And I won’t do it again?

And I won't do it again?

 

'So Sorry'

Fund Managers Now Well-Versed in the Language of Loss

By Steven Mufson

Washington Post Staff Writer

Sunday, November 2, 2008; F01

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/01/AR2008110100231.html

© Copyright 1996-2009 The Washington Post Company

 

"Being a stock market fund manager or strategist these days means always having to say you're sorry........."

 

A very interesting article about the language of contrition by fund managers. Except this unforeseen behaviour raises two questions. The first question: is this just herd behaviour? If everyone is saying sorry it is much easier to follow and say you are sorry. In the same way as when everyone was doing the equivalent of jumping off a cliff with other people's money, I guess, it was easy to jump off a cliff as well.

 

The second question is this: what happened to "...and I won't do it again?" Usually when we say we are sorry we try to convince the other person of our genuine remorse by promising not to do it again? Even if this promise is some sort of short term confidence assurance. I have a feeling that we have to wait another six or seven years before we find out. So much for imperative moral language.

 

Label: sorry, business language, fund managers, economy, banking, Washington post