How can you forgive?

Question

Is forgiveness wise if someone tried to hurt you?

Answer 1

Never forgive. Make the person who hurt you suffer to the grave.

Answer 2

That's a hell of a question. I would love the answer.
From a game theory perspective, forgiveness is a losing strategy. From an evolutionary perspective (which is almost redundant to the game theory perspective), forgiveness is a losing strategy.
This is probably why it is so hard to forgive.
From a spiritual and mental health angle, forgiveness has advantages. Hate is a heavy burden to carry, and eats away at you in ways you might not observe.

Weak answer, but I would say it depends on the infraction. There are somethings I don't think I ever could forgive. I don't know how anyone can forgive murder, but people do. For the smaller things, I would say that forgiveness once is healthy, but forgiveness three times (to the same person) means you should probably not be dealing with that person anymore. Good luck.

Answer 3

Assuming by "forgive" you mean for an individual to drop their desire to exact revenge or to punish, I think the only way is to gain control of the emotion you are feeling. Getting revenge or punishing the other person does not improve your own situation. Set that desire aside and consider what will improve your situation. If nothing will, move on.

I have found that reason can trump emotion most of the time. The reason I can forgive another person is because I know we all have our own faults and beliefs. Whether you believe in God or not, we are all condemned to fruitless arguing and bloodshed, if we can not accept that others are going to think and behave differently than we want them to. I hope that others give me the same consideration.

While I find it is relatively easy to forgive someone, it is not as easy to trust them again. That's another issue.

Answer 4

By understanding that forgiving is never a loosing strategy no matter what others here may say.

By forgiving you create opportunity. The opportunity to work together for a common goal, economic, religious or otherwise.
Frogetting will make you repeat mistakes, forgiving will make you honour the sacrifices others made to make it possible for you to forgive.

Answer 5

In this practical world, I will try to give the practical reply, You should forgive the person if he hurts you only when you make him/her realize his/ her fault. Otherwise he/she may hurt somebody else more so even you can also become his/her victim again. Once you forgive never forgot that the person hurts you, which will make you extra cautious while dealing with the person in future.

Answer 6

Forgiving is easy....forgetting is another story. I think it revolves around the trust issue. I can forgive anything, but can I trust that it won't happen again? That's an individual answer for all who ask the same question. I hope this question isn't life threatening... good luck

Answer 7

If you go through life without forgiving those who have done you wrong you will lend up a bitter and frustrated person. Forgive them, but having done so, you do not have to have anything more to do with them. I find it best to make up my mind that they no longer exist for certain periods of time. Some for as little as a week, others for months, a couple for years and one for life. It works......................

Answer 8

You need to elaborate.
Are you absolutely sure this person went out of their way to inflict harm on you? Have you heard it from their lips?
We place ourselves in win lose situations all the time, if you were gaming well its part of the game; Business "it was just business" sorry.
Physical? Get a lawyer.
Relationships? Follow your heart, get some padding it wont be the last time, people in a relationship bump into each other all the time, it's called being close.

Answer 9

Yes, it is more than wise....It is necessary to your own wellbeing.

Holding hate never hurts the one hated. It only hurts the one who is hating. It colors your life red and you lose your joy.

I have found in my own experience that usually people do not hurt you intentionally. Normally they were not thinking of you at all when they made the decision.

Answer 10

In order to live your life, you have to forgive. You don't necessarily have to forget, but you have a choice to no longer have that person who willingly hurt you around.