Forgiveness

Forgiveness, in a psychological sense, is the intentional and voluntary process by which one who may have felt initially wronged, victimized, harmed, or hurt goes through a process of changing feelings and attitude regarding a given offender for their actions, and overcomes the impact of the offense, flaw, or mistake including negative emotions such as resentment or a desire for vengeance.[1] Theorists differ in the extent to which they believe forgiveness also implies replacing the negative emotions with positive attitudes (e.g., an increased ability to tolerate the offender),[2][3][4] or requires reconciliation with the offender.[5]

Forgiveness is interpreted in many ways by different people and cultures.[6] As a psychological concept and as a virtue, the obligation to forgive and the benefits of forgiveness have been explored in religious thought, moral philosophy, social sciences, and medicine.

On the psychological level, forgiveness is different from simple condoning (viewing action as harmful, yet to be "forgiven" or overlooked for certain reasons of "charity"), excusing or pardoning (merely releasing the offender from responsibility for their actions), or forgetting (attempting to remove from one's consciousness the memory of an offense). In some schools of thought, it involves a personal and "voluntary" effort at the self-transformation of one's half of a relationship with another, such that one is restored to peace and ideally to what psychologist Carl Rogers has referred to as "unconditional positive regard" towards the other.[2][7]

In many contexts, forgiveness is granted without any expectation of restorative justice, and may be granted without any response on the part of the offender (for example, one may forgive a person who is incommunicado or dead). In practical terms, it may be necessary for the offender to offer some form of acknowledgment, such as an apology, or to explicitly ask for forgiveness, for the wronged person to believe themselves able to forgive.[2]

Most world religions include teachings on forgiveness, and many of these provide a foundation for various modern traditions and practices of forgiveness. Some religious doctrines or philosophies emphasize the need for people to find divine forgiveness for their shortcomings; others place greater emphasis on the need for people to forgive one another.

  1. ^
    • Doka, Kenneth (2017). Grief is a journey. Atria Books. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-1476771519.
    • Hieronymi, Pamela (May 2001). "Articulating an Uncompromising Forgiveness" (PDF). pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
    • North, Joanna (1998). Exploring Forgiveness. University of Wisconsin. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0299157741.
  2. ^ a b c "American Psychological Association. Forgiveness: A Sampling of Research Results." (PDF). 2006. pp. 5–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-26. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  3. ^ "What Is Forgiveness?". University of California, Berkeley: The Greater Good Science Center. Archived from the original on 2013-11-14.
  4. ^ Field, Courtney; Zander, Jaimie; Hall, Guy (September 2013). "'Forgiveness is a present to yourself as well': An intrapersonal model of forgiveness in victims of violent crime". International Review of Victimology. 19 (3): 235–247. doi:10.1177/0269758013492752. ISSN 0269-7580. S2CID 145625500.
  5. ^ Wade, Nathaniel (14 August 2020). "Forgive and be free". Aeon.
  6. ^ Lawler-Row, Kathleen A.; Scott, Cynthia A.; Raines, Rachel L.; Edlis-Matityahou, Meirav; Moore, Erin W. (2007-06-01). "The Varieties of Forgiveness Experience: Working toward a Comprehensive Definition of Forgiveness". Journal of Religion and Health. 46 (2): 233–248. doi:10.1007/s10943-006-9077-y. ISSN 1573-6571. S2CID 33474665.
  7. ^ Rogers, Carl (1956). Client-Centered Therapy (3 ed.). Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.
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