200 Forgiveness Quotes

Please enjoy this list of forgiveness quotes. I hope you’ll find inspiration to live a more peaceful life. And please never forget: we all make mistakes.

Tell them you still love them, and they will get the message. Yoko Ono

It is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned. Francis of Assisi

Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore. Albert Einstein

To understand everything is to forgive everything. Osho

A noble spirit finds a cure for injustice in forgetting it. Publius Syrus

Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace. Buddha

If you cannot forgive yourself, you cannot forgive others. D. Muthukrishnan

Forgiveness is man’s deepest need and highest achievement. Horace Bushnell

To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it. Confucius

Love the sinner and hate the sin. Augustine of Hippo

The simple truth is, we all make mistakes, and we all need forgiveness. Desmond Tutu

The highest result of education is tolerance. Helen Keller

I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him. Booker T. Washington

If you haven’t any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble. Bob Hope

Your ego is not ready to forgive but your soul is. Maxime Lagacé

Related quotes and topics: attitude, ego, inner peace

The Best Forgiveness Quotes

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Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace. Mel Robbins Click to tweet

If you want to see the brave, look to those who can return love for hatred. If you want to see the heroic, look to those who can forgive. Bhagavad Gita

It is for God to punish wicked people; we should learn to forgive. Emily Brontë

The remarkable thing is that we really love our neighbor as ourselves: we do unto others as we do unto ourselves. We hate others when we hate ourselves. We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves. We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. We are prone to sacrifice others when we are ready to sacrifice ourselves. Eric Hoffer

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King Jr

I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become. Unknown

Can you hate someone for what they have done, but still love them for whom they had been? Jodi Picoult (Sing You Home)

Wrongs are often forgiven, but contempt never is. Our pride remembers it forever. Lord Chesterfield

Forgetting is the only revenge and the only forgiveness. Jorge Luis Borges Click to tweet

The only thing evil can’t stand is forgiveness. Fred Rogers Click to tweet

You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. Josh Shipp

Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this. Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget. Robert Jordan

Without forgetting it is quite impossible to live at all. Friedrich Nietzsche

The more you know yourself, the more you will forgive others. @TheStoicEmperor

Do not waste your life taking revenge on the shadows of those you cannot forget or forgive. Accept. Endure. @TheStoicEmperor

Let no man pull you low enough to hate him. Martin Luther King Jr

There is great freedom in not needing to await the forgiveness of another. Kapil Gupta

While revenge weakens society, forgiveness gives it strength. 14th Dalai Lama

Until we can forgive, we remain locked in our pain and locked out of the possibility of experiencing healing and freedom, locked out of the possibility of being at peace. Desmond Tutu

We should learn to accommodate ourselves to “wrongness”, striving always to adopt a more forgiving, humorous and kindly perspective on its multiple examples in ourselves and in our partners. Alain de Botton (Why You Will Marry the Wrong Person)

It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody. Maya Angelou

Happiness is a choice. Forgiveness is a choice. Acceptance, anger, desire, love…all choices. Your time. Your choice. Scott Shaw

As we grow in wisdom, we pardon more freely. Madame de Stael

Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself. Marcus Aurelius

What Is Forgiveness?

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Forgiveness is just another name for freedom. Byron Katie

Forgiveness is the answer. Maya Angelou

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. Suzanne Somers

To forgive is to understand the origins of evil and cruelty. Alain de Botton

Forgiveness is a prerequisite to peace. Make the decision to let go of pain and refuse to be jaded by negative experiences. Brenden Dilley

Forgiveness is simply about understanding that every one of us is both inherently good and inherently flawed. Desmond Tutu

Forgiveness means it finally becomes unimportant that you hit back. Anne Lamott

Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave. Indira Gandhi

See also: How To Forgive (YouTube video by The School Of Life)

Part 2. Forgiveness Quotes That Are…

The Most Famous Forgiveness Quotes

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Searching for a famous forgiveness quote? Check out those by Shakespeare, Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, etc.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Mahatma Gandhi Click to tweet

Love truth, but pardon error. Voltaire

Without forgiveness, there’s no future. Desmond Tutu

If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive. Mother Teresa

Forgiveness is choosing to love. It is the first skill of self-giving love. Mahatma Gandhi

Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude. Martin Luther King Jr

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. Martin Luther King Jr

Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much. Oscar Wilde Click to tweet

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. Mark Twain

Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different, it’s accepting the past for what it was, and using this moment and this time to help yourself move forward. Oprah Winfrey

True forgiveness is when you can say, “Thank you for that experience”. Oprah Winfrey

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names. John F. Kennedy

Let the brain go to work, let it meet the heart and you will be able to forgive. Maya Angelou

Compassion and love are the source of all spiritual qualities: forgiveness, tolerance, all the virtues. 14th Dalai Lama

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message; that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives. 14th Dalai Lama

I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. Abraham Lincoln

Forget, forgive; conclude, and be agreed. William Shakespeare

Short Forgiveness Quotes

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One-liners, short forgiveness quotes, sayings, thoughts and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, backgrounds.

To err is human; to forgive, divine. Alexander Pope Click to tweet</a

Forgotten is forgiven. F. Scott Fitzgerald

Be you. Do you. For you. Wesley Snipes

Forgive and it relieves you. Maya Angelou

We are all in need of mercy. Unknown

What I cannot love, I overlook. Anais Nin

Forgiveness is an act of self-love. Don Miguel Ruiz

Let it hurt. Let it heal. Let it go. Unknown

Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge. Isaac Friedmann

Those who understand evil pardon it. George Bernard Shaw Click to tweet

Hating someone makes them important. Forgiving them makes them obsolete. Unknown

Sweet mercy is nobility’s true badge. William Shakespeare

We pardon to the extent that we love. François de La Rochefoucauld

Forgiveness is, truly, all or nothing. Ranal Currie

The mind cannot forgive. Only you can. Eckhart Tolle

Choose to forgive and free your heart. Desmond Tutu

Forgive them even if they are not sorry. Julian Casablancas

There are difficult things about you too. Alain de Botton

I remember everything but forgive anyway. Erica Jong

To forgive is wisdom, to forget is genius. Joyce Cary

When one forgives, two souls are set free. Unknown

Forgive and forget. Not revenge and regret. Unknown

There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness. Josh Billings

You’re a slave to everyone you haven’t forgiven. Lawrence King

Tolerance is the only real test of civilization. Arthur Helps

Let go, release, give up, stop resisting, forgive. Maxime Lagacé

Your past is over; it cannot touch you. Forgive all involved, including yourself. Marianne Williamson

Inspirational Forgiveness Quotes

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Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. Paul Boese Click to tweet

An apology is the super glue of life. It can repair just about anything. Lynn Johnston

How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours. Wayne Dyer

Kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly, forgive quickly. Paulo Coelho

Every one of us has the capacity to love, to forgive, to understand, and to be compassionate. Thich Nhat Hanh

If we can forgive what’s been done to us… If we can forgive what we’ve done to others… If we can leave our stories behind. Our being victims and villains. Only then can we maybe rescue the world. Chuck Palahniuk

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were. Cherie Carter-Scott

Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom. Hannah Arendt

Forgiveness isn’t just the absence of anger. I think it’s also the presence of self-love, when you actually begin to value yourself. Tara Westover

The cruel always believe the kind are weak. But human decency and goodness can also move human affairs. David Frum

Memories are heavy. Those who truly want to fly forgive. Maxime Lagacé

The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world. Marianne Williamson

When we can recognize and forgive ignorant actions of the past, we gain the strength to constructively solve the problems of the present. 14th Dalai Lama

When I talk of forgiveness I mean the belief that you can come out the other side a better person. A better person than the one being consumed by anger and hatred. Desmond Tutu

There is nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy, a grace in forgiveness. John Connolly

Forgiveness is a reflection of loving yourself enough to move on. Steve Maraboli Click to tweet

On the whole, my impression is that mercy bears richer fruits than any other attribute. Abraham Lincoln

Strive to be first: first to nod, first to smile, first to compliment, and first to forgive. Rhonda Byrne

Forgiveness is the only thing that cleans the slate, dissolving the old so the new can come in. Marianne Williamson

To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless. G.K. Chesterton

Forgiveness isn’t approving what happened. It’s choosing to rise above it. Robin Sharma

Want more inspiring quotes? Please check out Quotes About Strength That Will Make You Tougher or Positive Quotes That Will Make Your Day Wonderful

See also: How to Forgive Someone When It’s Hard: 30 Tips to Let Go of Anger (tinybuddha.com)

Funny Forgiveness Quotes

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Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? Abraham Lincoln Click to tweet

Everyone says that forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive. C. S. Lewis

You may eventually forgive and befriend someone who harmed you, never someone who bored you. Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius. Oscar Wilde

It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission. Grace Hopper

It’s far easier to forgive an enemy after you’ve got even with him. Olin Millerà

Deep Forgiveness Sayings

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A life lived without forgiveness is a prison. William Arthur Ward Click to tweet

You too are a deeply imperfect and questionable individual. Alain de Botton

Nobody forgets where he buried the hatchet. Frank McKinney

We are all serving a life sentence, and good behavior is our only hope for a pardon. Douglas Horton

It’s always like this, her life a pendulum between forgiveness and regret. Edwidge Danticat

Forgiveness is giving up all hope of having had a better past. Anne Lamott

Until we have seen someone’s darkness, we don’t really know who they are. Until we have forgiven someone’s darkness, we don’t really know what love is. Marianne Williamson

The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward. Steve Maraboli

People will forgive you for being wrong, but they will never forgive you for being right – especially if events prove you right while proving them wrong. Thomas Sowell

It is very easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit and gumption to forgive them for having witnessed your own. Jessamyn West

Yes, this is what good is: to forgive evil. There is no other good. Antonio Porchia

I can’t forget but I can be at peace with it. Maxime Lagacé

What we forgive too freely doesn’t stay forgiven. Mignon McLaughlin

There’s no point in burying a hatchet if you’re going to put up a marker on the site. Sydney Harris

Those who say they will forgive but can’t forget, simply bury the hatchet but leave the handle out for immediate use. Dwight L. Moody

Forgiveness in no way requires that you trust the one you forgive. William P. Young Click to tweet

Forgiveness is the way we stop our human community from unraveling. Desmond Tutu

Forgiveness does not relieve someone of responsibility for what they have done. Forgiveness does not erase accountability. It is not about turning a blind eye or even turning the other cheek. Desmond Tutu

There are times when all of us have been thoughtless, selfish or cruel. But no act is unforgivable; no person is beyond redemption. Desmond Tutu

If you can find it in yourself to forgive, then you are no longer chained to the perpetrator. Desmond Tutu

They caused the first wound, but you are causing the rest; this is what not forgiving does. They got it started, but you keep it going. Forgive and let it go, or it will eat you alive. You think they made you feel this way, but when you won’t forgive, you are the one inflicting the pain on yourself. Bryant McGill

Truth can be told in an instant, forgiveness can be offered spontaneously, but reconciliation is the work of lifetimes and generations. Krista Tippett

Forgiveness isn’t where we think someone else was a jerk but we’re so spiritual now that we deign to pardon them. Forgiveness means we extend our perception beyond the level of guilt and recognize the internal innocence within us all. Marianne Williamson

You teach people how to treat you by what you let them get away with. James Clear

Pardon one offence, and you encourage the commission of many. Publilius Syrus

The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive. John Green

Related article: Deep Quotes That Will Make You Think (In New Ways)

See also: How Do You Forgive Even When It Feels Impossible? (Part 1), Part 2 (psychologytoday.com)

Wise Forgiveness Sayings

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To understand all is to forgive all. French proverb Click to tweet

Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons. Jessica Lange

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass. George Herbert

People who successfully insult you take ownership of your time and energy, hijacking your mood and schedule. “Letting things go” isn’t just about sweet forgiveness. It’s about conserving your energy and attention for the things that matter. @TheStoicEmperor

Forgive. It doesn’t erase their crime but why should you do the time. Let go of resentment. Dodinsky

Choosing to hate is proving your inferiority. Maxime Lagacé

Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward. C.S. Lewis

The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget. Thomas Szasz

The more you know yourself, the more you will forgive others. @TheStoicEmperor Click to tweet

In the end, you realize that it was never personal. It was just people acting in their own best interests and you were collateral damage. This doesn’t make it right, but realizing that you weren’t really a specific target is the first step to forgiveness. Ed Latimore

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. Louis B. Smedes

The only stream that can wash away the pain of unjust acts is the sweet water of loving-kindness and compassion. Thich Nhat Hanh

The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity. Francis Maitland Balfour

Forgiveness is an act of letting go. To forgive is to begin to rid yourself of attachment to that which you cannot change. @DailyZen

Forgiveness doesn’t mean you continue to associate with someone. It doesn’t mean you expect them to change. It means that the wrongs they’ve committed against you no longer take up space in your heart. Ed Latimore

People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right. J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter)

Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting. William Arthur Ward

Men build too many walls and not enough bridges. Joseph Fort Newton

Related article: Words of Wisdom From The Best Minds (Ever)

Part 3. Forgiveness Quotes About…

Quotes About Apologies, Asking For Forgiveness

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A real apology is admitting how exactly you f*cked up and how exactly you’re going to fix it. Carlos Del Valle Click to tweet

It is not easy to admit one’s wrongdoing and ask for forgiveness. “I am sorry” are perhaps the three hardest words to say. Desmond Tutu

Play hard, forgive quickly, apologize when you are wrong, take chances, and have no regrets. Paulo Coelho

Be strong enough to forgive without hearing an apology. Paulo Coelho

The closer you are to someone, the harder it is to apologize. Maxime Lagacé

When you apologize, you’re not putting yourself down. You’re expressing concern for how your actions affect others. Don’t be sorry for saying sorry. Being quick to apologize is a sign of empathy. Adam Grant

Part 1. When we are willing to let down our defences and look honestly at our actions, we find there is a great freedom in asking for forgiveness and great strength in admitting the wrong. Desmond Tutu

Part 2. It is how we free ourselves from our past errors. It is how we are able to move forward into our future, unfettered by the mistakes we have made. Desmond Tutu

Never forget the nine most important words of any family – “I love you”. “You are beautiful”. “Please forgive me”. H. Jackson Brown Jr

In this life, when you deny someone an apology, you will remember it at time you beg forgiveness. Toba Beta

Apologizing does not always mean you’re wrong and the other person is right. It just means you value your relationship more than your ego. Mark Matthews

Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got. Robert Brault

Never ruin an apology with an excuse. Benjamin Franklin

An apology without change is just manipulation. Mel Robbins Click to tweet

The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. And the first to forget is the happiest. Unknown

Quotes About Self-Forgiveness

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How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself. Publilius Syrus Click to tweet

Be thankful for your life, and forgive everybody, including yourself. Yoko Ono

Forgive yourself. Whatever you’re holding onto or carrying around from the past – let it go. Mel Robbins

Do as the heavens have done, forget your evil; With them forgive yourself. William Shakespare

The more you know yourself, the more you forgive yourself. Confucius

Repentance is another name for aspiration. Henry Ward Beecher

Don’t waste time scratching the itch. Maxime Lagacé

The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise. Alden Nowlan

The reasons for forgiving ourselves are the same as for forgiving others. It is how we become free of the past. Desmond Tutu

All forgiveness is self-forgiveness. William Desmond Click to tweet

You were born to be real not to be perfect. You are here to be you, not to live someone else’s life. Ralph Marston

You are just human. Being imperfect does not make you any less. Kartika Atmadja

Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order. Anne Wilson Schaef

Your imperfections are marks of authenticity and that is the beauty of you. Isaac Fowler

All children should be taught to unconditionally accept, approve, admire, appreciate, forgive, trust, and ultimately, love their own person. Asa Don Brown

Your past is a lesson… not a life sentence. Forgive yourself and focus on the future. Mel Robbins

I cling to my imperfection as the very essence of my being. Anatole France

There is a kind of beauty in imperfection. Conrad Hall

Imperfection is a form of freedom. Anh Ngo

Related topics: solitude, silence

See also: How to Forgive Yourself (healthline.com)

Forgiveness Quotes About Religion, Bible, God, Jesus, Spirituality, Prayer

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I pardon him, as God shall pardon me. William Shakespeare Click to tweet

Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough. Garrison Keillor

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

In the shadow of my hurt, forgiveness feels like a decision to reward my enemy. But in the shadow of the cross, forgiveness is merely a gift from one undeserving soul to the next. Andy Stanley

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. C.S. Lewis

Become more accepting. With every interaction, surrender any tendency to judge another person. Pray for a more accepting heart. Marianne Williamson

If I choose to bless another person, I will always end up feeling more blessed. Marianne Williamson

I firmly believe a great many prayers are not answered because we are not willing to forgive someone. Dwight L. Moody

When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God’s light shines upon you. Jon Krakauer (Into the Wild)

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love, where there is injury, pardon. Francis of Assis

Related topic: spiritual

Part 4. Conclusion

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Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. Ralph Waldo Emerson Click to tweet

Call to action: Check out this great resource on forgiveness by psychologytoday.com. You’ll find more information on what is forgiveness, how to forgive someone, how to forgive yourself, articles, and more.

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