What People Get Wrong About Forgiveness

Odessa Denby
3 min readNov 10, 2021

“You don’t have to forgive anyone!” Is not the empowering battle cry you might think it is.

Photo by Lampos Aritonang on Unsplash

When it comes to self-help blogs and online positivity bombing, your mileage may vary, but a recent trend I’ve noticed has to do with something said to people who have experienced trauma and abuse. “Don’t forgive your abusers or those who’ve wronged you,” has become common advice.

--

--

Odessa Denby

Professional writer and editor, former expat. Conscientious lifestyle and relationships, mental health, and the arts.