What does an apology consist of, in your opinion?

In my opinion, an apology has three parts:

1. Saying that you are sorry. This includes what you are sorry about and why.

2. Sincerely meaning that you’re sorry. The recipient should be able to pick that up in your tone and from the words used.

3. Making an effort to change the behavior that caused the issue, hurt feelings, pain, etc.

I think these steps are for bigger apologies. Not so much for the apology for stepping on someone’s foot or walking into them. In those cases it should be evident why you are apologizing without the “what” or the “why.” I would hope that anyone would also make an effort to not step on someone’s foot again!

Would you include acceptance and forgiveness on the part of the person being apologized to as part of the apology process?