high school essay on forgiveness

66 Forgiveness Essay: Examples, Titles, & Thesis Statement

A forgiveness essay is an exciting yet challenging task. In our article, you can find good forgiveness essay examples in literature, history, religion, and other spheres

📝 Writing a Forgiveness Theme Statement

🏆 best forgiveness essay examples, 🔍 simple forgiveness titles for essay, 💡 interesting forgiveness essay examples.

In your forgiveness essay, focus on different aspects of forgiveness. Some good forgiveness titles for the essay reveal themes of revenge, justice, and personal forgiveness. You can write an excellent reflective or argumentative essay on forgiveness – it is a versatile topic.

Regardless of your forgiveness essay’s specific topic and type, you should develop a strong thesis statement. Below we will provide recommendations on making a good forgiveness theme statement. This will help you come up with a solid base and arguments to prove your position.

Check these tips to make a powerful forgiveness thesis statemen:

• Determine the primary idea. What are you trying to prove? Can anything be forgiven, or are there cases when it’s not possible? Introduce your one main idea and the angle from which you will look at it. You can also include some facts or opinions about the acuteness of the topic.
• Work out your argumentation. It is crucial to have a firm structure in your forgiveness essay. You need to support the thesis statement with several arguments and evidence to demonstrate the consistency of your paper.
• Think of the opposing views. Every argument has a counterargument. When working on your forgiveness theme statement, always keep an opposite thesis statement in mind. Having considered counter positions, you gain additional arguments for your position.
• Don’t quote others in your thesis statement. A thesis statement is the first and foremost chance to introduce your point of view. Use your own strongest words to reach a reader. This is where they get the first impression about the whole work.

We also have lots of other tips on developing A+ thesis statements. Check our free thesis statement generator to discover more information and get a perfect forgiveness theme statement.

• Christ’s Atonement and the Concept of Forgiveness This study will connect the atonement of Jesus Christ and attitudes towards forgiveness through the revision of the current church, Love and God’s commandment to forgive.
• Forgiveness in the Christian Texts and the World Today The apostle calls upon the church’s people to stop the punishment of the wrongdoer and forgive, comfort, and affirm their love for him. It instructs Muslims to follow God and forgive others instead of following […]
• Divine and Human Forgiveness in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” By Samuel Taylor Coleridge After killing the albatross who was suppose to provide them with wind, all the people in the ship died but he managed to survive because he had asked God to forgive him all the sins […]
• Hamlet and Forgiveness: A Personal Reflection Some of the most prominent themes in the story are the ideas of mutual forgiveness, people’s motivation to be proactive and take risks, and their willingness to forgive and ask for forgiveness.
• Service Recovery and Customer Forgiveness Studies suggest that after apologizing to customers plus taking responsibility for the problem, getting to the root of the problem is very important to prevent such occurrences in the future. Getting to the root of […]
• Racial Inequality Targeted Student Loan Forgiveness Programs The research into this topic seems highly significant as the reduction of racial inequality was one of the most debated topics in the U.S.for the last several decades.
• Philosophy of Forgiveness I believe that if anyone had gone through all the pain and horror that Simon had, and was asked to forgive Karl, the instinct, and most humane reaction at that moment would be to strongly […]
• The Effects of Forgiveness Therapy After gathering the relevant data, the researchers compared the recovery of the participants to their controls to determine the effects of forgiveness therapy.
• Self-Forgiveness: The Step Child of Forgiveness Research Other than the similarities and the differences, the two types of forgiveness relate to each other as self-forgiveness facilitates interpersonal forgiveness, this is through allowance of one to identify with one’s offender.
• The Amish Philosophy of Forgiveness It is important to note that the immediate forgiveness of the enemy does not mean that the Amish will let the perpetrators of crime go free.
• Review: “Interventions Studies on Forgiveness: A Meta-analysis” by Baskin T. and Enright R. In the church, members come to the pastor with a variety of social and psychological issues. The first step the pastor should undertake is to sympathise with the victims.
• Self-Forgiveness as the Path to Learning to Forgive the Others The key issues that the given research responds to or, at least, attempts to solve, are the definition of self-forgiveness, the relation between self-forgiveness and interpersonal forgiveness, and the means to differentiate between self-forgiveness and […]
• The Effects of Forgiveness Therapy on Depression, Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress for Women After Spousal Emotional Abuse Enright forgiveness model applied in the study proved effective since it systematically addressed the forgiveness process identified the negative attributes caused by the abuse, and prepared the women for positive responses.
• Forgiveness & Reconciliation: The Differing Perspectives of Psychologists and Christian Theologians Based on the research design there is evidence of measures put in place to control against most of these biases which strengthens the study findings; this is the strength to the study.
• Forgiveness and Reconciliation Critique Availability of literature; as stated in the literature though the area of forgiveness is new in the field of psychology, but there is enough literature to cover the study.
• Forgiveness in Simon Wiesenthal’s Work The Sunflower Taking into account the major themes of the book The Sunflower, one is to make a conclusion that such response to atrocities as forgiveness is considered to be the key aspect of humanity.
• Forgiveness in Martin Luther’s Movement for Rights Blacks The bible teachings tell us that God exists in the holy trinity and the only way to forgive others is for us to be able to forgive our own transgressions.
• The Idea Of Forgiveness Resonates Differently With Every Individual
• Accident Forgiveness in Automobile Insurance
• The Association Of Feathers And Forgiveness
• Christians’ Beliefs About Justice And Forgiveness
• Debt Forgiveness: The Missing Link in Closing Gap with Third World
• Christian Beliefs about Justice, Forgiveness and Reconciliation
• Learning About Forgiveness From the Teachings of the Bible
• Crusades and the Forgiveness of Sins of the Sinners
• Feelings Surrounding the Need for Forgiveness in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights
• Why Forgiveness Is Essential and the Forgiveness Manadala
• The Desirability of Forgiveness in Regulatory Enforcement
• The Styles of Forgiveness Communication in Association with Determinants of Forgiveness in In the Wake of Transgressions, an Article by Andy Merolla
• The Spiritual Principle of Forgiveness in Wes Anderson’s Film The Royal Tenenbaums, Saint Augustine’s Confessions, and the Biblical Story of Adam and Eve
• The Problems With Forgiveness: An Analysis of Literary Works
• The Relationship Between Forgiveness and Sleep Quality
• The Themes of Betrayal and Forgiveness in Paradise Lost by John Milton and A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• Love, Forgiveness, and Trust: Critical Values of the Modern Leader
• Compassion and Forgiveness: Wilde’s Insincerity
• The Secret Life of Bees An Analysis of Forgiveness and Responsibility
• Themes Of Forgiveness In The Tempest By William Shakespeare
• Resolutions of Forgiveness, Repentance and Reconciliation in Shakespeare
• The Kite Runner: Forgiveness, Loyalty, and the Quest for Redemption
• Why Forgiveness Is Vital In Our Society
• Morals And Forgiveness In Simon Wiesenthal’s The Sunflower
• The Emotional and Physical Benefits of the Act of Forgiveness
• The Monster’s Lack of Forgiveness in Frankenstein, a Book by Mary Shelley
• Conflict Management : Forgiveness And Reconciliation
• Man Alive: A True Story Of Violence, Forgiveness And Becoming
• The Renaissance Figure That Wonders the Lands in Hope of Bring Forgiveness in the Pardoner and His Tale
• The Impact of Acceptance, Tolerance, and Forgiveness in Frankenstein, a Novel by Mary Shelley
• Racism, Redemption, Forgiveness and Hope in Minor Miracle, a Poem by Marilyn Nelson
• Why Perspective in Forgiveness and Redemption is so Important
• The Themes Punishment vs. Forgiveness Present in the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• The Dynamics of Corporate Debt forgiveness and Contract Renegotiation
• Throwing Stones-Resilience and Forgiveness in The Glass Castle
• The Importance of Granting Forgiveness to One’s Enemies in Simon Wiesenthal’s The Sunflower: on Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness
• The Meaning and Significance for Christians Today of Forgiveness
• Penalties and Exclusion in the Rescheduling and Forgiveness of International Loans
• Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Empathy and Forgiveness
• Conflicts And Forgiveness In Family
• The Importance of Perspectives in Forgiveness and Redemption
• The Economic And Ethical Ambiguities Of African Debt Forgiveness
• Exploring the Themes of Forgiveness and Reconciliation in The Tempest by William Shakespeare
• Vengeance and Forgiveness in Shakespeare’s The Tempest
• The Effects of Forgiveness Therapy on Depression
• Theme Of Betrayal, Revenge, And Forgiveness
• Unbroken A Story Of Redemption And Forgiveness By Laura
• The Christian View On Justice Forgiveness And Reconciliation
• Positive Psychology Titles
• Consciousness Ideas
• Bible Questions
• Virtue Essay Ideas
• Moral Development Essay Topics
• Belief Questions
• Idealism Paper Topics
• Personal Values Ideas
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Essay on Forgiveness

Students are often asked to write an essay on Forgiveness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Forgiveness

Understanding forgiveness.

Forgiveness is when we stop feeling anger towards someone who has done something wrong to us. It’s like letting go of a heavy burden.

The Power of Forgiveness

When we forgive, we feel lighter and happier. It helps us to move on and not dwell on past hurts.

Forgiveness and Relationships

Forgiveness strengthens our relationships. It helps us to understand and accept others, despite their mistakes.

Learning to Forgive

Forgiving is not easy, but it’s important. We can learn to forgive by understanding that everyone makes mistakes.

250 Words Essay on Forgiveness

Introduction.

Forgiveness, a virtue often preached yet seldom practiced, is the act of pardoning an offender. It is a complex psychological phenomenon that involves an intricate interplay between emotions, cognition, and actions.

The Significance of Forgiveness

The importance of forgiveness lies in its ability to release the negative emotions of anger, resentment, and the desire for retribution. This cathartic process promotes emotional well-being, reducing stress, and enhancing interpersonal relationships. It is a testament to human resilience and our capacity for empathy and compassion.

The Psychology of Forgiveness

From a psychological perspective, forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to relinquish feelings of resentment or vengeance. This process involves a cognitive shift, a change in one’s attitude towards the offender, and a willingness to let go of negative emotions. It does not necessarily mean forgetting the offense or reconciling with the offender, but rather, it is about finding inner peace and moving on.

Forgiveness as a Social Construct

Sociologically, forgiveness is a social construct that helps maintain social harmony. It promotes reconciliation and prevents the perpetuation of a cycle of revenge and hostility. In this sense, forgiveness is an essential component of social cohesion and stability.

In conclusion, forgiveness is a powerful tool for personal growth and social harmony. It is a testament to human strength, resilience, and our capacity for empathy. The decision to forgive is a journey towards inner peace, one that requires courage, humility, and a profound understanding of the human condition.

500 Words Essay on Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a multifaceted concept, deeply embedded in human interactions and fundamental to the continuity of social relationships. It is a conscious decision to let go of resentment or vengeance towards an individual or group who has harmed us, regardless of whether they deserve our forgiveness.

The act of forgiveness is a psychological process that involves a change in emotion and attitude towards an offender. It is a voluntary and deliberate act that requires effort and emotional resilience. The process is often complex, involving feelings of hurt, anger, and betrayal. However, it also opens the door to healing, peace, and the possibility of reconciliation.

Psychologists suggest that forgiveness can be a transformative process that promotes mental health, reduces anxiety, and enhances our well-being. It is a coping strategy that allows us to deal with interpersonal conflicts and emotional injuries. By forgiving, we free ourselves from the chains of bitterness, enabling us to move forward without the burden of past hurts.

The Philosophy of Forgiveness

Philosophically, forgiveness is seen as a virtue, an act of grace and compassion. It is a moral decision to absolve another of their wrongdoings, not out of obligation, but out of understanding and empathy. This perspective emphasizes the ethical dimension of forgiveness, viewing it as a moral duty or obligation.

Forgiveness in Practice

Practicing forgiveness requires a high degree of emotional intelligence and maturity. It begins with acknowledging the hurt and allowing oneself to feel the pain. The next step is to empathize with the offender, trying to understand their perspective. This is followed by making a conscious decision to forgive, which often involves a verbal or mental declaration of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a personal journey and there is no right or wrong way to go about it. It can be a slow and challenging process, but it also brings about personal growth and emotional liberation.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Eight Keys to Forgiveness

When another person hurts us, it can upend our lives.

Sometimes the hurt is very deep, such as when a spouse or a parent betrays our trust, or when we are victims of crime, or when we’ve been harshly bullied. Anyone who has suffered a grievous hurt knows that when our inner world is badly disrupted, it’s difficult to concentrate on anything other than our turmoil or pain. When we hold on to hurt, we are emotionally and cognitively hobbled, and our relationships suffer.

Forgiveness is strong medicine for this. When life hits us hard, there is nothing as effective as forgiveness for healing deep wounds. I would not have spent the last 30 years of my life studying forgiveness if I were not convinced of this.

Many people have misconceptions about what forgiveness really means—and they may eschew it. Others may want to forgive, but wonder whether or not they truly can. Forgiveness does not necessarily come easily; but it is possible for many of us to achieve, if we have the right tools and are willing to put in the effort.

Below is an outline of the basic steps involved in following a path of forgiveness, adapted from my new book, 8 Keys to Forgiveness . As you read through these steps, think about how you might adapt them to your own life.

1. Know what forgiveness is and why it matters

Forgiveness is about goodness, about extending mercy to those who’ve harmed us, even if they don’t “deserve” it. It is not about finding excuses for the offending person’s behavior or pretending it didn’t happen. Nor is there a quick formula you can follow. Forgiveness is a process with many steps that often proceeds in a non-linear fashion.

But it’s well worth the effort. Working on forgiveness can help us increase our self-esteem and give us a sense of inner strength and safety. It can reverse the lies that we often tell ourselves when someone has hurt us deeply—lies like, I am defeated or I’m not worthy . Forgiveness can heal us and allow us to move on in life with meaning and purpose. Forgiveness matters, and we will be its primary beneficiary.

Studies have shown that forgiving others produces strong psychological benefits for the one who forgives. It has been shown to decrease depression, anxiety, unhealthy anger, and the symptoms of PTSD. But we don’t just forgive to help ourselves. Forgiveness can lead to psychological healing, yes; but, in its essence, it is not something about you or done for you. It is something you extend toward another person, because you recognize, over time, that it is the best response to the situation.

2. Become “forgivingly fit”

To practice forgiveness, it helps if you have worked on positively changing your inner world by learning to be what I call “forgivingly fit.” Just as you would start slowly with a new physical exercise routine, it helps if you build up your forgiving heart muscles slowly, incorporating regular “workouts” into your everyday life.

You can start becoming more fit by making a commitment to do no harm—in other words, making a conscious effort not to talk disparagingly about those who’ve hurt you. You don’t have to say good things; but, if you refrain from talking negatively, it will feed the more forgiving side of your mind and heart.

You can also make a practice of recognizing that every person is unique, special, and irreplaceable. You may come to this through religious beliefs or a humanist philosophy or even through your belief in evolution. It’s important to cultivate this mindset of valuing our common humanity, so that it becomes harder to discount someone who has harmed you as unworthy.

You can show love in small ways in everyday encounters—like smiling at a harried grocery cashier or taking time to listen to a child. Giving love when it’s unnecessary helps to build the love muscle, making it easier to show compassion toward everyone. If you practice small acts of forgiveness and mercy—extending care when someone harms you—in everyday life, this too will help. Perhaps you can refrain from honking when someone cuts you off in traffic, or hold your tongue when your spouse snaps at you and extend a hug instead.

Sometimes pride and power can weaken your efforts to forgive by making you feel entitled and inflated, so that you hang onto your resentment as a noble cause. Try to catch yourself when you are acting from that place, and choose forgiveness or mercy, instead. If you need inspiration, it can help to seek out stories of mercy in the world by going to the International Forgiveness Institute website: www.internationalforgiveness.com.

3. Address your inner pain

It’s important to figure out who has hurt you and how. This may seem obvious; but not every action that causes you suffering is unjust. For example, you don’t need to forgive your child or your spouse for being imperfect, even if their imperfections are inconvenient for you.

To become clearer, you can look carefully at the people in your life—your parents, siblings, peers, spouse, coworkers, children, and even yourself—and rate how much they have hurt you. Perhaps they have exercised power over you or withheld love; or maybe they have physically harmed you. These hurts have contributed to your inner pain and need to be acknowledged. Doing this will give you an idea of who needs forgiveness in your life and provide a place to start.

There are many forms of emotional pain; but the common forms are anxiety, depression, unhealthy anger, lack of trust, self-loathing or low self-esteem, an overall negative worldview, and a lack of confidence in one’s ability to change. All of these harms can be addressed by forgiveness; so it’s important to identify the kind of pain you are suffering from and to acknowledge it. The more hurt you have incurred, the more important it is to forgive, at least for the purpose of experiencing emotional healing.

You may be able to do this accounting on your own, or you may need the help of a therapist. However you approach looking at your pain be sure you do it in an environment that feels safe and supportive.

4. Develop a forgiving mind through empathy

Scientists have studied what happens in the brain when we think about forgiving and have discovered that, when people successfully imagine forgiving someone (in a hypothetical situation), they show increased activity in the neural circuits responsible for empathy. This tells us that empathy is connected to forgiveness and is an important step in the process.

If you examine some of the details in the life of the person who harmed you, you can often see more clearly what wounds he carries and start to develop empathy for him. First, try to imagine him as an innocent child, needing love and support. Did he get that from the parents? Research has shown that if an infant does not receive attention and love from primary caregivers, then he will have a weak attachment, which can damage trust. It may prevent him from ever getting close to others and set a trajectory of loneliness and conflict for the rest of his life.

You may be able to put an entire narrative together for the person who hurt you—from early child through adulthood—or just imagine it from what you know. You may be able to see her physical frailties and psychological suffering, and begin to understand the common humanity that you share. You may recognize her as a vulnerable person who was wounded and wounded you in return. Despite what she may have done to hurt you, you realize that she did not deserve to suffer, either.

Recognizing that we all carry wounds in our hearts can help open the door to forgiveness.

5. Find meaning in your suffering

When we suffer a great deal, it is important that we find meaning in what we have endured. Without seeing meaning, a person can lose a sense of purpose, which can lead to hopelessness and a despairing conclusion that there is no meaning to life itself. That doesn’t mean we look for suffering in order to grow or try to find goodness in another’s bad actions. Instead, we try to see how our suffering has changed us in a positive way.

Even as one suffers, it’s possible to develop short-term and sometimes long-range goals in life. Some people begin to think about how they can use their suffering to cope, because they’ve become more resilient or brave. They may also realize that their suffering has altered their perspective regarding what is important in life, changing their long-range goals for themselves.

To find meaning is not to diminish your pain or to say, I’ll just make the best of it or All things happen for a reason. You must always take care to address the woundedness in yourself and to recognize the injustice of the experience, or forgiveness will be shallow.

Still, there are many ways to find meaning in our suffering. Some may choose to focus more on the beauty of the world or decide to give service to others in need. Some may find meaning by speaking their truth or by strengthening their inner resolve. If I were to give one answer, it would be that we should use our suffering to become more loving and to pass that love onto others. Finding meaning, in and of itself, is helpful for finding direction in forgiveness.

6. When forgiveness is hard, call upon other strengths

Forgiveness is always hard when we are dealing with deep injustices from others. I have known people who refuse to use the word forgiveness because it just makes them so angry. That’s OK—we all have our own timelines for when we can be merciful. But if you want to forgive and are finding it hard, it might help to call upon other resources.

First remember that if you are struggling with forgiveness, that doesn’t mean you’re a failure at forgiveness. Forgiveness is a process that takes time, patience, and determination. Try not to be harsh on yourself, but be gentle and foster a sense of quiet within, an inner acceptance of yourself. Try to respond to yourself as you would to someone whom you love deeply.

Surround yourself with good and wise people who support you and who have the patience to allow you time to heal in your own way. Also, practice humility—not in the sense of putting yourself down, but in realizing that we are all capable of imperfection and suffering.

Try to develop courage and patience in yourself to help you in the journey. Also, if you practice bearing small slights against you without lashing out, you give a gift to everyone—not only to the other person, but to everyone whom that person may harm in the future because of your anger. You can help end the cycle of inflicting pain on others.

If you are still finding it hard to forgive, you can choose to practice with someone who is easier to forgive—maybe someone who hurt you in a small way, rather than deeply. Alternatively, it can be better to focus on forgiving the person who is at the root of your pain—maybe a parent who was abusive, or a spouse who betrayed you. If this initial hurt impacts other parts of your life and other relationships, it may be necessary to start there.

7. Forgive yourself

Most of us tend to be harder on ourselves than we are on others and we struggle to love ourselves. If you are not feeling lovable because of actions you’ve taken, you may need to work on self-forgiveness and offer to yourself what you offer to others who have hurt you: a sense of inherent worth, despite your actions.

In self-forgiveness, you honor yourself as a person, even if you are imperfect. If you’ve broken your personal standards in a serious way, there is a danger of sliding into self-loathing. When this happens, you may not take good care of yourself—you might overeat or oversleep or start smoking or engage in other forms of “self-punishment.” You need to recognize this and move toward self-compassion. Soften your heart toward yourself.

After you have been able to self-forgive, you will also need to engage in seeking forgiveness from others whom you’ve harmed and right the wrongs as best as you can. It’s important to be prepared for the possibility that the other person may not be ready to forgive you and to practice patience and humility. But, a sincere apology, free of conditions and expectations, will go a long way toward your receiving forgiveness in the end.

8. Develop a forgiving heart

When we overcome suffering, we gain a more mature understanding of what it means to be humble, courageous, and loving in the world. We may be moved to create an atmosphere of forgiveness in our homes and workplaces, to help others who’ve been harmed overcome their suffering, or to protect our communities from a cycle of hatred and violence. All of these choices can lighten the heart and bring joy to one’s life.

Some people may believe that love for another who’s harmed you is not possible. But, I’ve found that many people who forgive eventually find a way to open their hearts. If you shed bitterness and put love in its place, and then repeat this with many, many other people, you become freed to love more widely and deeply. This kind of transformation can create a legacy of love that will live on long after you’re gone.

About the Author

Robert Enright

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Who forgives.

Forgiveness for Students

What is it.

Researchers have defined forgiveness as a process, beginning with the choice to let go of resentment, negative judgment, and negative behavior towards the person who has harmed you. However, forgiveness does not require you to excuse, condone, forget, or reconcile with the person who has harmed you, nor does it require them to apologize. Indeed, the offender doesn’t even need to be aware that you have forgiven them.

Instead, forgiveness brings you peace of mind and frees you from corrosive anger. It helps you to recognize the pain you have suffered without letting that pain define you, enabling you to heal and move on with your life. With time, some experts suggest that you may even begin to cultivate positive feelings, thoughts, and behaviors toward the offender—including compassion, generosity, and love.

Ultimately, forgiveness is a choice one makes for oneself—one that can take time to fully be realized, but is worth it in the end.

A young boy feels hurt after not being invited to play in a game during recess. Later he decides to forgive his two friends who excluded him and offers to share his markers with them while they are working on an art project.

Why is it important?

Forgiveness strengthens students’ relationships..

• Forgiveness fosters conciliatory gestures in children, such as a willingness to share. Such gestures can prevent relationships from deteriorating, improving satisfaction and commitment within the relationship.

Forgiveness improves student well-being.

• Forgiveness training with students restores hope and increases happiness among children, while reducing anger , anxiety, and depression .
• Forgiveness training can help adolescent girls who are bullies and bullied decrease their anger, aggression, and delinquency, while increasing their empathy and improving their grades.

Forgiveness supports student success.

• Young people who forgive also tend to perform better academically .

Helping children and teens to learn to forgive looks different at different ages .

• Ages 4-5. Introduce children to the concept of love—caring for the other for the sake of the other. For example, read picture books to students in which there are loving interactions between characters.
• Step 1: Introduce the theme of inherent worth or the idea that all people—no matter who they are—have value. Each person is special, unique, and irreplaceable.
• Step 2: Before introducing the theme of forgiveness itself, you can lay a further foundation by showing students the themes of kindness, respect, and generosity.
• Step 3. Introduce students to forgiveness, but only through stories and not through their own experience of forgiving those who hurt them. You can explain forgiveness this way: When people forgive, they are kind to those who are not kind to them. They try to show respect to those who have not shown respect to them, and try to be generous to those who have not been generous to them. They also try to be loving to their family members even if the family members are not loving to them, at least at the moment.
• Step 4. Tell students that to forgive does not mean automatic reconciliation. Sometimes, a child must stay away from another child if the latter is continually bullying. The one who is being bullied needs to tell an adult.
• Step 5. Students may forgive, but only if they are ready and only if they choose to consider forgiveness. Forgiveness is a choice and should not be pressured. For those who are ready, they can then consider offering kindness, respect, generosity, and love toward the offending person.
• Ages 10-13. Introduce the three themes of forgiving, receiving forgiveness, and reconciling. To receive forgiveness requires the humility to acknowledge wrongdoing and to wait until the one offended is ready to forgive. To reconcile, the two people are willing to come together again in mutual trust. In other words, the one who was unfair takes steps to change. Forgiving can occur without reconciliation if the one who offends refuses to alter the unfair actions.
• Ages 14-18. High schoolers are ready for a more sophisticated forgiving by following the steps in the Forgiveness Process Model. Adolescents in high school may be ready to consider the challenge to forgive not just one person but anyone toward whom they harbor continuing resentment.

Practice Collections

Courage Blooms

Developing the Courage to Speak Up

Reminders that Encourage Moral Character Strengths

Introduction to Forgiveness

Understanding Inherent Worth: A Path towards Forgiveness

Learning from Courageous Forgivers 

Creating Space for Forgiveness by Letting Go of Anger

GGIE Online Courses for Educators

Do you want to dive deeper into the science behind our GGIE practices? Enroll in one of our online courses for educators!

Speaking of Psychology: The power of forgiving those who’ve hurt you, with Robert Enright, PhD

Episode 247.

When someone hurts you, it can feel justifiable or even satisfying to nurse a grudge. But psychologists have found that forgiveness, when done right, can lead to better mental, emotional, and even physical health for the forgiver. Robert Enright, PhD, of the International Forgiveness Institute and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discusses how you know if you’re ready to forgive, the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, whether any harms are truly unforgivable, and how to forgive someone who isn’t sorry for what they’ve done.

About the expert: Robert Enright, PhD

Kim Mills: When someone hurts you, a friend or a former friend, a family member, a colleague, or a romantic partner, it can feel justifiable or even satisfying to nurse a grudge. After all, what do you have to gain from forgiving someone who's bullied you, betrayed you, or let you down? But psychologists who study forgiveness say that forgiving, when done right, can be therapeutic for the person who's been hurt. Research has found that it can lead to better mental, emotional, and even physical health.

So, when you want to forgive someone, where do you start? What steps do you take? How do you deal with the anger or grief that may be standing in the way of forgiveness? And, more broadly, can you forgive without forgetting? What's the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation? When someone has done something truly wrong, can you forgive them and seek justice at the same time? And, is it possible to forgive someone who isn't sorry for what they've done?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology , the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life. I'm Kim Mills.

My guest today is Dr. Robert Enright, a professor in the department of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He's a pioneer in the study of forgiveness, which he has been researching for nearly four decades. Dr. Enright has developed forgiveness-based interventions for children and adults who have suffered from bullying, abuse and other injustices. He's also brought forgiveness education programs to conflict areas such as Northern Ireland. He is interested in how forgiveness interventions and therapy can help people heal and improve their mental health and wellbeing. Dr. Enright is the author of more than 120 scientific articles and seven books, and has been awarded many honors, including a 2022 Gold Medal Award for impact in psychology from the American Psychological Association. 

Dr. Enright, thank you for joining me today.

Robert Enright: It's an honor to be with you, Kim. Thanks for asking me.

Mills: Let's start, as we often do in this podcast, with a definition. I'm going to ask you something that might seem obvious. What does the term forgiveness mean? You say people often misunderstand the term, so how do you define it?

Enright: I see it as a moral virtue, where you are being good to those who are not good to you, without excusing, without forgetting lest it happened again, without necessarily reconciling, as you had said in your introduction, and without throwing justice under the bus.

Mills: So, I mentioned in the introduction that your research and that of some of your colleagues, you've found that forgiveness can benefit people's health, their mental health and their wellbeing. Can you talk about that? What's the connection between forgiveness and wellbeing?

Enright: The key is that when we've been treated unjustly by others, a lot of times unhealthy anger sneaks into our heart and we're not even aware of that. And with that drip, drip, drip of the anger onto the heart, onto the emotions, day after day and even year after year, people start to become deeply angry or resentful. And then that can turn into anxiety and even depression and even low self-esteem, not liking yourself. And as you reach out, paradoxically, with goodness toward those who are not good to you, and it's your choice, it shouldn't be forced, that drip, drip, drip of the anger starts slowing down and in its place, you start having, as I say, that goodness toward the other. And that actually counteracts the toxic anger, reducing and even eliminating the effects of the trauma and that the anxiety and depression literally can leave and you get your life back.

Mills: Now, if you want to forgive someone, how do you do it—practically speaking? What are the steps that people should take?

Enright: Well, very briefly, it's good first to understand the effects of the injustice against you, seeing that it's quite negative and that you've been living with negative effects, like restlessness and too much anger and the like. And then you have to make a decision. How are you going to heal from that? And many people come to forgiveness when they've tried everything under the sun. And so they say, “Nothing's worked. I'll try forgiveness.” So, you make a decision, a free will decision without coercion from others. And then, what I say, hit the forgiveness gym to do the forgiveness work, to become forgivingly fit, you start thinking about the one who hurt you in new ways.

You see that they're more than the injustice against you. You see their personhood, is what you do. And when you do that and then you're ready to give this moral virtue-like quality, which is goodness to the other. That's when the healing starts to begin in the heart of the forgiver, which leads to finding new meaning and purpose in your own life, when you say, “Hey, I have a new way of dealing with trauma that I had never thought of before,” and it's there that you get a true psychological change that's transformative in a very positive way.

Mills: Now, it sounds like all of this is coming from within the person who is doing the forgiving. Does the person who is being forgiven have to play any kind of role in this?

Enright: I like your words “have to.” No. The other does not have to do anything, but it's helpful. If the other person is repentant, sorrowful, comes to you and genuinely apologizes without any nonsense, without using the apology as a way to gain power, that helps a lot, yes. But you can make this free will decision to go ahead and to try and be good to the other, try and expand your story of who this person is beyond just the injustice against you. And, it's your decision, your internal work. And you know why that's so important? Because then the other doesn't have that kind of power over you anymore. See, you're free to do this whenever you wish. Think about it. If your heart is damaged because of an injustice, and you need to forgive and you won't or you can't until three little words are uttered by the one who didn't like you, “I am sorry,” that's giving way too much power to the other.

Mills: But how do I know personally that I'm ready to forgive? I mean, I may feel like that's what I should do, but is it truly coming from within? We talk about heart here. Is it coming from my heart?

Enright: I think that's a great question. And, people tend to know when they are ready for a new chapter in their life. They know when they're ready to go on a diet. They know when they're ready to have a new friend. They know when they're ready to go to the physical gym to get physically fit. They have a motivation. They have a direction in their life. And so, a lot of times actually, people don't think they are ready, because they think what forgiveness is is caving into the other's nonsense. But, when they finally hear that that's not what it is, and you can stand firm, that what happened was unfair and it's still unfair, but I'm going to try and give this unexpected, shockingly new idea in psychotherapy of deliberately being good to the other, while watching my own back, then people know they're ready for this new chapter in their life, just like they might for a new diet.

Mills: Does the forgiver have to engage in some way with the person they're forgiving? Does that matter?

Enright: Well, it does matter, but it's not necessary. You see, if you can go to the other and say, “I am hurt. This isn't right what you've been doing. May we talk about it?” And the other's ready, wonderful, but the other might be deceased. And does that mean you cannot forgive someone who's deceased? Now you're trapped for the rest of your life. Think about that. But, you can. How can you be good to someone who's deceased? How about a kind word about that person to other family members? If it's a person in your family who's hurt you. Or donating a little money to charity in that person's name, so you're honoring that person's name. You see, that stops the drip, drip, drip of the anger in the heart.

So, it's really a unilateral idea, just as any moral virtue is. When you're trying to be fair or just to others, you don't wait for others to make certain moves before you, for example, stop at a stoplight when you're driving a car. That's your choice. I'm glad it's your choice, because with justice there are definite repercussions for not doing that. But with forgiveness, it's also your individual choice and you don't have to do it. That's what I like about it.

Mills: How can you forgive someone who isn't sorry for what they've done, or maybe even doesn't recognize what they did was hurtful?

Enright: It makes it harder, and you can actually then forgive the person for that offense. For the person to stubbornly insist that, “I have done nothing,” is another offense. And so you can go ahead, if you're ready, if you know what forgiveness is truly, and you're not being coerced into it by that person who says, “What's the matter with you?” And you want to do it, then you can go ahead on your own, regardless of what that other person does. That's how freeing forgiveness can be, with the consequence, “I am now freed from what this person has been doing to me.”

Mills: You mentioned a moment ago that forgiveness is a kind of moral virtue. But, what if someone doesn't want to forgive the person who hurt them, or isn't ready? Does that make that person less morally virtuous? That seems like you're putting the burden on the victim in a sense.

Enright: You are if you misunderstand forgiveness, because if we see forgiveness as absolutely necessary under all conditions or we’re morally weak, then yes, it would be putting the judgment actually on the victim. But, philosophers use the term, here's a big one for us, supererogatory. Forgiveness is a supererogatory moral virtue. There's a lot of syllables in there. And what they mean by that is, it's not one that must be done under all circumstances. It's similar to altruism. Do you have to give money to every single person you meet on the street who has a cup and is homeless? No. Are you going to be condemned if you give to two people and not 10? No. You'll be praised if you do it twice. It's the same thing with forgiveness. Supererogatory means it's up to you, in the context that's right for you, when you are ready.

Mills: Is there a difference between forgiving someone very close, like a family member you might see all the time, and forgiving someone you can easily avoid, like an old work colleague?

Enright: It actually depends on the severity of the injustice, as to whether forgiveness in a psychotherapeutic sense is worthwhile. Oftentimes, I find when looking at the issue of helping people to forgive, the deepest, most profound hurts that can last a lifetime oftentimes come from the family. Why? Because it's the family that's supposed to protect us. And, when those in the family now betray us, the hurt can be much deeper than if a boss fires us. Yet, at the same time, if that boss is very cruel to you, dumps you when you have a family to support and others are mocking you, that might be much worse than anything you've ever faced in the family, in which case, that one really might need some help, in an applied psychological sense. Both may need help, but in general, it's the family issues that cut us the most deeply.

Mills: And that brings me to the question of whether there's anything that is unforgivable. I mean, we can think of a lot transgressions—the Holocaust, murder. I mean, there are many bad things that we do to each other. Is anything truly, truly unforgivable?

Enright: For some people there are lines drawn in the sand and they won't go beyond that. And we should respect that. That is their choice to forgive people for certain offenses and not others. But, quite frankly, I have never seen any offense in the world that I probably couldn't point to at least one person who has forgiven. Let's take a look at the Holocaust, which you mentioned. Eva Mozes Kor, who passed away recently, broke my heart, because she passed away was with her twin sister Miriam in Auschwitz, the concentration camp in Poland. She made a decision to forgive—I'm going to put this in quotes. “Dr. Mengele.” He wasn't a doctor, he was a pretend doctor. But Miriam died, because of those experiments. Eva Mozes Kor decided on her own to forgive, to set herself free. Others who were with her in concentration camp thought it was, I'm quoting here, “improper.” And that's fine, because it would be improper for them, but not for her. So, we have to respect those who won't forgive, and respect those who will, because it's their free will decision to do so or not.

Mills: Now, people often think of forgiveness in a religious context. Many religions teach the value of forgiveness. Do you think, and have you found in your research, that religious people find it easier to forgive? Or, is forgiveness just as possible and as powerful in a secular context?

Enright: Our research has looked at people from all walks of life, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, humanistic, atheistic, and we find that when people walk the pathway of forgiveness that's been worked out scientifically, and are willing to put the time in to become forgivingly fit, I've never seen a person fail miserably, especially depending on their demographics. Let's think about it for a moment realistically. Isn't it true that an atheist wants to be fair or just in the world, treating people with fairness, obeying the traffic rules? Absolutely, of course. And so, there's nothing in the rulebook of forgiveness that says you have to be a certain kind of believer to engage in it, just like the whole world engages in justice, regardless of culture. Because there are laws that might differ among different cultures, but they all have laws, and all people obey them or else. And that's just an example, the justice moral virtue, showing that we all on some level definitely try to engage in virtuous behavior.

Mills: Can it work the other way, though, where a religion says to you, “You must forgive, this is what we teach,” and you feel in your heart that you can't really forgive? Will that then weigh you down in the sense that you want to forgive, but you can't get there?

Enright: Yes, if you're misunderstanding your religion. Because, quite frankly, I have never seen a religion that demands that you get rid of your anger today. Okay? Usually, there are windows, usually there is compassion, usually there's patience. Honestly, I have studied these. I'm an egghead professor, remember. I study everything that's in English, whether it's Jewish or Buddhist or Christian or the materialist philosophies of the day, that demands that you start on the road of forgiveness today or watch out.

Mills: Now, you and your colleagues have developed forgiveness education programs for schools. What's the goal of those programs and how do they work?

Enright: The goal for children is to prepare them for adulthood. Isn't that what good education is always about? Why do we teach children to read? So, when they're in a grocery store as adults, they can read the mayonnaise jar to see how many calories there are. How about teaching them mathematics so they can balance a checkbook? Why don't we prepare children for the storms of injustice in adulthood that will visit them? I've never been able to figure that out. And so, what we're doing is we're preparing children for the storms of injustice that will hit them in adulthood, not by getting them into forgiveness therapy as children, but simply introducing them to what forgiveness is through stories. There are a lot of picture books out there for 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds that show conflict and show how story characters work through that conflict, sometimes with more conflict, in other times was actually deliberately trying to get along by seeing the humanity in the other. Because, as Horton said, in Horton Hears A Who , “A person is what? A person is a person, no matter how small.” Oh, even if they hurt you? Right-oh.

And so, now we get the sense of children seeing what forgiveness is, so that on their own, when they mature more philosophically and rationally, they can make their own decisions whether to do this or not. Because I worked with a 35-year-old woman recently whose husband just abandoned her, and she has two children and has to get a new job. And she said to me, “I want to forgive, but I don't know how.” What if she knew how to forgive through forgiveness education, her life at 35 would be much better.

Mills: Now, are there any demographic differences and who is able to forgive? Are women more able to forgive, because of the socialization that we go through? I mean, there are stereotypes and I happen to be part Irish and part Italian, and we all supposedly hold grudges. Do you find things like that in your research?

Enright: I have not found gender differences in how people successfully go through our psychotherapeutic process when they've been traumatized. There is some research out there that suggests, and it's only some, because not all of it says this—women statistically sometimes are more open to forgiving. I have found when I give talks on forgiveness that if you did a headcount, there are more women in the audience. And I have more graduate students studying forgiveness with me who are women. So, I think it's an interesting point, Kim. Maybe there is something there. But, at the end of the day, when men and women are definitely motivated to forgive, both can forgive with equal accuracy.

Mills: Let's talk for a minute about the role of forgiveness in social and geopolitical issues, where I know you've done some work. How did you deal with, I mentioned in the intro Northern Ireland? How did you negotiate that forgiveness with those countries?

Enright: Okay. Usually we're asked in. See, I don't push myself into anywhere. Anne—so, in Northern Ireland—Gallagher, as with Eva Mozes Kor, she died and broke my heart. She had a peace movement in Northern Ireland. She had family members who were part of the difficulties there, what they called “the troubles.” And she said, “Come to Northern Ireland and help us understand forgiveness alongside the quest for justice.” And so I came, and she introduced me to school principals there. And at first, the school principals, rightly so, were skeptical of the idea of forgiveness, because they thought we were moving directly into political realm. The Irish Catholics versus British Protestants. No. No. No. We're interested in children in what they do when another child pushes the one down and skins the person's knee, or steals your orange at the lunch counter. And so, we're more interested in the person-to-person issues within their own community, you see, so that eventually as they develop their forgiveness muscle, as we say, and become more forgivingly fit, they might, if they so choose, start applying that in the political realm.

And I had had the same thing with a school superintendent in the West Bank, where he said, “The anger we have within our community here in the Middle East is destroying within our own community, individuals, families and the local community. Could you help us reduce our anger level, by practicing forgiveness locally?” And we have done that. And so, the key is to not get involved in the political realm first, to get involved with the individual human heart, the family, and the local community and let's see where that develops. That is actually one of my big goals. My big dreams with this work I've been doing for 38 years, is to change the peace movement, where it brings forgiveness into the conversation, not just to usurp anything that's been done. But, dialogue by itself can appear very neat and tidy and respectful, but away from the peace table, if the hearts aren't right, hatred can continue. I want to see forgiveness as part of dialogue and as part of solutions alongside justice.

Mills: It sounds as if you're working a lot with the younger generations. And, I'm wondering if in some instances we're just going to have to wait for the next group of children, effectively, to become adults, in order to work through some of these issues? I mean, I think of the Middle East in particular, even what we're seeing between Russia and Ukraine right now.

Enright: That's right. I think that's extremely insightful, actually. And, that's correct. I think we need to bring two generations of children and adolescents through forgiveness, so they mature in that. They become, as I had said before, forgivingly fit, so that they can apply that alongside other issues that have been tried. Okay. How long is it going to take if we bring two generations through? Which is what? About 20 to 40 years? How long has the difficulties been going on in Northern Ireland? Hundreds of years. How long in the Middle East? Thousands. And so, is 40 years an exhausted amount of time where we should forget it? No. That's a blink of an eye. I think we should try this by having the humility to say, “Those who come after us might find a better way.”

Mills: So, you mentioned you've been at this for 38 years. What keeps you going? What are you working on now? What are the questions that you still need to answer?

Enright: Okay. What keeps me going is the passion for what we find. It has actually surprised me, the strength of the findings when people are gravely hurting psychologically, and are healed from, let's say, major depressive disorder. And that gives me a hope, and the hope keeps me going, that we can indeed create a better world, one heart at a time. And so, I would say on the table as my wishlist, more insight that forgiveness education is worthwhile for children and adolescents. And, here's a big one, community forgiveness. And we're actually starting to work on that in different war-torn communities, especially in Africa.

We've been approached by four different communities in different geographic areas of Africa. Coming to us, saying, “Can you help us? We have had civil wars.” I just had a meeting this past week with someone from an African community who told me one million people, Kim, one million people have died in this century from the civil wars. And he said, “We need to bring forgiveness into communities, into individual hearts, families and communities, and then community to community.” But see, both communities have to be astute enough and motivated enough to become well-versed in forgiveness. And then, what will happen? I want to find out.

Mills: Well, Dr. Enright, I want to thank you for joining me today. This is extremely important work that you're doing. Thank you so much.

Enright: Thank you so much for having me, Kim.

Mills: You can find previous episodes of Speaking of Psychology on our website at www.speakingofpsychology.org , or on Apple, Stitcher, YouTube, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. And, if you like what you've heard, please leave us a review. If you have comments or ideas for future podcasts, you can email us at [email protected] . Speaking of Psychology is produced by Lea Winerman. Our sound editor is Chris Condayan. 

Thank you for listening. For the American Psychological Association, I'm Kim Mills.

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Episode 247: T he power of forgiving those who’ve hurt you, with Robert Enright, PhD

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• Robert Enright
• International Forgiveness Institute
• “ Forgiveness can improve mental and physical health ” ( Monitor on Psychology , January 2017)

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Your host: Kim I. Mills

Kim I. Mills is senior director of strategic external communications and public affairs for the American Psychological Association, where she has worked since 2007. Mills led APA’s foray into social media and envisioned and launched APA’s award-winning podcast series Speaking of Psychology  in 2013. A former reporter and editor for The Associated Press, Mills has also written for publications including The Washington Post , Fast Company , American Journalism Review , Dallas Morning News , MSNBC.com and Harvard Business Review .

In her 30+-year career in communications, Mills has extensive media experience, including being interviewed by The New York Times , The Washington Post , The Wall Street Journal , and other top-tier print media. She has appeared on CNN, Good Morning America , Hannity and Colmes , CSPAN, and the BBC, to name a few of her broadcast engagements. Mills holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Barnard College and a master’s in journalism from New York University.

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Essay Samples on Forgiveness

Reasons to be hardworking, forgiving, honest and trustworthy.

Being forgiving is a difficult trait to have especially if someone damaged one badly. The time when the person I trusted the most in the world, my best friend stole from my family and stabbed me in the back, it taught me that in order...

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Unforgiveness Steals Away Your Joy, Peace, and Happiness

Forgiveness is one of the topics most Christians don't like to talk about especially if they were truly hurt by someone close to their heart. Sometimes, we feel it is better to carry the burden of hatred rather than forgive those that have wronged us....

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Analysis of the Article Intellectual Humility and Forgiveness of Religious Conflict

The article, “Intellectual Humility and Forgiveness of Religious Conflict.’, discusses a study regarding religious conflict. One of the authors begins by giving a detailed synopsis of what their experience was a undergraduate in religious studies. They often found themselves in conversations with people of other...

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Gratitude and the Act of Giving on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a day that shows people we love, values love, relationships and reading. Valentine's Day is a day to show people who care about our important words and actions. mean something! We all know that Valentine's Day is a day to exchange cards...

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The Scarlet Letter: Hester Prynne Deserved and Earned Forgiveness

Have you ever made a terrible mistake and no matter how much you tried to fix it you can’t stop getting it from following you in life? In the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathainel Hawthrone the main character Hester Prynne knows how you feel....

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Enright's Four Stages of Forgiveness: Personal Account

Forgiveness is a coin with two sides. One including those who practice forgiveness in conjunction with someone who has wronged them, and conversely, the other side holds those who wish to have forgiveness bestowed upon them by the wronged party. Ideally, forgiveness is the work...

Ritualized Forgiveness and Confession in Christianity

Forgiveness is a biblical mandate from the New Testament that many Christians engage in as a part of their faith. Various scriptures reflect forgiveness as a part of Christian teachings and theology, as is it enshrined in the Lord’s prayer – forgive us our debts...

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The Freeing Nature of Genuine Forgiveness

“I don’t like you, okay?” She shot back at Lance on the phone. “I don’t date men anymore. Men are a waste of precious time!” The words stung him. He told her good night and never called back again. Cara was angry and bitter. She...

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The People Who Shaped My Story

There are only a very few people in your life who, out and out, fit in as the last piece in a jigsaw puzzle and complete your story. I 'm humbled by the very fact that I have known some. Those who have loved me...

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Best topics on Forgiveness

1. Reasons to Be Hardworking, Forgiving, Honest and Trustworthy

2. Unforgiveness Steals Away Your Joy, Peace, and Happiness

3. Analysis of the Article Intellectual Humility and Forgiveness of Religious Conflict

4. Gratitude and the Act of Giving on Valentine’s Day

5. The Scarlet Letter: Hester Prynne Deserved and Earned Forgiveness

6. Enright’s Four Stages of Forgiveness: Personal Account

7. Ritualized Forgiveness and Confession in Christianity

8. The Freeing Nature of Genuine Forgiveness

9. The People Who Shaped My Story

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Forgiveness - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

This essay analyses the various themes such as redemption, forgiveness, and second chances from John Milton’s poem ‘Paradise Lost’ and William Shakespeare’s play ‘King Lear’.

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• Personal Statement: I Do Believe in Forgiveness
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Forgiveness in Paradise Lost

We can see that Book III of Paradise Lost is different from the other books. The book now focuses on God and his desire for the world he created. In the other books, it was seen that Satan wants to grow high above God and wants to be praised and worshiped by others as God. He tried to overthrow God and the best possible way is to destroy God’s new creation which he created in his image that is humans. As God is all-powerful and all-knowing he could see the plans that were taking place in hell. “ Hell and the Gulf between, and Satan there Coasting the wall of Heav’n on this side Night In the dun Air sublime, and ready now To stoop with wearied wings, and willing feet On the bare outside of this World, that seem’d Firm land imbosom’d without Firmament, (III. Lines 70-75)”.

Book III also talks about Milton’s personal thoughts about divine knowledge. “ Hail holy light, offspring of Heav’n first-born, Or of th’ Eternal Coeternal beam May I express thee unblam’d? since God is light, And never but in unapproached light Dwelt from Eternitie, dwelt then in thee, (III, Lines 1-5)”. Act IV starts with Edgar where he is seen thinking of the act Edmund has done to him. The act continues By Gloucester reporting the injustice done by Regan and Cornwall’s punishment. I have no way, and therefore want no eyes; I stumbled when I saw. (Act IV, Scene 1, Line 18-19).

The poem is seen as a story taken from the scriptures. It is seen that God had only given one command to Adam and Eve and that is not to eat the fruit from Tree of knowledge of good and evil. It is also seen that God had given man the free will to choose as a way to test him. God also made sure that he communicated with them every day and that he gave them clear warnings. It is seen that Eve was tricked by Satan in the form of a serpent where she feels for it and ate the forbidden fruit. Adam loved Eve a lot and considered her as his soul mate and could hesitate what we gave him and ate the fruit. Both of them sinned and fall short in the eyes of God. “Watering the ground, and with our sighs the Air Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign Of sorrow unfeign’d, and humiliation meek. (X, Lines 1090-1092). It means that God is gracious to forgive our sins. In the story, it is seen that Satan, Adam, and Eve all feel into temptation and sinned. They are punished and also allowed to repent and seek forgiveness. God forgives those who truly repent. But Satan pride stops him from asking forgiveness and seeks to continue with his evil plans. On the other hand, Adam accepts his faults and ask God for forgiveness. This means that God would also forgive our sins. We are his children and the only way to seek it is to repent and say sorry.

Forgiveness in King Lear

In the play, King Lear has come to realize his mistake of trusting his daughter’s flattery and banishing the one who truly loved him. Later he seeks to ask forgiveness to his daughter Cordelia for not understanding her and for the sins he has done. “You must bear with me. Pray you now forget, and forgive; I am old and foolish. (Act IV, Scene 7, Line 83-84)”. This can be connected to our everyday life where we tend to misunderstand the person who truly loves us and stays with us to those who backbite us or tends to use us. We can see that from both these instances that forgiveness is granted for those who truly repent.

In the poem, the Son who is full of compassion and kindness asks God he would be giving mercy to humans without compromising on justice. God answers to deliver justice and mercy a sacrifice should be made and he decides to sacrifice his only begotten Son for the salvation of mankind. “The deadly forfeiture, and ransom set. And now without redemption all mankind Must have bin lost, adjudg’d to Death and Hell By doom severe, had not the Son of God, In whom the fulness dwells of love divine, His dearest mediation thus renewd (III, Line 221-226).” It means that those who believe in the Son would be redeemed from their sins. Those who do not have faith in the Son would be destined to Hell.

In King Lear, redemption refers to the change of heart that he experiences after having been forsaken by his daughters with whom he entrusted all that he had, leaving him out into the streets. “Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drench’d our steeples, drown’d the cocks! You sulph’rous and thought-executing fires, Vaunt-couriers of oak-cleaving thunderbolts, Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder, Strike flat the thick rotundity o’ th’ world! Crack nature’s moulds, all germains spill at once That makes ingrateful man! (Act III, Scene 2, Lines 1-9)”. Here the storm can be seen as a metaphor for the change of heart that he is experiencing. “The body’s delicate; this tempest in my mind (Act III, Scene 4, Line 13)”. King Lear believes that there is nothing that holds him to live and has lost all hopes. The scriptures teach us that when there is nothing, we have everything as material things fade away.

In the poem second chance means God forgiving our sins and transgression. It is said that God is a God of chances. He forgives us for our sins and we should forgive others. “Before him reverent, and both confess’d Humbly thir faults, and pardon beg’d, with tears Watering the ground, and with thir sighs the Air Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign Of sorrow unfeign’d, and humiliation meek (X, Line 1100-1105).”

Gloucester tries to commit suicide by jumping from the cliff but lands on the ground safely. This is regarded as a miracle by Gloucester as said by Edgar and that God doesn’t want him to die yet. Gloucester seeks forgiveness from God for committing suicide. “I do remember now. Henceforth I’ll bear Affliction till it do cry out itself “Enough, enough,” and die. That thing you speak of, I took it for a man; often ’twould say, “The fiend, the fiend!”—he led me to that place. (Act IV, Scene 6, Lines 76-80)”.

Forgiveness as a Gift from God

Forgiveness, redemption, and second chances are God’s gifts which he has given to his creation. To experience it we have to seek out accept and repent our sins in order to receive salvation to lead a life according to God’s will.

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Essay on Forgiveness by C.S. Lewis

By Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc. N.Y. 1960

We say a great many things in church (and out of church too) without thinking of what we are saying. For instance, we say in the Creed " I believe in the forgiveness of sins." I had been saying it for several years before I asked myself why it was in the Creed. At first sight it seems hardly worth putting in. "If one is a Christian," I thought " of course one believes in the forgiveness of sins. It goes without saying." But the people who compiled the Creed apparently thought that this was a part of our belief which we needed to be reminded of every time we went to church. And I have begun to see that, as far as I am concerned, they were right. To believe in the forgiveness of sins is not so easy as I thought. Real belief in it is the sort of thing that easily slips away if we don't keep on polishing it up.

We believe that God forgives us our sins; but also that He will not do so unless we forgive other people their sins against us. There is no doubt about the second part of this statement. It is in the Lord's Prayer, it was emphatically stated by our Lord. If you don't forgive you will not be forgiven. No exceptions to it. He doesn't say that we are to forgive other people's sins, provided they are not too frightful, or provided there are extenuating circumstances, or anything of that sort. We are to forgive them all, however spiteful, however mean, however often they are repeated. If we don't we shall be forgiven none of our own.

Now it seems to me that we often make a mistake both about God's forgiveness of our sins and about the forgiveness we are told to offer to other people's sins. Take it first about God's forgiveness, I find that when I think I am asking God to forgive me I am often in reality (unless I watch myself very carefully) asking Him to do something quite different. I am asking him not to forgive me but to excuse me. But there is all the difference in the world between forgiving and excusing. Forgiveness says, "Yes, you have done this thing, but I accept your apology; I will never hold it against you and everything between us two will be exactly as it was before." If one was not really to blame then there is nothing to forgive. In that sense forgiveness and excusing are almost opposites. Of course, in dozens of cases, either between God and man, or between one man and another, there may be a mixture of the two. Part of what at first seemed to be the sins turns out to be really nobody's fault and is excused; the bit that is left over is forgiven. If you had a perfect excuse, you would not need forgiveness; if the whole of your actions needs forgiveness, then there was no excuse for it. But the trouble is that what we call "asking God's forgiveness" very often really consists in asking God to accept our excuses. What leads us into this mistake is the fact that there usually is some amount of excuse, some "extenuating circumstances." We are so very anxious to point these things out to God (and to ourselves) that we are apt to forget the very important thing; that is, the bit left over, the bit which excuses don't cover, the bit which is inexcusable but not, thank God, unforgivable. And if we forget this, we shall go away imagining that we have repented and been forgiven when all that has really happened is that we have satisfied ourselves without own excuses. They may be very bad excuses; we are all too easily satisfied about ourselves.

There are two remedies for this danger. One is to remember that God knows all the real excuses very much better than we do. If there are real "extenuating circumstances" there is no fear that He will overlook them. Often He must know many excuses that we have never even thought of, and therefore humble souls will, after death, have the delightful surprise of discovering that on certain occasions they sinned much less than they thought. All the real excusing He will do. What we have got to take to Him is the inexcusable bit, the sin. We are only wasting our time talking about all the parts which can (we think) be excused. When you go to a Dr. you show him the bit of you that is wrong - say, a broken arm. It would be a mere waste of time to keep on explaining that your legs and throat and eyes are all right. You may be mistaken in thinking so, and anyway, if they are really right, the doctor will know that.

The second remedy is really and truly to believe in the forgiveness of sins. A great deal of our anxiety to make excuses comes from not really believing in it, from thinking that God will not take us to Himself again unless He is satisfied that some sort of case can be made out in our favor. But that is not forgiveness at all. Real forgiveness means looking steadily at the sin, the sin that is left over without any excuse, after all allowances have been made, and seeing it in all its horror, dirt, meanness, and malice, and nevertheless being wholly reconciled to the man who has done it.

When it comes to a question of our forgiving other people, it is partly the same and partly different. It is the same because, here also forgiving does not mean excusing. Many people seem to think it does. They think that if you ask them to forgive someone who has cheated or bullied them you are trying to make out that there was really no cheating or bullying. But if that were so, there would be nothing to forgive. (This doesn't mean that you must necessarily believe his next promise. It does mean that you must make every effort to kill every taste of resentment in your own heart - every wish to humiliate or hurt him or to pay him out.) The difference between this situation and the one in which you are asking God's forgiveness is this. In our own case we accept excuses too easily, in other people's we do not accept them easily enough. As regards my own sins it is a safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are not really so good as I think; as regards other men's sins against me it is a safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are better than I think. One must therefore begin by attending to everything which may show that the other man was not so much to blame as we thought. But even if he is absolutely fully to blame we still have to forgive him; and even if ninety-nine per cent of his apparent guilt can be explained away by really good excuses, the problem of forgiveness begins with the one per cent of guilt that is left over. To excuse, what can really produce good excuses is not Christian charity; it is only fairness. To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.

This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single great injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life - to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son - How can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night "Forgive our trespasses * as we forgive those that trespass against us." We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it is to refuse God's mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions and God means what He says.

*Trespasses=offences, being offended or offending. (Notes are not authored to Mr. Lewis.)

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How a Principal Who Stopped a School Shooting Learned to Be Vulnerable

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Jan. 20, 2017, was a normal morning for Greg Johnson, the principal of West Liberty-Salem High School, an hour outside of Columbus, Ohio, when he heard the news no school leader ever wants to hear: There had been a shooting on campus.

Flanked by assistant principal Andy McGill, Johnson rushed toward the restroom, where he saw a backpack and a few shell casings on the floor. They heard two students talking—one of them was trying to convince the other not to shoot again because he hadn’t killed anybody yet. When they entered the restroom, they saw that Logan Cole, a junior, had been shot twice at close range and already sustained serious injuries.

“I knew then that everything had changed,” Johnson said in an interview with Education Week. (Watch the interview above.)

Together, Johnson, McGill, and Cole were able to convince the shooter to put down his weapon. A more tragic outcome had been averted, but over the course of the next few months, Johnson said he had to contend with the “what ifs.”

“I didn’t regret going in there [to face the shooter],” he said. “But I had to grapple with, what if that situation had ended differently for my school, and for my family?”

Johnson spoke with Education Week about how his leadership journey changed after the shooting. It made him reflect on how his vulnerability could have a positive, trickle-down effect: If teachers and students saw that he, too, was struggling, they’d be more open about their own challenges dealing with the shooting’s aftermath.

Other things changed, too—two years ago, his eldest daughter Addie married Cole, the student survivor. This links Johnson inextricably with that day in 2017, but for him, it also reinforces the positives that came out of a tragic situation.

This is Johnson’s story about repair and forgiveness, in his own words. The account has been edited for clarity and length.

Recognizing trauma

I completely underestimated the traumatic effect that the shooting had on our students and community. Part of the reason was the way the day started and ended. It could have ended a lot worse. Parents were really grateful about the way the school intervened.

Logan and his family, in the aftermath, modeled for our whole community how important forgiveness is. When someone from our community started a GoFundMe page for the Cole family, [the family] wanted to make sure that a third of what was raised went to supporting a college fund for the shooter’s younger sister.

We experienced what I would call a “honeymoon period” afterwards. The first day that our kids came back, other schools had sent pictures and banners that lined the halls so our students were surrounded by love and support. For the first several months what you saw at school was very positive.

Gradually, I started to find that a lot of kids were putting on that positive face because that’s what they were seeing at school, and they wanted to reflect what everybody else was showing them. At home, they were having nightmares. The kids were struggling but thought it was just them that wasn’t doing well.

I was guilty of exacerbating this. You praise their grit, you praise that toughness, you praise the students for being able to come back into the building. You unintentionally tell students that if you are struggling, that’s a sign of weakness.

A month after the incident, more and more students started coming into the counselor’s office to talk. As a school, we then became more intentional about finding out who needed help. We screened students who’d experienced trauma to see how they’re dealing with it. Everybody is going to experience trauma in their own way. But if somebody is experiencing the effects of a traumatic event, and they’re not talking about it, they’re not getting the attention they need.

We were intentional about bringing fun back to the building. We didn’t want our identity to be that school where a shooting happened.

When I spoke to my daughter Addie, who was a student at school when the shooting happened, I understood that what the kids went through was different. For me, I was told there was a shooting. I saw an injured student, and almost immediately, the shooter put the gun on the floor and pushed it across to us. In that sense, the event was over.

But our students, some of whom had evacuated through windows, spent 30 to 40 minutes running across muddy fields in the middle of January, and hid in nearby farmhouses because they didn’t know where the shooter was. In their minds, their friends, their teachers, their principal were dead. It was good news that no one died, but it doesn’t undo what you went through, what your brain experienced. It impacts you forever.

When I spoke to students after they came back from the summer, the new school year seemed even harder. Some of that positive stuff that we saw after the incident, people making a big deal to show how much they care, rightfully disappeared. So when they came back in the fall, they thought, “Things have gone back to normal, but I don’t feel normal inside.” They couldn’t understand why it was hard for them.

As administrators, we were intentional about bringing fun back to the building. We didn’t want our identity to be that school where a shooting happened. There is a lot of caring and compassion, but we wanted to make school fun, and make students remember what life was like before the shooting.

Going to therapy

It was just past the one-year anniversary when I realized something had changed in me, too. We were in a staff meeting and somebody asked how I was doing. I told them, “I don’t think I’m quite back to where I was, but I think I’m doing OK.”

I had taken a lot of the burden on my own shoulders. Anytime I saw a kid or a teacher who was struggling, I feel I didn’t do what I needed to do for them. That’s when one of the counselors said, “Greg, you’re not the principal you used to be, and we need that principal back again.” That was a wakeup call.

I started seeing a counselor, and the one thing that we worked through early on was dealing with the situation emotionally. She asked me, “Did you cry? Did you grieve?” The way I operate is that when presented with a situation, I rationalize it. Here’s what happened, here’s what we need to do next. Trying to work through some of the emotions of that day was helpful.

The school also needed to see that I'm a human, that there are things that I struggle with.

I worked through things like guilt. We had one staff member who was in a room for two hours after the shooting. He was missed, and I didn’t realize that he was still in hiding. There was a lot of guilt that I didn’t go check on my kids. My wife was a 4th grade teacher in the building. All three of our children were in the building. I knew my son, in 7th grade then, was OK and in the gym. There was some guilt there, because I think he dealt with a lot of fear as the shooting was going on, knowing that I’m probably headed in that direction.

I’ve been working on my doctorate lately, and one of the topics that I’ve studied is post-traumatic growth. What I’ve learned from that is that nobody wants to say something good came out of a school shooting. Of course, if we could go back in time and prevent it from happening, we would. But I did grow as a person from that experience. I think I’m a better principal now. I’m more sensitive, more aware and quicker to reach out to others. I’m more willing to be vulnerable.

When it first happened, I thought the school needs to see a strong, consistent, positive strength from their principal, and that’s what I tried to show. But the school also needed to see that I’m a human, that there are things that I struggle with, and that’s that vulnerability piece.

The kids are all right

I’ve been surprised. A number of middle and high school students from the time of the incident have decided to go into education. A part of me was concerned it would turn them away. Addie got hired as a speech therapist in a school. Our son is majoring in education at Ohio State this year.

A number of students from that time were also married within three to four years of graduating. There’s always a concern after such incidents that students will increase their risky behaviors. But I guess they took stock of what’s important to them when they realized that life can be short.

I do know it’s when another event happens that things are bad. When there’s a shooting, it takes you back. Some of our students reach out to each when there is another shooting, or as Jan. 20 approaches.

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The Man to Bring Supreme Court Reform to the Conversation

Tim walz is not a lawyer—he’s a former civics teacher. that might be just what america needs to understand scotus..

There’s a truly excellent Tim Walz tweet circulating (thanks, Sal Gentile!) about all the things the Minnesota governor will do for you if elected vice president. It includes fixing your carburetor and putting a new chain on your lawn mower (read all the replies, I beseech you), and the upshot is that the former high school civics teacher and football coach is not just a menschy guy who will bring over a hot dish without even being asked but also a regular human who lives in the world. He doesn’t so much have an IVF “policy” as have an IVF daughter . His daughter is in fact the reason he changed his views on guns , in order to work more aggressively to prevent gun violence. Walz is not so much a creature of law and policy as a first responder. And, as People magazine put it when he was tapped Tuesday, Walz thus becomes the first candidate on a Democratic White House ticket since Jimmy Carter ran for reelection in 1980 to not have attended law school. The first nonlawyer in a quarter century! In a year in which the Democrats are putting the Supreme Court on the ballot, that makes him perfectly positioned to talk about what the court has done to ordinary Americans and why it matters.

In recent days alone, one sitting justice of the Supreme Court, in an interview with Fox News Sunday , cautioned President Joe Biden—kinda mobbishly—to “ be careful ” about proposing reforms that include imposing enforceable ethics rules (something all other judges in America must abide by). Justice Neil Gorsuch did this just as the New York Times reported on yet more undisclosed and unreported luxury travel by one of Gorsuch’s colleagues. In a new letter from Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, of Oregon, we learned that Justice Clarence Thomas took a round-trip flight from Hawaii to New Zealand in November 2010 on Harlan Crow’s private jet but never disclosed it. As the Times points out, Thomas’ disclosure form for 2010 does not list any flights on Crow’s jet, and while he has recently amended other filings to account for luxury travel after the press has unearthed it, this form has never been corrected.

To briefly review, then, the same Supreme Court conservative supermajority that last month granted Donald Trump almost boundless immunity from criminal prosecution and in June took away the government’s power to ensure that water is clean and food and drugs are safe has opted to respond to criticism with yet another warning to “be careful” in even contemplating creating rules, an admonishment that comes alongside yet another brutish shrug from Thomas at the very existence of enforceable ethics guidelines. It’s a foolhardy response to a public that has, according to polling , lost all confidence in the court—but it’s not unremarkable from a branch that sees itself as floating above all law and regulation. As Svante Myrick aptly puts it, this lack of public confidence is about not merely what’s on the docket but the horse it rode in on: “It’s not just the rulings, it’s the recreational vehicle.”

So when Gorsuch and Thomas opt to spend their summers giving the middle finger to an American public that supports ethics reform and term limits by overwhelming margins ( 73 percent and 74 percent , respectively) while labeling such measures to be interference with “judicial independence,” that is certainly a choice. It’s just an objectively dumb one. And in that sense, finally having a nonlawyer on the ticket to speak to what the court has done to ordinary Americans in these few short years is both vital and long overdue.

If we have learned anything at all this year, it’s that far too many lawyers are far too timid and too institutionalized to be comfortable calling out the raft of bad decisions in which precedent is ignored, statutes are misread, and text and history are warped in order to achieve partisan political goals. It’s time to pass the torch.

And if that means that a former civics teacher can take us all to school and, in layman’s terms, about the urgent issues on which Americans can agree the court has screwed us all, well, his timing is perfect: The Supreme Court as currently constituted has eviscerated voting rights. Tim Walz has been a fervent proponent of expanding the franchise . In his first remarks this week as vice presidential candidate, Walz pledged that he and Kamala Harris would strive to create “a place where we settle our political differences not through violence but with our votes.” Americans overwhelmingly believe in democracy over authoritarianism.

The Supreme Court has just gutted abortion rights. Walz has consistently expanded them . The Supreme Court has worked persistently to dismantle public education in favor of sectarian religious schools . Walz has poured a lifetime of energy into bolstering public education . The high court has put lethal guns in the hands of violent Americans. Walz says he “sleeps just fine” with his F rating from the National Rifle Association. The list goes on.

On almost every signature issue Walz brings to the table as governor, the Supreme Court has worked to undermine and devalue public regulation, funding, and expertise. And as our friend Jay Willis keeps reminding us , you need not be an expert on constitutional law and methodological approaches to statutory interpretation to have informed opinions on the Supreme Court. You know who’s going to have informed nonlawyerly opinions on what’s wrong with the Supreme Court? The nominee for the vice presidency. And if the current justices of the Supreme Court believe that the law has no bearing on the ways in which they opt to live their lives, and if the current GOP front-runner for the presidency has lived his entire existence in that very same spirit, well, it may be useful to have someone in the race who not only is palpably and demonstrably affected by the law but can also speak to that in terms the rest of us can relate to and understand.

In a profound way, Walz is an avatar for someone who is attempting to do effective and lawful state governance and is being thwarted by an imperial Supreme Court, which is exactly what will happen to the Harris administration if court reforms are not enacted. Just as the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority stood in the way of Biden’s emergency COVID management, his air-pollution efforts, his college-loan-forgiveness program, and his emergency-room abortion-care regulations, it will joyfully throw a spanner into the Harris administration’s efforts to expand voting rights, protect LGBTQ+ Americans, and prevent climate crises. One doesn’t need Juris Doctor behind their name to call this out. One need only have had a semester or two of high school civics to understand that this is neither “checking” nor “balancing” as anticipated by the Framers but rather an untouchable juristocracy that travels by charter flight and superyacht.

It’s high time that a prominent nonlawyer take a turn at this critique of the Roberts court, and it’s clear that Walz may succeed where all of us polite eggheads have failed. The Supreme Court supermajority represents a democracy crisis that needs to be discussed at barbecues and high school lunch tables, not just pondered in the stacks at Ivy League law schools. If Walz can initiate and embody that conversation over the next 90 days, in terms that chime with swing voters and undecideds, and in language that is playful and irreverent and goofy, it will be the best thing to happen to a Democratic Party that has avoided the topic of court reform for two decades too long. To baldly paraphrase Oliver Wendell Holmes, three generations of pointy-headed lawyers is enough. Let’s have a conversation on court reform from someone who has lived, and taught and governed, under the hand of a court that seems not to care about the real impacts of its decisions.

More From Forbes

New guidance on latest student loan forgiveness plan issued prior to key august deadline.

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WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 01: U.S. President Joe Biden answers reporters' questions in the East Room ... [+] at the White House on August 01, 2024 in Washington, DC. The Biden-Harris administration is in the final stages of releasing a new student loan forgiveness plan, and the Education Department updated its guidance last week. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Biden administration has released new details on an upcoming student loan forgiveness initiative that could benefit millions of borrowers.

The latest plan, expected to launch this fall, is intended as a second attempt at mass student debt relief after President Joe Biden’s first plan was struck down by the Supreme Court last year. Following nearly a year of negotiated rulemaking (an administrative process to develop new regulations), the Education Department has indicated that the new program is in its final stages.

In conjunction with millions of notices that officials sent out to borrowers last week with an important opt-out deadline, the department has updated its official guidance on the plan. The new details provide additional clarity on the four categories of borrowers that may be eligible for loan forgiveness, even while the department continues to work on finalizing the rules for the program. A fifth category based on hardship is not expected to launch until sometime next year.

Here’s a breakdown.

Student Loan Forgiveness For Runaway Interest Accrual

One of the primary groups of borrowers potentially eligible for student loan forgiveness under Biden’s new plan are those who have experienced an increase in their loan balance over time due to interest accrual and capitalization. This can occur under a variety of circumstances, such as being in an income-driven repayment plan when the payments are less than the monthly amount of interest accrual. In that scenario, a borrower could make substantial payments over a long period of time, and still wind up owing more than what they originally borrowed.

According to the new Education Department guidance , a borrower is eligible for partial student loan forgiveness under this category if their “current balance on an unconsolidated Direct Loan, ED-held Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loan, or ED-held Perkins loan is greater than the balance of that loan when it entered repayment,” or if the “current balance on a consolidation loan is greater than the balance of the loans included in your consolidation loan when the original loans entered repayment.”

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“All borrowers would be eligible for this debt cancellation, either up to the amount by which the borrower’s current balance exceeds the principal and interest balance when the loans entered repayment or $20,000, whichever is less,” says the department. But borrowers who are enrolled in an IDR plan and earn $120,000 or less per year individually or as married filing separately, or $240,000 or less per year as married filing jointly, could receive student loan forgiveness for “all principal and interest above the principal and interest balance at the time their federal student loans entered repayment.”

Student Loan Forgiveness For Those Who First Entered Repayment Many Years Ago

Borrowers can also be eligible for student loan forgiveness if they first entered repayment at least 20 or 25 years ago.

“Borrowers with only undergraduate debt would qualify for forgiveness if they entered repayment on or before July 1, 2005, and borrowers with graduate school debt or a mix undergraduate and graduate debt would qualify for forgiveness if they entered repayment on or before July 1, 2000,” says the updated Education Department guidance. “For borrowers with consolidation loans , we would check when the underlying loans initially entered repayment (not when the consolidation loan entered repayment). Loans that meet these criteria could be fully forgiven.”

The new guidance defines “entering repayment” somewhat differently depending on whether the loans had a grace period after graduation or withdrawal. “For subsidized and unsubsidized loans, borrowers are considered to have entered repayment at the end of the loan grace period,” says the department. “For both PLUS loans for parents and PLUS loans for graduate or professional students, borrowers are considered to have entered repayment when the loan is fully disbursed.”

Student Loan Forgiveness Based On Issues With School

A third student loan forgiveness eligibility category under the new plan is for those who attended “low-value” institutions. The Education Department has a specific definitions of this term for purposes of the new debt relief plan.

To qualify, the school must have “lost eligibility, or closed while at risk of losing eligibility, to give out federal student loans.” There could be several possible reasons for this, including the school’s failure to meet federal standards based on student outcomes, or failure to meet gainful employment requirements.

“An institution fails our accountability standards for the purposes of the proposed rules if it has high student loan default rates, producing graduates whose debt represents too large a share of their income or whose earnings are no better than those of a high school graduate; or was subject to a final agency action to terminate aid for failing to provide sufficient financial value,” says the department.

“Schools or programs that face similar situations but close before we make a final determination” could also fail the department’s standards, continues the department. “Under the proposed rules, you would be eligible for this debt relief if you took out loans to attend an institution or program during a period when it failed our accountability standards and lost its eligibility to participate in the federal student aid program, or was denied recertification.”

Eligible borrowers could receive complete student loan forgiveness for covered loans.

Student Loan Forgiveness For Borrowers Who Qualify Under Other Programs

Borrowers could also receive loan forgiveness under the new plan if they would qualify for relief under other programs, but never applied or enrolled.

Qualifying borrowers “would otherwise be eligible for loan forgiveness under IDR plans but are not enrolled, or who would be eligible for closed school discharge or other types of forgiveness opportunities but haven’t successfully applied for that relief,” says the department. This could, for instance, include borrowers who received retroactive credit under the ongoing IDR Account Adjustment initiative, but were short of the threshold for immediate loan forgiveness and never enrolled in an IDR plan to continue progressing toward eventual debt relief.

Opt-Out Deadline For Student Loan Forgiveness Is August 30

The Education Department updated its guidance on the new student loan forgiveness plan as officials sent out mass emails to borrowers notifying them of the program, and giving them an opportunity to opt out. Borrowers have until August 30 to do so.

“If you don’t want to receive debt relief for any reason, you need to tell your loan servicer that you don’t want to receive student loan debt relief,” says the updated guidance. “Contact ALL of your servicers by Aug. 30, 2024, to make sure you opt out of potential debt relief in time. Your servicers won’t be able to tell you if you may be eligible. If you opt out, you won’t be able to opt back in.”

The department also warns that opting out of this debt relief initiative could also be construed as opting out of relief under other student loan forgiveness programs. “Note that if you opt out, you will also be opted out of forgiveness under income-driven repayment (IDR) for the next several months and won’t have the option to opt back in,” warns the guidance. “If you opt out, we will automatically reevaluate your eligibility for forgiveness under IDR in the future; you won’t need to take any action for that to occur.”

Importantly, receiving the email is not an indication of automatic eligibility for student loan forgiveness. Likewise, not receiving an email does not mean that a borrower is ineligible.

“Because we have not identified who is eligible yet, not receiving an opt-out email doesn’t mean you’re not potentially eligible for student debt relief,” says the guidance. “If you did not receive an email, you can still follow the instructions above to contact your loan servicer(s). You should also make sure your email is up to date by logging in to your StudentAid.gov account.”

When Borrowers Will Know If They Qualify For Student Loan Forgiveness

Other than opting out if they choose, borrowers do not have to take any specific action right now to qualify for student loan forgiveness under the new plan. The Education Department is still finalizing the details.

“We’re currently working to finalize new regulations this fall that include who may receive student debt relief,” says the department.

Relief under the new program will be automatic for qualifying borrowers — meaning no application will be required. “Once the regulations are finalized, we will identify borrowers who are eligible for forgiveness and will apply that forgiveness if the borrower has not opted out,” says the guidance. “There will be no application process for debt relief under the proposed regulations that ED is working to finalize, and borrowers will not need to take action to receive relief.”

A fifth category for relief based on hardship will likely require borrowers to submit an application, although this component of the plan won’t go live until sometime next year.

The new loan forgiveness plan will likely face legal challenges, however, which could delay or block relief.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Forgiveness — The Importance of Forgiveness (in 100 Words)

The Importance of Forgiveness (in 100 Words)

• Categories: Forgiveness

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Words: 105 |

Published: Mar 17, 2023

Words: 105 | Pages: 0 | 1 min read

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Cosgrove, Lisa, and Mark Konstam. “Forgiveness: A New Paradigm for Healing and Growing.” Behavioral Medicine, vol. 34, no. 3, 2008, pp. 107-115.Mayo Clinic Staff. “Forgiveness: Letting Go of Grudges and Bitterness.” Mayo Clinic, [...]

Enright, Robert D., et al. 'The Forgiving Life: Acceptance, Hope, and Resilience.' American Psychological Association, 2012.Clinton, Timothy E., Hart, Archibald D., & Ohlschlager, George. 'Caring for People God's Way: Personal [...]

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House of the Dragon

‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Finale Recap: Hold Your Fire

There may be time yet to avoid mass burning and bloodshed, but it is running out very quick.

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By Sean T. Collins

Season 2, Episode 8: ‘The Queen Who Ever Was’

Chekhov warned writers against placing just one gun on the mantel without firing it by the end, let alone a dozen. In its second season finale, “House of the Dragon” calls Chekhov’s bluff 11 times over.

Vhagar, Dreamfyre, Syrax, Vermax, Vermithor, Caraxes, Seasmoke, Silverwing, Moondancer and the newcomers Sheepstealer and Tessarion: These are the living dragons introduced thus far, all available — theoretically, anyway — to take part in hostilities when the episode begins. (Aegon pronounces his dragon, Sunfyre, dead, so that takes him out of the action; more on Sheepstealer and Tessarion later.) Eleven beasts locked and loaded, and not a single one fired when the closing credits roll.

True, Vhagar torches a town off-camera at Aemond’s command, a horrific crime that shocks both the Black and Green camps. Still, the entire episode — the entire season — builds to a conflagration that never arrives. Even the abundance of dragons soaring together in the opening credits’ tapestry feels like a bait and switch.

That final cut to black knocked the wind out of my sails. Unfortunately, the episode is so good at building tension and anticipation for the three-front war on the horizon that it becomes a victim of its own success when the action doesn’t arrive.

In the Narrow Sea, Ser Tyland Lannister, the Greens’ master of ships, forges an unlikely alliance with a bawdy pirate queen, Lohar (Abigail Thorn), after beating her in mud wrestling. (Her demand that he impregnate her apparently many wives is either a caveat or a bonus, depending on your perspective.)

Their combined fleets will be arrayed against that of Lord Corlys, with his son and first mate, Alyn, by his side. But only reluctantly: The younger man angrily rejects his father’s overtures as too little, too late. Alyn grew up poor and hungry, watching Corlys and his heir, Laenor, strut around in their finery. Since Laenor is gone, now Corlys wants Alyn for a son? The sailor gives the offer a hard pass.

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