Tagged: “peace”
Dr. Suzanne Freedman Has a Forgiveness Article Published with the Des Moines Register Newspaper
Dr. Suzanne Freedman
On December 6, 2025, Dr. Suzanne Freedman, a professor at The University of Northern Iowa, had a guest column in the Des Moines Register entitled “What We Get Wrong about Forgiveness and Why It Matters.” In this insightful work, she makes the point that forgiving a person for an injustice does not require an apology. Otherwise, too much power is given to the one who acted unfairly. She further argues that to forgive is not to automatically reconcile, especially if the other remains untrustworthy. Further, to forgive is not only to give up anger because forgiveness, as a moral virtue, challenges the forgiver to see the humanity in the other person. This can take time, and the one who was offended should resist being pressured into a quick and superficial forgiveness. Thank you, Dr. Freedman, for your careful clarification regarding forgiveness for the general public. The article can be accessed here:
Worldwide Requests for Our Research Tools and Forgiveness Curriculum Guides
Photo by Pixabay, Pexels.com
Since the beginning of 2025, our International Forgiveness Institute has received requests for our forgiveness research tools and forgiveness curriculum guides from the following 40 countries:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
College Students, Forgiveness, and Well-Being
Photo by Cristian Loayza, Pexels.com
In a study of 463 Spanish university students done in 2025, the researchers reported positive correlations among forgiveness, hope, and self-esteem. They reported negative correlations among forgiveness and anger, anxiety, and depression. The authors suggest that preparing the students for a healthy entry into the workplace as adults could be enhanced if universities had forgiveness programs for the students.
The reference to the article is this:
Bonete S, Molinero C, Sendra S and González De Abreu AM (2025) A path to better mental health among emerging adults: forgiveness as a solution to interpersonal conflicts. Frontiers in Psychology, 16:1477283. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1477283
Recent Essays in Psychology Today
Dr. Robert Enright
Within the past two months, Dr. Enright had the following two essays published In the on-line Psychology Today website:
Are You Ready to Become Forgivingly Fit?, November 15, 2025
The False Idea That Forgiveness Is for Me, Not the Offender, October 8, 2025
The essays can be accessed by clicking on the two titles.
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
