Awkward Apologies

More often than not, I think, apologies are quite simple. However, one often encounters the kind of apology which would mean getting serious with God, in order to do it. Imagine that you should lose your temper, grabbing someone by the throat and throwing them against a wall. You look around, and you see witnesses. This way and that, you persuade the witnesses to shut up. But now your conscience accuses you. You feel that you should apologise. On the one hand, this could make everything good -- it could be a wonderful release. On the other hand, your apology could turn into an admission of guilt and bring criminal charges ... OBSERVATION: I think that this is a huge social problem, too. If one has widespread corruption in society, how does one ever go into reverse without everyone being endangered?