For my birthday, my spouse got me a nicer newer expensive version of a thing I already have. The one I have is older and dented but works just fine. I use it weekly. I never complain about it. I’ve never asked for a newer one. The one I have was given to me by my mother in law, whom I adore. It’s sentimental.
I don’t like new things. When they got me a 3d printer, it was the cheapest one and it was a kit and I had to build myself. I loved it. It’s perfect for me. I regularly buy things used or get things from Buy Nothing groups. I much prefer to repair old things in many ways. My car has over 100k miles. The one before did too. I don’t like new things.
We got into a huge argument because I want to return it. They are so upset with me that they left the house to calm down. Why am I the bad person? Why are they mad at me? I have a very clear tendency for old broken used things. Why am I obligated to like this new thing?
We literally established a rule early in our marriage. I’m not allowed to gift nerdy t shirts. They don’t like them. I love them. I thought they would like them but they do not. So they asked me to stop. This feels the same. I do not like new things. Why am I the bad guy for wanting to return the newer version of the thing I already have?
i agree with you that insincere apologies are wrong. OP structured their post looking to understand their wife’s POV, rather than to get a bunch of strangers to agree with them like on an AITA post. if that were the case i definitely wouldn’t suggest apologizing. OP acknowledges that they hurt their wife, even if they didn’t mean to, much like their wife hurt them, even if they didn’t mean to. i just think sitting down and actually expressing that, saying “hey, i wouldn’t have said that or said it the way i said it if i knew it would upset you, i’m sorry” establishes empathy and good faith, and often times doing that is enough to get the other person to do the same thing. if OP didn’t seem sorry i wouldn’t have suggested apologizing
i think my wording was the problem here in hindsight. “i’d apologize for the way you reacted whether or not you actually blew your lid” does sound like i’m saying to apologize for being angry even if you weren’t angry. what i was trying to say was that apologizing for hurting them, even if their reaction seemed way out of proportion to what OP said or how OP said it, would be a good first step to reconciliation