Exploring Forgiveness as an Indispensable Overlooked Virtue of Mankind

ABSTRACT:

Forgiveness is an intentional and voluntary act of being free from resentment, grievance and the desire for revenge in order to foster compassion, harmony and peace. Despite its significance, forgiveness is often overlooked in contemporary discourse. This article aims to explore the forgiveness as an indispensable overlooked virtue of mankind. An exploratory research design was employed to guide the inquiry. Qualitative secondary data were collected from journal articles and books. The thematic analysis was applied based on the research focus of exploring .The secondary sources underwent a comprehensive review of theoretical literature. The findings from the comprehensive theoretical literature revealed that forgiveness has been consistently portrayed as a transformative moral force that nurtures empathy, reconciliation, inner peace, moral resilience, and social harmony. The findings reveal that forgiveness stands as a central virtue necessary for sustaining individual wellbeing and collective humanity. This study will benefit students, teachers, scholars, and readers in the future by deepening their understanding of forgiveness as a critical moral value, and it provides them with a meaningful framework in the present to appreciate forgiveness as an essential guide for ethical and compassionate living.

Keywords: Empathy, Forgiveness, Mankind, Reconciliation, Resilience, Virtue