask permission for and some vice versa. I do find it hard to apologise for things, unless I know I was wrong, but even then it's hard, but I hate the idea of having to ask permission to do things, I mean it's my life, leave me be! So I don't know what I think of that quote actually. Hmmm. How about live your life and try not to do things that hurt others, that way you need not apologise!
The fact that you'd get into a situation assuming that you'd have to apologize for doing what you're about to do proves that you know it's wrong, and the apology given afterwards wouldn't come from the heart, which would make it meaningless.
Well I think the thinking is that there are a lot of things you wouldn't have to apologise for but which you'd never get permission to do either. Banksy's a graffiti artist so it's easy enough to see how this would apply to him.
In that context, yeah, I agree. wouldn't be much of an apology though. . . More of a way to hope that the person will believe that you're being sincere..lol. But yeah, I've definately used this mindset on many occasions when I was younger.
K, other example: Do you ask someone if it would okay if you could kiss them please? Or do you just kiss them?