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Humanity 101 - forgiveness
Forgiveness in their own words...
On a level of simple personal survival, understanding and forgiveness are crucial... whether in an intimate personal relationship or on a global level.
Edward Albert
Forgiving is not forgetting. It's letting go of the hurt.
Mary McLeod Bethune
I invite everyone to choose forgiveness rather than division, teamwork over personal ambition.
Jean-Francois Cope
Before we can forgive one another, we have to understand one another.
Emma Goldman
The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of spirit and soul to do either -- or both -- when needed?
Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes
For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?
bell hooks
I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.
Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
Forgiveness is about empowering yourself, rather than empowering your past.
T. D. Jakes
Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.
Gerald Jampolsky
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.
Jessica Lange
As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.
Nelson Mandela
The ability to forgive is one of man's greatest achievements.
Bryant H. McGill
Genuine forgiveness does not deny anger but faces it head-on.
Alice Duer Miller
Forgiveness is the economy of the heart... forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.
Hannah More
Forgiveness really is so misunderstood, as well as the power it can release in an individual.
Jennifer O'Neill
You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.
Lewis B. Smedes
Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.
Corrie ten Boom, Clippings from My Notebook
I think we learn the most from imperfect relationships - things like forgiveness and compassion.
Andrea Thompson
Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.
Desmond Tutu
Without forgiveness, there's no future.
Desmond Tutu
It takes a strong person to say sorry, and an ever stronger person to forgive.
Unknown
The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.
Marianne Williamson
- School Clerk In Georgia Persuaded Gunman To Lay Down Weapons - Tuesday's terrifying incident at an elementary school near Atlanta — in which a gunman with an assault rifle and other weapons entered the building — ended with no one being hurt after a school clerk apparently spent about an hour talking to the young man. She says she persuaded him to put down his gun and surrender.
- Burglars Return Stolen Computers To Nonprofit With Heartfelt Apology Note - When burglars in San Bernardino County, Calif., realized the computers they'd stolen were from a nonprofit that helps victims of sexual violence, they returned them -- along with an apology note that may restore your faith in humanity.
- This is What Forgiveness Looks Like - On May 20, 2012, 18 year-old Takunda Mavima was driving home drunk from a party when he lost control and crashed his car into an off-ramp near Grand Rapids, Michigan. Riding in the car were 17 year-old, Tim See, and 15 year-old, Krysta Howell. Both were killed in the accident.
- 5 Things Truly Resilient People Do Differently - Humans have a remarkable capacity for resilience. Over and over, we hear stories of people who, after trauma and adversity, pick themselves up, put the pieces back together, and go on with their lives.
- 8 Ways Forgiveness Is Good For Your Health - In an era of lawsuits, it can sometimes seem like forgiveness is a concept from biblical times. But a wealth of research suggests we should apply the act to our daily lives because it may hold a myriad of health benefits.
- In 'Dear Father,' A Poet Disrupts the 'Cycle of Pain'- In his new memoir, Dear Father, J. Ivy describes the pain of being abandoned by his father.
- The Forgiveness Boost - Everett Worthington, professor of psychology Virginia Commonwealth University, forgave his mother's murderer. "But beyond that, forgiving people are markedly physically healthier than unforgiving ones."
- Papal audience: importance of family as place of forgiveness - In the pope's catechisis, he reflects on the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation.
- Why forgiveness Is At The Center Of Faith For This Black Pastor - Black churches are often the targets of violence, but despite this, many black pastors and congregations fall into a pattern of forgiveness towards these violent and racially-motivated attacks.
- Eight Keys To Forgiveness - Forgiveness is a strong medicine for healing deep wounds left by betrayal or other difficult personal pain, and here's 8 steps to gain this healing.
- Matters of Faith: Living in peace through forgiveness - A lack of forgiveness truly hinders their ability to reach their full potential.
- MU Study Finds Forgiveness Impacts Older Men and Women Differently - A study ties mental health to forgiveness in older adults.
- Want To Be Healthier? Try Forgiveness - Studies show that a lack of forgiveness can cause physical symtoms of stress.