There's no need to forgive if you never hold anything against anyone in the first place. Let's be real about the other and his/her (possibly malicious) intentions as best as we are able to surmise, but then go and treat him/her the best. In a sensible way -- not suggesting to encourage an abuser to abuse more.
(There's a lot of "ego-forgiveness" going around: people forgiving mainly to free themselves from the burden of resentment. I have faced severe abuse and dealt poorly with it for a long time but, c'mon, if the other is someone too, just as I am someone, even if (s)he has just done something (maliciously) foolish... Why be so locked into the little finite human form I inhabit?)
On Aug 12, 2008 Tristan wrote :