Forgiveness can heal the deepest wounds. It lightens the heavy heart and brings peace to troubled minds. In times of pain, forgiving someone can seem hard, but it’s a step towards freedom.
The words of wise individuals have always inspired us. Their quotes on forgiveness offer guidance and comfort. Let’s explore some of the best forgiveness quotes to help find peace and move forward.
Quotes to Heal Your Heart
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”
“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”
“Forgiveness is the final form of love.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
“Forgiveness means letting go of the hope for a better past.”
“When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but you sure do change the future.”
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
“Without forgiveness, there’s no future.”
“Sincere forgiveness isn’t colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don’t worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them.”
“Only the brave know how to forgive. A coward never forgives; it is not in his nature.”
“True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for that experience.'”
“Forgive others not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”
“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be any different.”
“When you forgive, you heal. When you let go, you grow.”
“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.”
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.” – Hannah Arendt
“Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.” – William Arthur Ward
“The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person.”
“Let us forgive each other – only then will we live in peace.”
“Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend.”
“Forgiveness is choosing to love. It is the first skill of self-giving love.”
“Forgive, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”
“Forgiveness is the only way to reverse the irreversible flow of history.”
“Forgiveness is the best form of love. It takes a strong person to say they’re sorry and an even stronger person to forgive.”
“Forgiveness is about empowering yourself, rather than empowering your past.”
“You’ll never know how strong your heart is until you learn to forgive who broke it.”
“To forgive is wisdom, to forget is genius. And easier. Because it’s true. It’s a new world every heartbeat.”
“Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.”
“Your capacity to forgive may determine your capacity to love.”
Quotes on Letting Go
“In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.”
“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.” — Steve Maraboli
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”
“The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.”
“Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.”
“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” — Lyndon B. Johnson
“One of the simplest ways to stay happy is letting go of the things that make you sad.”
“Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.”
“You can’t move forward if you’re still hanging on.”
“Life moves on and so should we.”
“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.” — Desmond Tutu
“Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.”
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”
“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.”
“Holding on is believing that there’s only a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future.”
“It is important that we forgive ourselves for making mistakes. We need to learn from our errors and move on.”
“You only struggle because you’re ready to grow but aren’t willing to let go.”
“You don’t have to let that one thing be the thing that defines you.”
“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”
“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”
“You will evolve past certain people. Let yourself.”
“When you leave behind the familiar, you open yourself to the possibility of the unknown.”
“Even as I hold you, I am letting you go.”
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
“The past is a place of learning, not a place of living.”
“Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.”
“Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.”
“The best way to heal a broken heart is to give God all the pieces.”
“Let go of the thoughts that don’t make you strong.”
“Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.”
“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.”
“It’s about waking up every morning and being able to say, ‘God, give me the strength to let go and accept what cannot be changed.'”
“If you want to fly on the sky, you need to leave the earth. If you want to move forward, you need to let go of the past that drags you down.”
“Sometimes you have to be strong for yourself. You have to know that you’re a good person and a good friend. What’s meant to be will end up good and what’s not – won’t.”
Finding Peace Through Quotes
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”
“Without forgiveness, there’s no future.”
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”
“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.” — Hannah Arendt
“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.”
“Forgiveness is the final form of love.”
“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
“True forgiveness is when you can say, ’Thank you for that experience.'”
“To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”
“Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.”
“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.”
“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.”
“Forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself. It’s saying, ‘You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.'”
“Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.”
“To err is human, to forgive, divine.”
“Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”
“Always forgive your enemies—nothing annoys them so much.”
“Forgiveness is a reflection of loving yourself enough to move on.”
“The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.” — Unknown
“Forgive others as quickly as you expect God to forgive you.”
“Forgive, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.” — Unknown
“Forgiveness is the giving up of all hope of having had a better past.”
“Forgiveness means letting go of the past.”
“Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours.”
“When you forgive, you heal. When you let go, you grow.”
“Forgiveness is the oil of relationships.”
“Life is an adventure in forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness is choosing to love. It is the first skill of self-giving love.”
Empathy and Understanding Quotes
“When you understand, you cannot help but love.”
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
“We think we listen, but rarely do we listen with real understanding and true empathy. Yet, listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know.”
“Do not judge, and you will never be mistaken.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau
“There is no greater intelligence than kindness and empathy.”
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”
“Understanding is a two-way street.”
“Real empathy is sometimes not insisting that it will be okay, but acknowledging that it is not.”
“To be empathetic is to understand that nobody is perfect, yet everyone is worthy of compassion.”
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.”
“Walk a mile in my shoes before you judge me.”
“Understanding involves a deeper insight than knowledge.”
“Feeling someone else’s pain is called empathy. Understanding it and helping them heal is called compassion.”
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”
“Empathy understands before it agrees or disagrees.”
“Empathy is the bridge to understanding and the road to forgiveness.”
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
“I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.”
“Sometimes the greatest act of love is to listen.”
“To forgive is wisdom, to forget is genius. And easier. Because it’s true. It’s a new world every heartbeat.”
“Kindness and understanding create endless ripples of empathy in the world.” — Unknown
“Empathy is not just about stepping into someone’s shoes. It’s about creating a bridge between two hearts.”
“Forgiveness is the longest road, yet it’s also the shortest distance between two hearts.”
“Listening to understand, rather than to respond, is the first step in building empathy.”
“In seeking to understand others, we begin to understand ourselves.”
“Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath.” — Eckhart Tolle
“Empathy is the antidote to shame.”
“The best way to understand another is to lose yourself in that other’s shoes.”
“In order to empathize with someone’s experience, you must be willing to believe them as they see it, and not how you imagine their experience to be.”
“The unique human capacity to empathize is our greatest gift.” — Unknown
“Empathy means both understanding others on their terms and bringing them within the orbit of one’s own experience.”
“Empathy and understanding are the roots of forgiveness and reconciliation.”
“To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.” — Stephen R. Covey
“An empathetic heart knows no boundaries.” — Unknown
Quotes for Mending Relationships
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“To err is human, to forgive divine.”
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
“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.”
“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.”
“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”
“When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God’s light shines upon you.”
“True forgiveness is not an action after the fact, it is an attitude with which you enter each moment.”
“The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.”
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”
“Forgiveness is not something we do for other people. We do it for ourselves to get well and move on.”
“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.”
“The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”
“To forgive is wisdom, to forget is genius. And easier. Because it’s true. It’s a new world every heart-beat.”
“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”
“The art of forgiveness is a tough battle on the battleground of the heart.” – Anonymous
“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”
“Life is an adventure in forgiveness.”
“Without forgiveness, there’s no future.”
“When a deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive.”
“Love in the real world means saying you’re sorry 10 times a day.”
“Forgiveness is the final form of love.”
“The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.”
“In the blink of an eye, everything can change. Forgive often and love with all your heart.”
“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”
“Forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself. It’s saying, ‘You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.'”
“Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.”
“Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.”
“Forgiving is not forgetting. It’s letting go of the hurt.”
“Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.”
“Genuine forgiveness does not deny anger but faces it head-on.”
“When you forgive, you heal. When you let go, you grow.”
“Starting again doesn’t mean erasing the past. It means learning to live with it, to mend what can be fixed, and to let go of what cannot.”
Wisdom in Forgiveness Quotes
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“To err is human, to forgive, divine.”
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”
“Without forgiveness, there is no future.” - Desmond Tutu
“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”
“Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.”
“Forgiveness is the final form of love.”
“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.”
“True forgiveness is not an action after the fact, it is an attitude with which you enter each moment.”
“When a deep injury is done to us, we never heal until we forgive.”
“Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.”
“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.”
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”
“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.”
“Forgiveness is not something we do for other people. We do it for ourselves to get well and move on.”
“Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.”
“He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.”
“Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again.”
“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.”
“Let go of anger and bitterness, and you shall be free.”
“Forgiveness is a powerful expression of love.”
“The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.”
“Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person’s throat.”
“Forgiveness is like faith. You have to keep reviving it.”
“It’s not an easy journey, to get to a place where you forgive people. But it is such a powerful place, because it frees you.” - Tyler Perry
“Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong; to seek vengeance is the way of the weak.”
“When you forgive, you in no way change the past, but you sure do change the future.”
“Forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself.”
Short Forgiveness Quotes
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”
“Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.”
“Without forgiveness, there’s no future.”
“True forgiveness is when you can say, ’Thank you for that experience.'”
“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”
“Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.”
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”
“When you forgive, you in no way change the past, but you sure do change the future.”
“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everyone.”
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”
“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.”
“Forgiveness is the final form of love.”
“Forgiveness is not about forgetting; it’s about letting go of another person’s throat.”
“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.”
“Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.”
“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.”
“Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend.”
“To forgive is wisdom, to forget is genius. And easier. Because it’s true. It’s a new world every heart-beat.”
“Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.”
“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”
“The art of forgiveness is a tranquil mind.”
“Forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself. It’s saying, ‘You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.'”
“Forgiveness is me giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me.”
“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.”
“Forgiveness is the release of all hope for a better past.”
“The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.”
“He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.”
“Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
Quotes about Self-Forgiveness
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without self-love.”
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
“The act of forgiving yourself is the ultimate act of self-love.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
“To err is human, to forgive oneself is divine.”
“Your inner peace comes from forgiving yourself for your mistakes.”
“Self-forgiveness is the first step of personal growth.”
“In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.”
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Love yourself enough to forgive yourself.”
“Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person’s throat.”
“Forgiving yourself, believing in yourself, and choosing to love yourself are the best gifts one could receive.”
“Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.”
“Self-forgiveness is an act of reclaiming your power. It’s the path to inner peace.”
“When you forgive, you don’t change the past, but you change the future.”
“Genuine forgiveness does not deny anger but faces it head-on.”
“Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner.”
“Hating yourself for mistakes is like chasing shadows—wasting energy on illusions.”
“Forgiveness of oneself is the hardest of all.”
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
“Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it.”
“To heal, we must first forgive… and sometimes the person we must forgive is ourselves.”
“Forgive yourself before you ask another to forgive you.”
“Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness; it’s a manifestation of strength and self-respect.”
“Sometimes the hardest part is not letting go but rather learning to start over.”
“Our capacity to make peace with another person and with the world depends very much on our capacity to make peace with ourselves.”
“True self-forgiveness is freeing and leads to genuine emotional and spiritual growth.”
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
“The journey to self-forgiveness is filled with layers of acceptance, love, and understanding.”
“Self-forgiveness paves the way to a heart that’s lighter and a soul that’s brighter.” – Anonymous
“Forgive yourself for your otherworldly expectations, and just be human.”
“Self-forgiveness is not an easy road, but it is the road that leads to true liberation and happiness.”
Quotes from Famous Thinkers
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”
“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.”
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
“The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.”
“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”
“When a deep injury is done to us, we never heal until we forgive.”
“The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person.”
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.” – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
“You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.’” – Maya Angelou
“Forgiveness is the final form of love.”
“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”
“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”
“The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.”
“True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for that experience.’”
“Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.”
“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.”
“Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.”
“Forgiveness is about empowering yourself, rather than empowering your past.”
“There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.” – Nelson Mandela
“The lesson is that you can still make mistakes and be forgiven.”
“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”
“Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. It’s the brave who forgive.”
“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.”
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
“Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend.”
“Without forgiveness, there’s no future.”
“Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge.”
“Forgiveness means letting go of the past.”
“He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.”
The Bottom Line
Forgiveness is a powerful tool that frees us from the weight of past hurts. The quotes shared in this article highlight the wisdom and peace that can come from letting go. They offer different perspectives on why forgiving others—and ourselves—is so important.
Take these quotes to heart and reflect on their messages. Whether you’re seeking comfort, understanding, or motivation, these words can help guide you towards a lighter and more forgiving mindset. By embracing forgiveness, you open the door to a more peaceful and fulfilling life.
