My partner is strongly opposed to my forgiving my boss for continual actions of disrespect. He says that I should just get another job and move on. I wonder what you think about this.
Your partner is talking about stopping your professional relationship with the boss. This would be an act of not reconciling. Reconciliation and forgiveness are not the same thing. Forgiveness is a moral virtue in which you are free, when you so choose, to offer mercy to your boss in spite of the disrespectful behavior. Reconciliation, in contrast, is a negotiation strategy in which two or more people come together again in mutual—-mutual—-trust. You can forgive and not reconcile if the boss continues with the hurtful behavior. If you do not forgive, you might end up harboring resentment in your heart even if you leave your job and find a new one. Therefore, if you are ready, you could forgive your boss and first ask for changes in how the boss interacts with you. If the boss remains hurtful despite your best efforts, consider a new job, and also forgive the boss. If you explain this distinction between forgiving and reconciling, I expect that your partner will not be so opposed to your forgiving the boss.
