Which is better, forgive or forget the mistakes of others?

naijauser(56)
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The best is to forgive and to forget. But a proper understanding is required so as not to make a mistake all in the name of forgiving and forgetting. Let me use a scenario to explain my point.

Let's say I lend my friend some money which he promises to pay back in one month. One month goes by, I hear nothing. Two months, three months go by, and my friend doesn't respond. Even after a year, my friend keeps avoiding me.

If this friend of mine then comes to me, say one year and the half later and begs me to lend him some money again and that he'll pay back in one month again, what do I do?

I have two options,

1. Send him away in anger asking him to never

show his face where I am again, or

2. Lend him the money.

But by lending him the money I'll be stupid to honestly expect my money back in one month simply based on previous experience. This is where forgiving and forgetting comes in.

Forgiving is simply not holding any grudge against my friend anymore. Forgetting is not allowing my friend's actions in the past prevent me from being of assistance to him subsequently. Such that the next time I lend him money I prepare myself to not get it back, but I still lend it to him anyways.

That's what forgiving and forgetting is about. We shouldn't seek to do one and not the other, rather we should strive to be able to do both.

I hope this makes sense. Thanks.

Which is better, forgive or forget the mistakes of others? | Ecency