I have heard the claim that a person can “forgive too much.” I guess the criticism is that too much forgiving sets up the expectation by the other person that he can just keep being unfair and the forgiver will continue to be tolerant. What do you think about this criticism of forgiveness?
Is it possible to treat people too fairly? Is there a circumstance in which the administration of justice may be excessive? I don’t believe so because moral virtues are all excellent, and practicing them is likewise good. I think this idea of “forgiving too much” actually is based on a false notion of what forgiveness is. I think the criticism centers on the assumption that a lot of forgiving equates to both a hasty reconciliation and the abandonment of justice. An unhealthy and hurried reconciliation may result if someone distorts forgiveness by isolating it such that no justice is associated with forgiveness. Therefore, if forgiveness is sincere and includes the quest for justice, then there is no such thing as “forgiving too much.”
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