forgiveness

Complementary virtues¶

• mercy /clemency / indulgence / leniency

Contrasting vices¶

• nursing a grudge
• vengefulness
• vindictiveness

Virtues possibly in tension¶

• justice
• righteous anger

How to acquire or strengthen it¶

• Psychologist Everett Worthington has a technique called REACH that helps people transition from vengefulness to forgiveness in a particular case. www.evworthington-forgiveness.com/reach-forgiveness

Notes and links¶

• Notes on Forgiveness (David, LessWrong)
• Hannah Arendt on What Forgiveness Really Means and The Antidote to the Irreversibility of Life: Hannah Arendt on What Forgiveness Really Means
• The Character Portal: forgiveness
• Good NYT article on the self-harm of holding grudges, the process of forgiveness … but then this thread, looking skeptically at forgiveness
• OOO: redemption/forgiveness
• OOO: forgiveness

Mentioned elsewhere¶

• One of The VIA Institute’s "Character Strengths" (see their page)
• One of William De Witt Hyde’s virtues

Inspirational quotes¶

• “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” —MLK, Jr.
• “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude.” —MLK, Jr.
• “Thinkst thou it honourable for a noble man / still to remember wrongs?” (Shakespeare, Coriolanus)
• “Let us, then, try what love will do; for if men do once see that we love them, we should soon find they would not harm us. Force may subdue, but love gains; and he that forgives first, wins the laurel. If I am even with my enemy, the debt is paid; but if I forgive it, I oblige him for ever.” ―William Penn