When people forgive extreme injustices, do others condemn this?
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Some people have made the claim that when a person forgives others for extreme injustices, then the forgiver is open to discrimination and heavy criticism. Yet, a study published in 2022 suggests otherwise. Eaton, Olenewa, and Norton (2022) asked over 100 college students in each of two studies to react to two stories, one in which a woman forgives the murderer of her child and the other in which a person forgives the drunk driver who killed the spouse and child. In both studies, even though the participants tended to disagree with the decision to forgive, most did not criticize the forgivers. At least in this study, those who are what the authors called “extreme forgivers” were not held up to extreme criticism. Even if they were, it is the forgivers’ choice whether or not to offer this surprising goodness if they choose to do so.
Eaton, J., Olenewa, J., & Norton, C. (2022). Judging extreme forgivers: How victims are perceived when they forgive the unforgivable. International Review of Victimology, 28, 33-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/02697580211028021
