No, not everything needs to be forgiven. An offended person is not obligated to the offender. However I do think an offender is at least obligated to apologize to the offended.
Even if the offense was unintended that obligation should remain.
The one most likely to apologize will develop into the one most likely to forgive.And then the apologizer who forgives becomes internally more at peace with his inner self. One who can apologize will become more likely to forgive even if he has not been apologized too.
I agree with you that an apology is the least one can do who have hurt someone. An apology gesture is a kind and cleansing gesture for a person who has hurt someone, regardless of whether it is accidental or intentional.
However, how does the person who was hurt react to the apology? I will write more about it in the following newsletter.
I love this article, Mladena! And I especially love the focus on forgiveness as being about the health of the person who is doing the forgiving! I think too many people don't want to forgive someone because they think 'they don't deserve to be forgiven!'
It's not about the person that needs forgiveness, about the people who is forgiving! As you said, if we don't forgive, we carry that negative energy with us, and its consequences weigh on our souls.
It not about 'punishing' someone else, it's about rewarding ourselves. We can forgive AND remember so that we avoid putting ourselves in a similar situation. But it's far healthier to forgive, and our own health is where our focus should be.
Thank you @Mack Collier! You make a fantastic point. When we forgive, it's not about other people. We don't absolve them of guilt, but we absolve ourselves of the burden and negative energy.
No, not everything needs to be forgiven. An offended person is not obligated to the offender. However I do think an offender is at least obligated to apologize to the offended.
Even if the offense was unintended that obligation should remain.
The one most likely to apologize will develop into the one most likely to forgive.And then the apologizer who forgives becomes internally more at peace with his inner self. One who can apologize will become more likely to forgive even if he has not been apologized too.
I agree with you that an apology is the least one can do who have hurt someone. An apology gesture is a kind and cleansing gesture for a person who has hurt someone, regardless of whether it is accidental or intentional.
However, how does the person who was hurt react to the apology? I will write more about it in the following newsletter.
Thank you Ken Taylor, for the inspiring comment.
yes and thank you for your inspiring articles.
I love this article, Mladena! And I especially love the focus on forgiveness as being about the health of the person who is doing the forgiving! I think too many people don't want to forgive someone because they think 'they don't deserve to be forgiven!'
It's not about the person that needs forgiveness, about the people who is forgiving! As you said, if we don't forgive, we carry that negative energy with us, and its consequences weigh on our souls.
It not about 'punishing' someone else, it's about rewarding ourselves. We can forgive AND remember so that we avoid putting ourselves in a similar situation. But it's far healthier to forgive, and our own health is where our focus should be.
Thank you @Mack Collier! You make a fantastic point. When we forgive, it's not about other people. We don't absolve them of guilt, but we absolve ourselves of the burden and negative energy.