Why We Make Excuses

Making excuses about our social transgressions comes natural to us, as we experience guilt or shame upon committing the error. The excuse is our attempt to lessen the potential (or imagined) blame from others or even ourselves.

Example: Giving the excuse of being too busy to call up a friend on their birthday works both ways, as apart from saving our face, we also mask the fact that we are a thoughtless and negligent entity.

• An excuse can provide us a sense of control on our lives, viewing our mistakes as an anomaly.
• Shifting responsibility to an external force seems safer than a simple apology ("Sorry, I had a flat tire".)
• It helps maintain our social ties and positive perceptions of our colleagues and acquaintances.
• An excuse can also be an attempt to manipulate the emotions of others.
• Excuses help us mask our bad habits by comparing them with worse ones.