In many traditional cultures, particularly in Japan and parts of East Asia, the act of —prostrating oneself on all fours with the forehead touching the ground—represents the absolute pinnacle of apology. It is an act of total submission, a physical surrender of one’s ego and dignity to atone for a perceived failure.
: The book delves into "matrescence"—the transition into motherhood—and the physical and emotional trauma of childbirth (specifically a fetal-maternal hemorrhage mentioned in the plot). the day my mother made an apology on all fours work
Saying "I’m sorry" is easy. Getting down on all fours and doing the work to correct the mistake? That is accountability. In many traditional cultures, particularly in Japan and