Apologizing isn’t easy. Granting forgiveness can be a lot harder. No matter the severity of the situation, it’s hard to look past what someone has done. Acknowledging what happened, accepting it, and moving on can seem impossible. That’s when forgiveness quotes come in, to help you see the power in forgiving.
Forgiveness allows us to release the negative energy a situation has brought into our lives. It is a process that can take a while. Releasing anger, resentment, and grudges requires time. But, the reward is emotional freedom.
Many throughout history have seen the benefits of forgiveness. So, we put together a list of forgiveness so that you can see the benefits, too.
Here are the Best Forgiveness Quotes!
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“True forgiveness is when you can say, “Thank you for that experience.” – Oprah Winfrey
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“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” — Katherine Ponder
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“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
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“If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive.” — Mother Teresa
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“Forgive but do not forget, or you will be hurt again. Forgiving changes the perspectives, forgetting loses the lesson.” – Paulo Coelho
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“The most important thing that I learned in growing up is that forgiveness is something that, when you do it, you free yourself to move on.” – Tyler Perry
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“Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours.” — Phillips Brooks
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“It can be hard to forgive and let go but it’s important to remember that harboring the resentment and holding a grudge can hurt you even more. The word ‘forgive’ really means to give something up for yourself not for them.” –Jack Canfield
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“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” — Mark Twain
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“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.” — Desmond Tutu
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“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message; that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.” — Dalai Lama
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“Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment. It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offense up against the offender. Forgiveness is an expression of love.” –Gary Chapman
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“I forgive myself and set myself free.” –Louise Hay
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“Forgotten is forgiven.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
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“Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.” –Bruce Lee
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“Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” — Oscar Wilde
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“Before we can forgive one another, we have to understand one another.” — Emma Goldman
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“Forgiving what we cannot forgive creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future.” –Lewis Smedes
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“Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.” – C.S. Lewis
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“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message; that is love, compassion, and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.” — Dalai Lama
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“When a deep injury is done to us, we never heal until we forgive.” –Nelson Mandela
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“Hate has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet.” – Maya Angelou
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“Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again.” — Saint Augustine
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“When you forgive, you in no way change the past—but you sure do change the future.” –Bernard Meltzer
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“To understand somebody else as a human being, I think, is about as close to real forgiveness as one can get.” — David Small
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“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.” –John F. Kennedy
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“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” — Thomas Szasz
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“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” — Bryant H. McGill
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“I believe forgiveness is the best form of love in any relationship. It takes a strong person to say they’re sorry and an even stronger person to forgive.” – Yolanda Hadid
We hope these quotes inspired you to free yourself of anger and resentment. Remember: by practicing forgiveness, you can live your fullest life!