Tagged: “Anger”
Have you ever encountered a situation in which the one who supposedly offended makes the claim that no injustice occurred whatsoever? If so, how would the victims deal with that?
Those who are offended need not seek permission from the one who offended. The ones offended can go ahead unconditionally and forgive whenever they are ready. Further, if the offending person harshly insists that the offended person need not forgive, or even should not forgive, the offended person can go ahead and forgive the offending person, even for this. After all, such insistence may show disrespect and, if so, constitute a moral offense.
I have a fear of forgiving because I do not want to enter back into a working relationship with my abusive boss. I am ready to move on, but if I forgive, I might be tempted to stay in my current work position. What would you recommend?
Forgiveness and reconciliation are different. Reconciliation is a negotiation strategy in which two or more people come together again in mutual trust. If you cannot trust the boss, then you need not reconcile, even if you forgive. To forgive is a free-will choice to have mercy on your boss. You can do that from a distance, for example, by not harshly putting the boss down if your conversation moves in the direction of this current employment. You can begin to see the inherent worth of your boss and soften your heart toward the boss, even when you move to another position.
As Elderly People Live with Their Family
Photo by Aa Dil, Pexels.com
Researchers, who did a study in India published in 2025, asked 12 elderly participants about their experiences of living with their families. The conclusion was that practicing forgiveness within the family context was helpful for these elderly participants in avoiding interpersonal conflicts and enhancing relationships within the family context.
The reference to the article is this:
Tiwari, G. K., Singh, A., Choudhary, A., Shukla, A., Macorya, A. K., Pandey, A., & Singh, A. K. (2025). Forgiveness in Later Life: Attributes and Consequences for Older Adults in Indian Families. Marriage & Family Review, 61(7), 710–736. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2025.2484381
Thank you for letting me know of the information on person-to-person forgiveness in Genesis, chapters 37-45. I have a follow-up question for you: Did Joseph await an apology from his half-brothers, or did he proceed with forgiveness without one?
Joseph forgave his half-brothers unconditionally, without their apologizing to him. They did not recognize him because they thought he was a slave in Egypt, not the leader that he was.
From what you can tell, what are the oldest writings on person-to-person forgiveness that have been preserved to the present day?
The oldest preserved forgiveness writings are in the first book of the Hebrew Bible, in Genesis, chapters 37-45, in which Joseph forgives his half-brothers for attempted murder and selling him into slavery in Egypt.
