What we really mean by "sorry".

There seems to be two different kinds of sorry in English so why don't we have a better word for one of them?

There's the sorry of true remorse and you plan to change your ways. Then there's the sorry where you don't want them to feel bad but you're still going to do it. The later doesn't seem like a sorry to me. What would be a more accurate way to say that?

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CrazyMusicLover · 31-35

Oh, I've always had an issue with this. It just feels wrong to say I'm sorry when it's not an apology. Like when someone dies... It's not my fault, lol, why should I say that I'm sorry?

kramjj · 46-50, M

@CrazyMusicLover yeah so what's a better thing to say? I feel for you?

CrazyMusicLover · 31-35

@kramjj I don't know, I find it weird because I'm not a native English speaker and knew "sorry" just as the expression of guilt/remorse for many years. It was much much later when I learned about it being used just as a polite phrase.

"That saddens me" would make more sense to me.

It's similar to "I'm afraid that..." used in a situation when the one to whom they are saying that is going to be disfavoured.
Well, no, the person is not afraid, they indicate the other person should be afraid.