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"Reasons and excuses - what's the difference."

"Sorry I'm late, the traffic was terrible...."

Is that a reason, or an excuse? What's the difference between the two? Are they, in fact, the same thing?

Discuss.

Does it really make a damn difference? I say no.. and I think it's what Tony's trying to say too, with all that jibberish. Heh. I'll add some of my own. :)

A reason and an excuse are one and the same in this instance. What I think you're employer is really trying to say, is what my employer tells people when they're late.. excuses are like a$$holes, everyone's got one. Then, they have you sign a counseling statement. One too many of those and you get an Article 15. You'd think that was enough to get fired, but no.. they strip your rank and make you malinger around as scum.. to which, they give you another counseling statement for not being motivated and productive. Don't even think of giving anyone a dirty look, they've got counseling statements for that too.

And it goes on in cycles like this, until they deploy you to Iraq.

I remember Corporate America, however.. and how every employee was walking on eggshells, kissin the boss's bahookie. It was all about the bottom line and no one wanted to be the next expenditure to save it. Atleast you could give dirty looks to everyone without recourse..



Why don't you just make plans to leave earlier to accomodate for unforseen traffic, etc. and always show up 10 minutes early. At my job they say that if you're on time, you're late.

It is quite clear that the following are true:

Reason = a justification.

Excuse = an attempt to clear from blame without denying or justifying the imputed action.

How the two are different, only the almighty knows! Both 'words' do seem to be similar in meaning, but it 's how they are used and in what context that seems to produce this conundrum:-)

I am a vegetarian, I love animals but eating them and their associated by-products makes me physically ill - reason

I am a vegetarian, I love animals - excuse

:-)

Tony wrote:
> POLICEMAN IN WITNESS BOX
>
> "Upon entering the room, I observed the suspect with a gun
> in his hand, pointing the waepon at me. I raised my weapon and
> said loudly "Police - place your gun on the floor and raise
> your hands in the air".
>
> The suspect did not move. I saw his thumb on the safety catch
> on his gun. I shouted again "Police - place your gun on the
> floor and raise your hands in the air, now don't do anything
> silly, sonny".
>
> The suspect continued to train his gun upon me and I observed
> his finger tightening on the trigger. I said again "Police
> - place your gun on the floor and raise your hands in the air,
> the building is surrounded"
>
> The suspect clasped his gun tightly and pointed it towards my
> head. I was sure that he was about to fire, so I shot
> him".
>
> CLEANER IN WITNESS BOX
>
> I was cleaning the tables you see, and then suddently the dead
> man ran into the room, closely followed by the police officer who
> shouted "die you b**tard", and then he just shot him,
> well, about six times I think.

Wah???

POLICEMAN IN WITNESS BOX

"Upon entering the room, I observed the suspect with a gun in his hand, pointing the waepon at me. I raised my weapon and said loudly "Police - place your gun on the floor and raise your hands in the air".

The suspect did not move. I saw his thumb on the safety catch on his gun. I shouted again "Police - place your gun on the floor and raise your hands in the air, now don't do anything silly, sonny".

The suspect continued to train his gun upon me and I observed his finger tightening on the trigger. I said again "Police - place your gun on the floor and raise your hands in the air, the building is surrounded"

The suspect clasped his gun tightly and pointed it towards my head. I was sure that he was about to fire, so I shot him".

CLEANER IN WITNESS BOX

I was cleaning the tables you see, and then suddently the dead man ran into the room, closely followed by the police officer who shouted "die you b**tard", and then he just shot him, well, about six times I think.

A reason is sort of when you are arguing with somone and your reason for it like 'I am a vegetarian because i love animals'
But a excuse is where say you forgot your homework or havnt done it you say somthing like 'My dog ate it' then thats an excuse because it could of easily been done again. so i supose an excuse is somthing that covers up somthing that could of been changed but a reason is somthing that is permanent and your opinion

A reason is a logical arguement as to why something has happened.

ie: I was late because there was a traffic jam.

An 'excuse' has been turned into a negative reason why something has happened but should be, in it's proper form, a way of excusing an action, positive or negative.

To most bosses/grumbly people an excuse has come to mean something you could have forseen but chose to use to your advantage in getting out of something else:

ie: The traffic was bad (when you knew it would be and could have just left earlier)

So a Reason can be an Excuse as well, but only Excuses get you in trouble.

"Sorry I'm late, the traffic was terrible...."

Is that a reason, or an excuse? What's the difference between the two? Are they, in fact, the same thing?

Discuss.