Tagged: “emotional forgiveness”

Forgive and forget.  I hear this so often.  Do we forget when we forgive?  If so, then how can we prevent the recurrence of others’ unjust behavior?

In my experience with helping people to forgive, I do not see that people literally forget what happened to them.  Instead, I use the expression that people begin to “remember in new ways.”  This is what I mean:  The forgiver does recall the unjust behavior so that it does not keep occurring.  Yet, in recalling what happened, the forgiver is not filled with dread or deep anger as may have occurred prior to forgiving.  To remember in new ways is to protect the self from others’ harm without doing recurring inner harm to the self through intense and ongoing anger.

I became aware of how angry I am now toward my mother for how she dealt with me when I was a child.  This occurred to me after reading your book, Forgiveness Is a Choice. Is it typical to be angry, yet to have no idea how angry you are?

Indeed, it is common to be angry and not be acutely aware of this.  It is because of the psychological defense mechanisms, which include repression, suppression, and denial.  If these defenses shield us from unpleasant emotions or thoughts when we are not prepared to face them head-on, then they are working in our favor.  When these psychological defenses keep us from perceiving the reality of our anger, such as, “I have been treated unfairly, and I am furious about this,” then they might obstruct emotional healing. Therefore, psychological defenses can keep us from being overwhelmed in the short term. Long-term recovery from the impact of severe injustices begins with gradually realizing the intensity of one’s indignation, and this includes the lessening of the defense mechanisms that could prevent such important insights.  When people begin to realize that there is a cure for intense, unhealthy anger, which is forgiveness, then there is a tendency to have those defenses lessen so that insight into the anger and healing from it can occur.

My boyfriend and I have been arguing lately, and I find myself bringing up past things that I thought were resolved and for which I believed I had forgiven him. Considering how often I bring up the past problems, do you believe I really have forgiven him for them?

Since you say that forgiveness is now a part of you, it appears to me that you have started the process of forgiving.  Please remember that it is normal to still feel some pain from past injustices.  If you want to lessen your excessive anger from those situations, then I suggest that you continue to forgive him for those past events, knowing that you already have made progress.  Your being more forgiving should help you to no longer bring up those past events.

Lately, I have entered what you call the Decision Phase of forgiveness.  In making the decision to forgive my former friend, I feel lighter, less angry.  Might this be enough so that I do not have to then enter what you call the Work Phase of forgiveness?

Let us take an analogy.  Suppose you decide to take out a membership in a health club to get in good physical shape.  You feel good about your decision.  Are you now in good physical shape because you will be taking out the membership, or do you have to open that gym door, use the exercise machines over time, and build your muscles and your endurance?  Decisions alone will not make you forgivingly fit.  Yes, you may feel good for making the decision, but now it is time to hit that forgiveness gym to become forgivingly fit.

How can I be sure that I want to go on the forgiveness journey?

I would recommend that you focus on the following questions to help you make this decision:

1. Has the person truly been unfair to you?  In other words, are there extenuating circumstances for the person so that you conclude: What happened to me was not unfair now that I think more deeply about it?

2.  If you determine from point 1 above that there was an injustice, then how deeply are you hurt from this?  Is the injustice interfering with your well-being or with your relationship with the other person?  If the answer is yes to these questions, then moving forward with forgiving is reasonable.

3. Even if there is no disruption as seen in your answer to #2 above, do you want to forgive because to forgive is good in and of itself?  If so, then moving forward with forgiveness is reasonable.

4.  Do you have the will to move forward with forgiving?  In other words, are you making a free-will choice to forgive without excessive pressure from others?

Your answers to these questions may help you to decide whether or not to go forward with forgiving.