Forgiveness is such a powerful tool in our ability to relate to each other and the world that it makes me very sad to see how many mistaken beliefs about it are out there. I hear so many statements about forgiveness that are just plain not true.
Like "I forgive but I don't forget." That statement isn't exactly what forgiveness is all about, and too often it gets misinterpreted. On one hand, it seems to imply that you can forgive but then still remember everything the person did wrong. This seems like a logical statement until you put it into action. When you "forgive but don't forget" you keep a mental list of wrongs that someone committed against you, and the next time they goof up you haul them all out like an unwelcome memory album.
Is that really forgiveness? Here are ten common myths about forgiveness. See which ones you used to believe were true.