“Forgive Me “: Magical Words That Can Change Relationships

“ Forgive me ” is not an old-fashioned phrase. Rather, it’s a magical ingredient that makes a relationship work just fine. Gandhi used to say that forgiveness is a sign of strength. Because it takes a lot of courage, humility and strength of character to speak these words out loud. By doing this, you publicly acknowledge that you made a mistake or behaved inappropriately.

The truth is that we often have major weaknesses in this area. We often believe that forgiveness is only appropriate in very serious situations. Situations in which we need to ask for forgiveness in order to heal wounds and thereby make it easier for this situation to be finally resolved. However, we should make it a habit in everyday life to ask forgiveness more often.

Please forgive me , I’m sorry that I …

• have not kept my promise
• forced you to do something you couldn’t do
• answered you so roughly
• Didn’t call you when you needed me so badly.

These are, without a doubt, some of the situations in which we should know how to use these magical words. The psychology of forgiveness tells us that this act is a cornerstone in human relationships. So we should make better use of it and more often.

“Forgive me”: the power of these words

Many misunderstandings arise in our daily social interactions. Sometimes you have just misunderstood information and on other occasions you have completely misjudged a situation. Sometimes it can also happen that you have inadvertently neglected the people you value most.

You assume that there is no problem and that these people will never be offended by you if you are real friends. And yet it can happen that they feel offended (and often rightly so). All of this can lead to bad feelings and disappointment.

There are countless examples of everyday situations in which small inconsistencies can arise. If these little problems are then left unresolved, it often leads to them building up over time and creating a bigger problem. If you treat your relationships carelessly in this way, trust and affection will gradually decline and, in the worst case, disappear completely.

A timely apology and a sincere “forgive me!” can save friendships, marriages, and even the relationship with your children and the respect they have for you. Unfortunately, there are also some people who do not even know when these words would be appropriate.

Also, instead of apologizing, there are people who prefer a lazy excuse for their behavior. “Forgive me” would hardly come off their lips because they believe that an apology is synonymous with weakness. They look down on you and use an excuse to justify their own wrongdoing, mistakes, and ignorance.

The psychology of forgiveness

There is a lot of talk in psychology about the need for forgiveness. You too know very well how difficult it is to forgive someone who has hurt you. But have you ever thought about how difficult it is for a person to swallow their own pride and ask for forgiveness?

This is a tough step because you need empathy to recognize that you have harmed someone. It also takes a lot of courage to take this step and, above all, you need the social skills to then apologize appropriately.

However, you should also keep in mind that the words “forgive me” are not really helpful if the person who is uttering them does not change their attitude or behavior. Then in the end they are just empty words.

We want to illustrate this with an example: A father apologizes to his son because he has not kept a promise. The child accepts this apology. But if these excuses keep repeating themselves because promises are broken over and over again, these words eventually lose their meaning. Ultimately, they are just empty words that have no meaning.

Therefore, not only is it important that you have the courage to apologize and take responsibility for your actions, but also that you take steps to change the situation.

People Who Never Ask Forgiveness: What Can You Do About Them?

Surely you know people too who are unable to say “forgive me” or “I’m sorry”. While you keep hoping that one day they will overcome their pride, sometimes the exact opposite happens. Instead of apologizing, they try to make you believe that it was your fault or that what happened doesn’t matter that much.

What can you do when you are in such a situation? First of all, understand why these people act this way. In truth, the people who stubbornly refuse to apologize to other people are ultimately only trying to protect their own self-esteem.

You are in a conflict between the image you want to maintain of yourself. Because they believe that an apology or a request for forgiveness is synonymous with weakness and fallibility. By doing this, they think they are losing the trust of other people and their own.

As you can see, it is not easy to live with someone who believes that admitting your own mistakes is a sign of weakness. If this is a permanent condition and that person is not working to improve their emotional intelligence, you will live in a state of constant frustration and suffering. Living together with someone who cannot sincerely apologize is not a healthy way to live in the long run.

Final thoughts on the meaning of the words “forgive me”

But of course we cannot force anyone to apologize or ask for forgiveness. It is something that must come from the heart and arise from a sincere need to face the hurt that has been inflicted.

Knowing how to ask forgiveness should be taught from childhood. “Forgive me”: There are few words that are as relevant and important in our daily life as these.