Rant: I timed the pauses in that new apology video and it's all wrong

I got super into the whole 'apology science' thing and spent like 45 minutes yesterday using a stopwatch on that big influencer's 'I'm sorry' video from Tuesday. The thing is, every single pause was exactly 1.3 seconds long, which feels totally rehearsed and fake. Has anyone else noticed how the timing of silence can make an apology seem scripted?

4 comments

4 Comments

emmamason1mo ago

Did you see that article about how political speechwriters plan pauses? They said a real emotional pause is never that perfect, it's either too short because you're upset or too long because you're searching for words. That 1.3 second clockwork silence is a dead giveaway. It's like they're following a manual instead of actually feeling bad. Makes the whole thing feel like a performance, not a person.

owens.blair1mo ago

That's why their apologies always sound like a hostage reading a script.

owens.jenny1mo ago

Wait they actually timed it at 1.3 seconds? That's so creepy lol

walker.julia13d ago

That's an interesting take but I actually think the 1.3 second pause thing might not mean what people think. Real people who are nervous or overthinking their apology can totally end up with consistent pauses because they're terrified of messing up. Like some people rehearse because they genuinely want to get it right and not hurt anyone more by saying something dumb in the moment. A shaky voice or fidgeting hands would be a better tell than a perfect pause. Plenty of actors and public speakers get coached on timing because stuttering or rushing makes you sound dishonest too. Just feels like we're looking for reasons to hate on someone instead of accepting that a real apology can still be flawed but sincere.