Sorry is the magic word in Ireland. You can say “Sorry!” if you step on someone’s foot; “Sorry…” to get by someone in a crowd; if you didn’t understand what was just said, “Sorry?” will get them to repeat it; and you can summon the waitress with an insistent, “Sorry.” The last one is the hardest to get, but easy to repeat once you’ve heard someone say it right.

Sorry is a great universal word. It adds a touch of kindness to sometimes difficult interactions, and puts everyone in a more compassionate frame of mind. It’s too bad we don’t have a similar word in the U.S. We’d be better off if we did.