In order to function effectively, clinicians need to have both confidence in their professional judgment and belief in their clinical competence. The overconfident clinician who ignores opposing evidence or overlooks additional information runs considerable risk of not only making mistakes but alienating patients and families. Hubris is a major source of mistakes within health care. It is this hubris that also accounts for much of the downstream impact of medical mistakes. Patient-provider relationships are especially harmed when clinician hubris inevitably proves unwarranted, the diagnostic conclusions are erroneous, and/or mistakes occur. Mindfulness allows for self-correction, a recalibrating of one’s compassion capacity and an energy re-orientation away from ineffective self-enhancement and a refocus on patient treatment. However, when mistakes do happen, apologies are necessary. Apologies are best when they are sincere and delivered with humility and understanding.