FORGIVENESS

A LMOST every day of our lives, we inescapably meet with some kind of bad experience, great or small, with people. One has two options; either to ignore it or try to take some counter measures. The first option is a form of forgiveness, while the other amounts to seeking revenge. Which is the better option? We must decide by looking at the outcome, for that will be the determining factor. Forgiveness is certainly the better option, for it is based on a proven formula of saving yourself from even worse experiences. For example, forgiveness saves you from unworthy distractions, saves your precious time, and saves you from creating even more problems. It is an instant solution to any problem. On the contrary, taking revenge is bound to complicate the matter, for that means making everything go from bad to worse. Where forgiveness can buy time, taking revenge just wastes time without there being any benefit. In such a situation, people are generally too prone to place the onus for the predicament entirely upon others. But this is an unwise reaction. The better plan is to examine one’s own role in the affair. In other words, if you have had some sad experience, don’t focus on the other person. Think about your own self and adopt a course of action which is better for you. Many times in our lives, we are faced with two kinds of choices; anti-other thinking and pro-self thinking. Anti-other thinking makes you descend to a low level, whereas pro-self thinking elevates you to a higher plane of human behaviour. If forgiveness is a full stop, revenge is punctuated by commas. Forgiveness means ending an unwanted situation, while taking revenge means endlessly extending it. Forgiveness maintains your positive thinking uninterruptedly, while revenge fosters negativity. And negative thinking can lead to all kinds of evil actions. Some would argue that forgiveness does not always work, and that it is better to adopt the tit-for-tat policy. But tit for tat is not a real solution; it does not end the problem, it only leads to a chain of action and reaction. Forgiveness puts an end to the problem once and for FORGIVENESS What is its Value? Forgiveness is an instant solution to any problem. On the contrary, taking revenge is bound to complicate the matter.