The phrases "Thank You" and "Sorry" are probably two of the most common phrases we use in the English language. One we say to express gratitude and the other we say to express regret or show empathy.
But sometimes we just say Thank You and Sorry too much. It's just customary and loses its meaning.
It's like when we say, "How are you." We usually don't actually care how other people are and just saying it to be polite because it's just what people say to each other. Statistically speaking, the most common response is "Good." We might not even be good but we just say good because that is the best way to respond to someone when you don't really want to show your true feelings.
I say Thank You sometimes when I don't mean it. I also say Sorry when I don't mean it. If I turn the corner and am about to run into someone, I'll say Sorry, not exactly meaning to express regret or show empathy for their situation. By saying Sorry, I'm just acknowledging their presence and moving along with my life.
Which is more important in our society and in our culture- saying Sorry or saying Thank You? I think a good way to look at this is a would you rather scenario.
There are no cheats to this situation. By not being able to say Sorry, you wouldn't be able to express regret or show empathy and by not being able to say Thank You, you wouldn't be able to express gratitude. You can't just say "My condolences" if you choose to never be able to say Sorry. That's cheating.
I thought long and hard about this and I think I'd rather never be able to say Thank You.
I think this for one main reason. In most cases, Thank You is said when someone does something nice for you and you wish to show thanks. In receiving their nice action and not showing thanks, you are taking a positive from someone without giving back a positive. You are not intentionally hurting someone by not saying Thank You.
In the case of Sorry, however, at least when you mean it, it is said when you inflict harms on other people and are trying to make them feel better. In hurting someone and not saying sorry, you are inflicting a negative on someone without giving back a positive.
It is more hurtful to not say Sorry than to not say Thank You because not correcting a negative is worse than not acknowledging a positive, I feel.
I would much rather be the one in debt to another person's kindness than the one responsible for another person's unresolved suffering. Therefore, I'd rather not be able to say Thank You. Sorry is much more important to say.
One argument for why some people would not want to be able to say Sorry is that you can't control whether or not other people do nice things for you, so you can't control when you will need to say Thank You. However, you can control what actions you do to other people that can be harmful so saying Sorry is more in your control. Because of this, you could just be good to other people so you never have to say Sorry and then not being able to say Sorry wouldn't be a bad thing, especially because you reap all the benefits for being able to say Thank You.
Still, I'd rather not be able to say Thank You. Sorry I feel like is more important even still.
Either way, I really liked thinking about this. Food for thought. This was yummy.