For years doctors who made mistakes got this advice from insurers and lawyers: “Deny and defend.” Admitting mistakes, it was thought, would embolden patients and encourage lawsuits.

Indeed, that’s the advice that insurers and lawyers still give doctors. And guess what? It doesn’t work.

Recently doctors have begun saying—gasp!—sorry when they screw up. The result, according to anecdotal evidence presented in this article in the New York Times, is that malpractice lawsuits have dropped—significantly.

The reason? Sorry diffuses anger. It doesn’t, except in rare cases, arouse greater ire. However, not saying sorry usually will, at the very least, inspire litigious thoughts.

The success of the new approach reveals that anger—not actual injury—is a huge motivator behind lawsuits. Diffuse anger, and you’re more likely to escape the courtroom.

The same holds for every other service—insurance included. Say you’re sorry, and you’ll most likely be rewarded for your candor. This shouldn’t be a novel idea—we’re taught to own up to our mistakes and apologize in pre-school. Somewhere along the way we got sidetracked.