Finally

Apologies often come across as lukewarm: They offer no vindication for the perpetrator and provide no relief for the victim. One specific apology that yielded both can help understand what makes an apology work.

As a 37-year-old producer, Dan Harmon was strongly attracted to 25-year old Megan Ganz, a novice writer working on his TV show. Harmon didn’t confront his feelings nor did he reflect on the inappropriateness of his crush. When his live-in girlfriend asked him whether he had feelings for Ganz, he accused his girlfriend of being jealous and sexist, insisting that he was just fostering a promising young talent. Meanwhile, Ganz let Harmon know that his praise, if given for ulterior motives, wasn’t helping her grow and get better...