Ope Sorry! Iowans Are Some of the Best Apologizers in the World

Whether you apologize regularly or your apologies are few and far between, they can all come in different levels of sincerity. I'm probably an over-apologizer to strangers when I'm at the grocery store or out in public. If I don't hold the door long enough for someone to walk through or if I want to "sneak right past" someone, I'll usually throw out an Ope sorry! Which is a staple for anyone from Iowa or the Midwest.

Sometimes apologies are a lot more difficult than that. In more serious situations, apologizing can be difficult and leave you at a loss for words. Whether you need to apologize to a co-worker, your partner, or a friend, they can be scary conversations to navigate through.

Something very interesting I've learned today is that when it comes to apologies, Iowans are pretty good at them. Not only do Iowans have some of the most sincere apologies in the country, but Iowans also apologize a LOT.

How Often Do Iowans Apologize Per Day?

Iowa citizens appear to not have any issues when it comes to throwing around the word "sorry." According to a study from Preply, Iowans apologize more times per day than any other state in the country. The average Iowan says sorry 4.784 times per day, which is just barely ahead of Utah citizens, who apologize 4.680 times per day.

The top 10 states that apologize the most are Iowa at number 1, followed by:

• Iowa
• Utah
• Ohio
• Maine
• South Carolina
• Kentucky
• Idaho
• Missouri
• Oregon
• New York

Honestly, I was bit a surprised to find some of these states cracking into the top 10 for apologies. I would've never guessed New York, Oregon, or Missouri would've fared well in this study but supposedly they might be a bit more friendly in those states than I thought.

Apology Sincerity

Just because someone says the word "sorry" doesn't mean they necessarily mean it. It could be something just thrown out there when someone feels awkward or doesn't exactly know what else to say. Not every apology is some kind of sincere gesture and there are surely times when someone says sorry, it's a simple formality. If someone in Iowa apologizes, do they mean it?

Iowans are some of the most sincere apologists on the planet! Well, at least here in the United States. Iowa gives the second most sincere apologies in the country, only trailing behind Pennsylvania.

The study asked those who participated to give their apologies a "sincerity score" with the max score being 100. Pennsylvania received a 97 and Iowa was right behind with a 95. The good news is if someone apologizes to you in Iowa, there's a great chance they genuinely mean it.

When was the last time you said sorry? Do you have some apologizing to do today? I have a wife I'm sure I have to apologize to for something...at least at some point today.