Ramage, my sincerest apologies

I'm sorry that I like Lakoff better than Ramage.
I'm sorry that Ramage isn't as likeable.
Ramage looks upset.
Why was Ramage's book in my hand to begin with?
Can't he give his damn book to someone else?
He shouldn't have written the book in the first place.

If Ramage were sitting in front of me, I might feel as though I should apologize for choosing another book over his, partly because I'm used to apologizing, and also because as Lakoff states, we are accustomed to giving apologies that lack meaning. But even if I said I'm sorry, it wouldn't change anything... perhaps Ramage would feel a sense of contentment knowing that I gave some of my power to him by apologizing and treating him as superior. Or maybe he would see right through me, and his rhetorical mind would question my sincerity. When I read this section in the book I ran through instances in my head of when I have given and recieved apologies, and I realized that yes, sometimes I'm more interesting in hearing the words "I'm sorry" from the person who has wronged me than actually contemplating whether or not they are sincere.

Lakoff says, "Women seem especially prone to this usage, apologizing even when no discernible wrong has been done or the speaker has had no imaginable part in the wrongdoing that occurred." I had a friend once in high school who knocked a music stand over during band practice and quickly shouted, "I'm sorry!" When we are apologizing to inanimate objects perhaps the phrase "I'm sorry" has become overused and meaningless? I am definitely prone to saying I'm sorry atleast ten times daily, whether someone asks for for directions, and being directionally impaired I end up giving an apology before they drive away disappointed. But Lakeoff says apologies are about admitting a wrongdoing, and not being able to help someone immediately is not directly wronging them. So why do we say I'm sorry? Because we are creatures of habit, and perhaps the phrase needs to evolve into something else, or two separate phrases, one that has more emotional meaning, and one that is more of a casual apology.