Tagged: “Anger”

What is the difference between what some people call “emotional forgiveness” and “decisional forgiveness”?

The essence of forgiveness includes a decision to proceed with the process of forgiveness, and then working on softened feelings toward the offending person, expanded cognitions in which the forgiver sees the inherent worth of the offending person, and behaviors that are not harmful toward this person.  So, there is no “emotional forgiveness” and “decisional forgiveness” because both are incorporated in the whole of forgiveness.

How do I go about forgiving someone who refuses to apologize?  It is so difficult.

Think about it this way: The one who was unfair has hurt your heart.  That hurt can linger for a long time if you do not address it.  Forgiving has been shown scientifically to reduce excessive anger, anxiety, and depression.  So, why let the other person win twice, once with the injustice and now by planting a persistent hurt in your heart?  Forgive and set yourself free.  Here is an essay I posted on the Psychology Today website addressing this issue of apology:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-forgiving-life/202512/why-is-it-so-hard-to-forgive-a-person-who-does-not-apologize

Self-Forgiveness Research Is on the Rise

Source: Piyamas Dulmunsumphun / Dreamstime

A recent journal article shows that self-forgiveness is becoming increasingly popular.  From the article’s Abstract: “The dataset included research and review articles published without language restrictions until August 2025. The analysis identified 493 articles authored by 1297 researchers and revealed a steady growth in self-forgiveness research, with an annual growth rate of 12.07%. The United States, Australia, China, Israel, and Turkey were identified as leading contributors.”

The reference to the article is this:

Pehlivan, N.N. A bibliometric analysis of self-forgiveness research: trends, networks, and thematic developments. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 13, 1097 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-07832-6