I wanted to share an experience with you and get your insights.  I have been practicing forgiveness lately, particularly toward one of my parents when I was a child. This past weekend, I was at a family function and a cousin said that I did not belong there.  Usually, this would make me enraged, but this time, it did not deeply affect me.  Yes, I was angry, but I was able to stay.  Why do you think this unusual behavior by me occurred this weekend?

I think you are learning to forgive in a more generalized way than only applying forgiveness toward one of your parents for what happened when you were a child.  In other words, your practice of forgiving is generalizing to others, and this is a sign of maturing in the practice of forgiving.  Aristotle said that a mark of maturing in the moral virtues is to develop a love of those virtues.  Do you think this is happening to you, in that you are developing a love of forgiveness?  If so, then it is understandable that you may have been applying the moral virtue of forgiving toward your cousin who insulted you.  If that is the case, then you likely, in the future, will begin to forgive more and more people when they are unjust to you.

Please follow and like us:
Categories: Ask Dr. ForgivenessTags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *