Nothing shows a bigger lack of character than showing disrespect. It occurs when someone feels slighted, or disregarded, or under-appreciated. There is no absolute measurement for this, but people recognize when it's happened in public. Generally, if a person feels disrespected, then they were.
"I'm really sorry I'm late. There is no excuse. Forgive me..."
"Were you here first? I apologize for jumping ahead of you in line..."
"I didn't see you. Forgive me for not opening the door for you..."
Most of the time people will cut you some slack if you just own up to your actions and acknowledge that the result was not what they deserved. However, people have a hard time saying they're sorry, especially when they feel it's not their fault. Or, they somehow think that saying you're sorry is a sign of weakness. This is awfully shortsighted. Respecting someone enough to make an apology shows incredible strength and a healthy ability to evaluate one's own behavior.
There's an unspoken contract among men. You show respect to others who deserve it, and you do it without any drama. The golden rule is to respect people particularly for their age, their life experience, their accomplishments, and their standing in the community.
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