You can forgive but still have nothing to do with the person. Forgiveness doesn't have to mean you continue with them in any fashion at all. That's a separate choice. Some people stay together, or keep their relationship whatever it was, and don't forgive each other, over whatever. Others forgive, but move on, and no longer have anything to do with each other. Forgiveness and maintaining a relationship are independen…
The Forgiver's Dilemma: Can Letting Go Set You Free?
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Re: The Forgiver's Dilemma: Can Letting Go Set You Free?
#52The problem I have with forgiveness is it is antithetical to creating a disincentive for the behavior or action being forgiven. What incentive does a maligned person have to change their behavior if they don't have any consequences?
It defines the existence of a boundary of identity.
Re: The Forgiver's Dilemma: Can Letting Go Set You Free?
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's what you say is the definition of forgiveness, sure. But is that the definition of forgiveness that everyone else actually has? Clearly enough people have a definition of forgiveness meaning exactly "acting like what a person did never happened", that threads like this become split with people talking past each other.
I mean... dictionary.com?? https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forgive 1 : to cease to feel resentment against (an offender) : pardon forgive one's enemies
To be clear, you are not wrong for having your own definition, but neither are others. Which is what I’m trying to communicate.
Again, what’s most important is to hear what people are actually saying in good faith, instead of trying to jam it into the shape we’d prefer. If so many people have a more complex definition of forgiveness than expected, does constantly waggling a finger and pointing to another definition facilitate communication, or does it start resembling gaslighting? For many people, telling them to “forgive” is identical to telling them to say “it’s fine/it’s no problem anymore”. What a dictionary says is irrelevant here, is the above what you really want to say, even accidentally?
When a population is clearly split on word meaning, then frankly the best thing to do is find a better word that can properly separate the concepts being used. Or just call it what it is, “letting go of anger/resentment”. Frankly that’s a lot more clear on the scope and benefits of what is being talked about. Perhaps psychology has something applicable, dunno.
Re: The Forgiver's Dilemma: Can Letting Go Set You Free?
#54Re: The Forgiver's Dilemma: Can Letting Go Set You Free?
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
I went through this with an online friend. I understand why they were like they were, but I couldn't let them continue to be that way around me. Years later, we're talking again, and I think it'll be okay this time. It'll never be the same, but at least it's not nothing.
Did you set new parameters for the relationship, and they eventually accepted it?
Re: The Forgiver's Dilemma: Can Letting Go Set You Free?
#56You can forgive but still have nothing to do with the person. Forgiveness doesn't have to mean you continue with them in any fashion at all. That's a separate choice. Some people stay together, or keep their relationship whatever it was, and don't forgive each other, over whatever. Others forgive, but move on, and no longer have anything to do with each other. Forgiveness and maintaining a relationship are independen…
He says “forgive them for they know not what they do”. It is a qualified forgiveness, he does not intend to take revenge on the ignorant.
Re: The Forgiver's Dilemma: Can Letting Go Set You Free?
#57You can forgive but still have nothing to do with the person. Forgiveness doesn't have to mean you continue with them in any fashion at all. That's a separate choice. Some people stay together, or keep their relationship whatever it was, and don't forgive each other, over whatever. Others forgive, but move on, and no longer have anything to do with each other. Forgiveness and maintaining a relationship are independen…
He says “forgive them for they know not what they do”. It is a qualified forgiveness, he does not intend to take revenge on the ignorant.
But he does pity them, like I said, which is pretty epic.
We probably can’t come up to Jesus’ level. Humans, I mean we aren’t that perfect.