Forgiveness as a Strength - The Words of Gandhi

"What does it mean to forgive?" "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." - Mahatma Ghandi. To me forgiveness is the first step towards a positive outcome in any relationship or any human interaction. Some people can forgive easily, while others it may be harder for them. To forgive is not to forget, but to get over a situation or problem you had with someone. To forgive is to accept something as it is and be willing to move forward on in a positive or maybe neutral manner.

I don't ever associate forgiveness with negative connotation. That's why I quoted Ghandi, I agree, the weak can never forgive. It is hard to forgive when you don't have the strength to hold yourself up afterwards.

"Is forgiving in any way important?" Forgiving could be considered sacred for how important it is to someone. You must be able to forgive someone before you can ever continue with an acquaintance, friendship, relationship, or maybe a partnership.

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Some people, on the other hand, do not care about forgiveness. Actions speak louder than words to some. Forgiveness to them is only words.

"Can you forgive someone without being around them?" Absolutely, sometimes it's not about what the other person does but it's just you. It's the fact that you just are not ready to let go of something no matter how bad the other person wants you to. It is you and only you that can determine if you're ready to forgive.

That person may leave your life and after time, and within your life experiences, you find forgiveness towards them. So yes I believe you can forgive someone without them physically or emotionally being there.

"Do you have anyone like that in your life?" Yes, I've had someone in my life that I forgave without them being there. I forgave them when I got the strength to, which was after they left.

"Is forgiveness really more about the one forgiving or about the person being forgiven?” This one is a very debatable but in my opinion, I think it is the person forgiving that is the main principal. Anyone can accept forgiveness but to give forgiveness takes more than that. You need strength, maturity, patience, and maybe even peace of mind.

“Does that view on forgiveness make it easier to forgive?” I suppose it could be depending on the situation, of course. Everyone wants to be strong and I’m willing to life the weights of life to do it. I already know what i need to forgive which is strength and time, but sometimes that is much easier said than done.

“Are there people in your life you need to forgive?” Yes, just recently my friend decided not to pay me money back that he had agreed to pay earlier in the week. The day of due payment came and he turned off his phone. It has been two days with no response from him. At this time, I am not ready to forgive him. Other than that, I do not have any grudges out there towards anyone. A relationship with my friend would not be worth any money. I have learned through time and age that it is best to forgive regardless if you can or cannot forget.

“If someone you need to forgive died before you made amends, what kind of regrets would you have?” I guess I'd have a lot to regret seeing how i needed to forgive them and I didn't get the chance to do so. I would probably have to learn how to forgive myself later in life.

For my final thoughts forgiveness is a strong and courageous thing to do. It can change a relationship with someone drastically. As they say, forgive and forget! Sometimes people expect someone to apologize for someone who's already dead. We aren't responsible for the actions of dead men. Even today nobody is responsible for anything. Things happen. it's the nature of our world. I have to feel like doing wrong means something. I know that I can decide not to care, that I can choose not to feel guilt. I could talk myself into killing the world, but... then I wouldn't be allowed to forgive myself. It's what keeps me in place. Good men... They don't need rules like this.

Works cited

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