empty apologies...

how many times can one ask for forgiveness? 

does anyone else find apologies empty?  words mean nothing if they aren't supported by actions.  is it really too much to expect that we as humans weigh our actions and words before playing them out?  i know the answer to this is yes, because that is reality, but it would make life so much easier if humans were more proactive.

how many times has someone said i'm sorry  just to turn around and do the same exact thing the very next day?  how many times do you accept their apology before you say look unless your actions are different your apology means nothing? 

i had this very conversation with my daughter the other morning.  i feel like her whole life i have been on repeat.  i have two major complaints about my daughter.  one she has a very sharp tongue and is often times hurtful with her words.  it is difficult for me, as her mother, to not react to her quips.  she has a wonderful sarcastic, witty sense of humor but learning tact in delivery is torture.  two she has no follow through.  everything is done to the bare bones, there are no extra steps with that child. 

my expectation is lofty and developmentally unrealistic.  i understand that children do not approach life from a logical standpoint, they are impulsive and reactionary.  as they mature, get some life experiences under their belts and develop the shift from impulsive to logic happens.  i find myself struggling with the fact that she has the knowledge but she is still more impulse than logic and developmentally isn't capable of always making a choice that works for me.

with adults it is different.  as adults we have the knowledge and maturity to approach life situations from a logical standpoint.  in theory we should be able to make choices that don't require an apology.   however humans are selfish by nature and although we may have good intentions executing them is a different story all together.

so i ask you this, do you accept empty apologies (because the words aren't supported with actions) until the end of time because you realize you can't change human behavior and they are doing the best they can?  or do you put a cap on the number of apologies you will accept before turning away?