Well put! I have apologized way too often in my life out of guilt or people-pleasing tendencies. You are absolutely right that it not only does a disservice to yourself but also to the other person because it comes across as insincere. However, in cases where I don't believe I did anything wrong but there was a misunderstanding, I will attempt to set things straight.
This is important of course. I don't shy away from the discomfort of these discussions, but I am not going to apologize unless I actually did something wrong.