Tagged: “Anger”
During your forgiveness interviews with children and adults, what has surprised you the most?
I would say that my biggest surprise is that many people (even the vast majority) do not have an accurate understanding of what forgiveness is. Too many adults, for example, equate forgiving with “just moving on,” which is not what forgiveness, as a moral virtue of goodness toward those who have offended, actually is. This points to the need for forgiveness education for children, adolescents, and adults.
Of the things children are taught about forgiveness, what do you find to be something to avoid?
Perhaps the most important issue is to be careful not to subtly set up the expectation that they **must** forgive. This does not help them be drawn to forgiveness.
Essays on Forgiveness at the Psychology Today Website
Dr. Robert Enright
So far, in 2026, Dr. Enright has the following essays posted on the Psychology Today website:
How to Stop Blaming Yourself When Your Partner Is Abusive, May 5, 2026
The Emotions Behind Forgiveness, April 22, 2026
Do You Really Think You Know What Forgiveness Is?, March 24, 2026
Protecting Yourself if You Want to Forgive, February 19, 2026
Once Broken, How Can Trust Be Restored in a Relationship?, January 19, 2026
Recent Journal Publications with Authors from Our International Forgiveness Institute, Inc.
Jichan Kim, Associate Professor of Psychology at Liberty University. (Photo by KJ Jugar)
Kim, J. & Enright, R.D. (in press). Clarifying the virtue of forgiveness in restorative justice: A commentary on Palazzolo. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology
Li, Y., Kim, J., Song, J., & Enright, R.D. (in press). Validating the Enright Forgiveness Motivation Inventory (EFMI). Current Psychology
The Enright Forgiveness Motivation Inventory (EFMI) now is available to request on our website here:
https://internationalforgiveness.com/product/the-enright-forgiveness-motivation-inventory/
Anger is a normal reaction to injustice, right? Do we repress some anger when we forgive?
Anger does seem to be a natural part of reacting to injustice. We need to remember that anger can be felt and expressed along a continuum. If the anger is short-lived and not extremely intense, then it can be useful in energizing a person who then strives to correct the injustice. When anger becomes extreme, both in its duration and intensity, forgiveness can be an effective way to control it. Forgiveness exercised in the right way (by not denying the injustice and not denying the angry reaction) can actually reduce the anger. When this happens, the anger is not repressed but instead is diminished.
