Forgiveness, in a psychological sense, is the intentional and voluntary process by which one who may initially feel victimized or wronged, goes through a change in feelings and attitude regarding a given offender, and overcomes the impact of the offense including[1] negative emotions such as resentment and a desire for vengeance (however justified it might be). Theorists differ in the extent to which they believe forgiveness also implies replacing the negative emotions with positive attitudes (i.e. an increased ability to tolerate the offender),[2][3][4] or requires reconciliation with the offender.[5] In certain legal contexts, forgiveness is a term for absolving someone of debt, loan, obligation, or other claims.[6]
On the psychological level, forgiveness is different from simple condoning (viewing an action as harmful, yet to be “forgiven” or overlooked for certain reasons of “charity”), excusing or pardoning (merely releasing the offender from responsibility for an action), or forgetting (attempting to remove from one's consciousness the memory of an offense). In some schools of thought, it involves a personal and "voluntary" effort at the self-transformation of one's own half of a relationship with another, such that one is restored to peace and ideally to what psychologist Carl Rogers has referred to as “unconditional positive regard” towards the other.[2][7] Forgiveness can seal off a past wrongdoing and remove it from the present.[8]
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