Intent vs. Impact

Intent and impact are two different things. Someone can have good intentions and still cause harm. Someone can "not mean it" and still leave a wound.

This matters because "I didn't mean to" is often used to dismiss impact. It shifts focus from what happened to what was intended — and suddenly the hurt person is supposed to feel better because the harm wasn't on purpose.

Real repair acknowledges impact first. Intent can be part of the conversation, but it doesn't erase what happened. A person who accidentally steps on your foot still stepped on your foot.