If one might be said to have a 'moral' obligation to remedy the distress one's behavior (like the lateness of our friends to the restaurant) has inflicted on others, an apology is due payment, if a figurative one, imo.
I agree with that. As I said earlier, I think one incurs obligations in any contract-like transaction. Arranging to meet someone for dinner incurs an obligation. Shaking hands, which connotes friendliness, confers an obligation. Entering a forum like an SI thread or a restaurant, confers an obligation. Absent a contract, I see no obligation. Which is not to say that it is not preferable, desirable, recommended, nice, even to make the effort to make people feel better or to smooth things over, only that there is no debt owed and the effort is at the individual's discretion.
When people walk through doors ahead of me and let the door go right into my face, my custom is to say a loud and cheerful "Thank you" to shame the party. That's one of my pet peeves so I indulge myself. I think it's nice to be sure there's no one behind me when I let a door go. I always do. But I don't think that there is an obligation, my vigilante exclamation notwithstanding. |
