Article: As soon as you become aware that your friend is mad at you, you need to figure out what you said or did that caused him to get upset.  You may already know, but if you do not, take time to reflect on your recent actions around and words to him. What did you say or do that might have upset him? If you cannot determine what made him angry with you, you will have to ask him. You cannot sincerely apologize for something that you did not know was wrong or upsetting. You could have done any number of things to upset your guy friend. An important step in giving a sincere apology is admitting to yourself that you made a mistake. It can be a challenge to do this because many people do not like admitting that they are wrong or that they did something wrong. However, this is a key component to giving a genuine apology and repairing your friendship. Presumably, you know your guy friend pretty well. Another key aspect of apologizing to him involves knowing why this particular issue upset him.  Did you offend his values or beliefs? Did you hurt his feelings? Did you lie to him? Did you offend his family or another close friend? Did you physically hurt him? Generally speaking, in-person apologies are much preferred. However, if an in-person apology is not possible, the next best options are writing a personal letter or giving him a phone call. Most people strongly recommend against sending an apology in a text message, because it seems insincere. You are sending the message to your friend that you do not have or do not want to take the time to apologize in person and that you do not value his friendship. If you chose to apologize in-person, ask your guy friend if he will meet up with you to talk the next day. Otherwise, plan to write him a letter or wait a day before calling him.  It is best to give both of you time to calm down and take a step back from the situation. In some cases, apologizing immediately comes off as insincere and selfish. However, you want to avoid waiting too long, because that will cause resentment to build.  In the meantime, prepare your apology to your guy friend.

What is a summary?
Identify what happened to upset your guy friend. Recognize that you made a mistake. Understand why your mistake upset your friend. Decide how you will apologize to him. Make plans to apologize to your friend after he has had time to cool off.