I Must Work Even Harder on Myself

Something to remember about forgiveness (as I see it in any case):

Unsolicited forgiveness can very easily appear to be an aggressive thing. Because if I tell someone who hasn’t asked for it that I forgive them nevertheless, it implies that they are in the wrong, that they have done something that I, magnanimously of course(!), can forgive.

Does that mean that I cannot forgive those that I see as having wronged me? No, of course not. But it’s an internal process first and foremost. I may forgive them in pectore so that my own future actions won’t be colored by my resentment.

My rule of thumb on forgiveness: it’s almost always better to remain silent and let my deeds speak for themselves. Let my future actions, not my present words, reveal my forgiveness and desire for reconciliation.