Forgiveness isn’t always easy—especially when the hurt cuts deep. 

But, holding onto pain only weighs us down, keeping us stuck in moments we wish we could move past. 

Sometimes, all it takes to soften that grip is the right reminder at the right time. That’s where quotes on how to forgive come in.

These quotes have enabled me to break through the walls of unforgiveness, revenge and pain. 

And today I can look back at those events and people who hurt and betrayed me to say thank you for the experience. 

In this guide, we’re diving into powerful quotes on how to forgive; the kind that speak to your heart, shift your perspective, and gently nudge you toward healing. 

So, whether you’re trying to forgive someone else or struggling to let go of your own mistakes, these words will remind you that forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. 

Let’s begin.

Reasons Why You Should Forgive and Let Go of Hurt

Holding onto hurt may feel justified, but it often ends up doing more harm to you than anyone else. 

Forgiveness isn’t about excusing the wrong—it’s about freeing yourself from the weight of pain, resentment, and emotional baggage. 

When you forgive and let go, you create space for healing, peace, and growth. 

Here are key reasons why forgiveness is worth embracing:

• You reclaim your peace: Forgiveness helps you release emotional tension and reclaim inner calm.

• You stop giving the past power: Letting go cuts the emotional tie that keeps you stuck in old wounds. It also enables you to get your life back on track.

• It improves your mental health: Forgiving reduces stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion.

• You heal faster emotionally and physically: Studies show forgiveness is linked to better physical and emotional well-being.

• You regain control of your life: Choosing to forgive is an empowering act that puts you back in the driver’s seat of your life.

• It clears space for better relationships: Carrying resentment affects how you connect with others; forgiveness restores trust and openness.

• You grow in empathy and self-awareness: Forgiveness allows you to understand both yourself and others more deeply.

Are you struggling to forgive? I recommend you read my guide on how to forgive and let go of past hurt.

Deep Quotes on How to Forgive Someone Who Hurt You

It’s hard to forgive and I get it because I’ve worn those shoes.

Here are quotes on how to forgive to guide you through:

1. “Forgiveness is a sign that the person who has wronged you means more to you than the wrong they have dealt.” – Ben Greenhalgh

2. “You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.” – Lewis B. Smedes quotes on how to forgive

3. “The first step in forgiveness is the willingness to forgive.” – Marianne Williamson quotes on how to forgive

4. “A winner rebukes and forgives; a loser is too timid to rebuke and too petty to forgive.” – Sydney J. Harris

5. “I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It’s a gift you give yourself.” – T.D. Jakes

6. “Forget what hurt you, but never forget what it taught you.—Anonymous

7. “Forgiveness is like faith. You have to keep reviving it.” – Mason Cooley

8. “Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.— George MacDonald

9. “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

10. “Without forgiveness life is governed by an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation.” — Roberto Assagioli quotes on how to forgive

11. “Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; it’s something you do for yourself. To forgive is not to condone, it is to refuse to continue feeling bad about an injury.” —Jim Beaver

12. “Forgiveness is a powerful weapon. Equip yourself with it and free your soul from fear.”—Anonymous

13. “Forgiveness is for yourself because it frees you. It lets you out of that prison you put yourself in.”— Louise L. Hay

14. “Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.” – Bruce Lee

15. “How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself?” — Publilius Syrus quotes on how to forgive

16. “To confer dignity, forgive. To express contempt, forget.” — Mason Cooley

17. “Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.”—Desmond Tutu

18. “You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.”— Jan Glidewell

19. “Forgiveness is God’s command.”—Martin Luther

20. “And you know, when you’ve experienced grace, and you feel like you’ve been forgiven, you’re a lot more forgiving of other people. You’re a lot more gracious to others.” – Rick Warren

21. “Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours.” – Phillips Brooks quotes on how to forgive

22. “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

23. “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven; for everyone needs to be forgiven.” – George Herbert

24. “When we go back into the past and rake up all the troubles we’ve had, we end up reeling and staggering through life. Stability and peace of mind come by living in the moment.”—Pam W. Vredevelt

25. “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.’ It’s saying, ‘You don’t get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future’.” – Jodi Picoult

26. “Forgive them and forget them. Holding onto anger and bitterness consumes you, not them.—Anonymous

27. “When you hold resentment toward another, you are to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve the link and get free.”- Catherine Ponder

28. “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” – Corrie Ten Boom

29. “Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness; those are life-altering lessons.” – Jessica Lange quotes on how to forgive

30. “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

Quotes on How to Forgive Yourself and Move Forward

I believe the hardest of all forgiveness is forgiving yourself of your past mistakes and wrong.

But, if you keep holding onto the past, you deprive yourself of the joy of today and the beauty of tomorrow.

Embrace this quotes on how to forgive yourself to get started:

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

32. “I don’t forgive people because I’m weak. I forgive them because I’m strong enough to know people make mistakes.—Anonymous

33. “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”— C.S. Lewis quotes on how to forgive

34. “How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself.”— Publilius Syrus

35. “Forgiveness is not to give the other person peace. Forgiveness is for you. Take that opportunity.” — Mackenzie Phillips 

36. “Don’t ever underestimate the power of forgiveness. I’ve seen it for free people. I’ve seen it lift burdens that had weighed them down and kept them from moving on.” – Buffy Andrews quotes on how to forgive

37. “Forgiveness is that subtle thread that binds both love and friendship. Without forgiveness, you may not even have a child one day.” — George Foreman

38. “As we know, forgiveness of oneself is the hardest of all the forgivenesses.” – Joan Baez

39. “Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.”— H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

40. “There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” – Bryant H. McGill

41. “Forgiveness is about empowering yourself, rather than empowering your past.” — T.D. Jakes quotes on how to forgive

42. “When we allow hate in our hearts, it consumes us. It leaves no room for love. It doesn’t feel good at all. Release it.—Anonymous

43. “It’s toughest to forgive ourselves. So it’s probably best to start with other people. It’s almost like peeling an onion. Layer by layer, forgiving others, you really do get to the point where you can forgive yourself.”—Patty Duke quotes on how to forgive

44. “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

45. “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” — Francis of Assisi

46. “Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Trust requires a track record.”—Rick Warren quotes on how to forgive

47. “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” —Francis of Assisi

48. “Beware of the man who does not return your blow: he neither forgives you nor allows you to forgive yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

49. “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.” —Martin Luther King Jr.

50. “Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain

51. “Anger begets more anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love.”- Mahavira

52. “Every time God forgives us, God is saying that God’s own rules do not matter as much as the relationship that God wants to create with us.”—Richard Rohr quotes on how to forgive

53. “When you are happy, you can forgive a great deal.” – Princess Diana

54. “People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.” — J.K. Rowlin

55. “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes

56. “Forgiving what we cannot forgive creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future.”- Lewis Smedes

57. “Forgiveness is healing…especially forgiving yourself.” – Alyson Noël

58. “Forgiveness frees us and allows us to move on.—Anonymous

59. “True forgiveness is when you can say ‘Thank you for that experience’.” —Oprah Winfrey quotes on how to forgive

60. “Nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge.” – Scott Adams

ALSO READ: 200+ motivational quotes for success

Inspiring Quotes on How to Forgive

These quotes come handy as you go through your everyday activities because offenses from humans are unavoidable.

Let’s begin:

61. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”- Mahatma Gandhi quotes on how to forgive

62. “Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.” — Les Brown

63. “People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.” – Joseph F. Newton Men

64. “When a deep injury is done to us, we never heal until we forgive.”—Nelson Mandela quotes on how to forgive

65. “Forgiveness is God’s greatest gift” —Dan Brown

66. “Though I was unaware of it at the time, that simple act of forgiveness was the beginning of an entirely new level of experiencing life for me.” – Wayne Dyer

67. “Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.” —Gerald G. Jampolsky

68. “Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals.”- Thomas S. Manson

69. “Everyone makes mistakes. If you can’t forgive others, don’t expect others to forgive you.—Anonymous

70. “If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive.” – Mother Teresa quotes on how to forgive

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

72. “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” -Wayne Dyer

73. “Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend.” – Jewel

74. “Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.” — Marianne Williamson

75. “Forgiveness is a choice, but it is not an option.”- Joel Osteen quotes on how to forgive

76. “One forgives to the degree that one loves.” —Francois de La Rochefoucauld

77. “Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” – Oscar Wilde

78. “Sins cannot be undone, only forgiven.” —Igor Stravinsky

79. “It can be hard to forgive and let go but it’s important to remember that harboring resentment and holding a grudge can hurt you even more. The word ‘forgive’ really means to give something up for yourself not for them.”- Jack Canfield quotes on how to forgive

80. “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”—Nelson Mandela

81. “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” – Paul Boose

82. “Life is an adventure in forgiveness.” —Norman Cousins

83. “Forgiveness has an uncanny way of bringing incredible good out of incredibly bad situations.” – Paul J. Meyer

84. “By having a forgiving attitude, you can change your life and the lives of the people you care about most.” – Kathie M. Thomson

85. “One of the secrets of a long and fruitful life is to forgive everybody everything, every night before you go to bed.”—Bernard Baruch

86. “I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.”—C.S. Lewis quotes on how to forgive

87. “To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”

– Robert Muller

88. “If you cannot forgive and forget, pick one.”- Robert Brault

89. “We read that we ought to forgive our enemies; but we do not read that we ought to forgive our friends.” —Sir Francis Bacon

90. “Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.” – Martin Luther King Jr. quotes on how to forgive

Quotes on How to Forgive and Rebuild Inner Peace

You’re responsible for your inner peace, not those who have hurt you. 

Hence, choose to forgive them and rebuild your inner peace:

91. “If you do not practice empathy and forgiveness for your actions, it will be impossible to practice empathy with others.”—Laura Laskin quotes on how to forgive

92. “Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it forgoes revenge,” – Edwin Hubble Chapin

93. “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.”— Anne Lamott

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

95. “We win by tenderness. We conquer by forgiveness.” — Frederick William Robertson quotes on how to forgive

96. “Take forgiveness slowly. Don’t blame yourself for being slow. Peace will come.” – Yoko Ono

97. “When a deep injury is done us, we never recover until we forgive.”—Alan Paton quotes on how to forgive

98. “Forgiveness is a reflection of loving yourself enough to move on.”- Dr. Steve Maraboli

99. “Forgiveness means it finally becomes unimportant that you hit back. You’re done.” — Anne Lamott

100. “Forgiveness is above all a personal choice, a decision of the heart to go against natural instinct to pay back evil with evil.” – Pope John Paul II

101. “The ineffable joy of forgiving and being forgiven forms an ecstasy that might well arouse the envy of the gods.” – Elbert Hubbard quotes on how to forgive

102. “It’s far easier to forgive an enemy after you’ve got even with him.”—Jewel

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

104. “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.”— Steve Maraboli

105. “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

106. “Forgiving people who have hurt you is your gift to them. Forgetting people who have hurt you is your gift to you.—Anonymous

107. “We win by tenderness. We conquer by forgiveness.” – Frederick William Roberson

108. “A broken friendship that is mended through forgiveness can be even stronger than it once was.”— Stephen Richards

109.”Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

– Luke 6:37

110. “Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you are.” – Cherie Carter-Scott

111. “Forgiveness is just another name for freedom.” – Byron Katie quotes on how to forgive

112. “God’s forgiveness allows us to be honest with ourselves. We recognize our imperfections, admit our failures, and plead to God for clemency.” — Jonathan Sacks

113. “There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” – Josh Billings

114. “Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness.” —Billy Graham quotes on how to forgive

115. “Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment. It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offence up against the offender. Forgiveness is an expression of love.”- Gary Chapman

ALSO READ: 150+ growth mindset quotes for success

Heartfelt Quotes on How to Forgive in Difficult Relationships

It takes two forgiving hearts to make a relationship work. 

Why?

Offenses would definitely arise when two or more people of different interest, belief, perspectives and ideology interact.

Hence, embrace these heartfelt quotes on how to forgive in a difficult relationship:

116. “I believe forgiveness is the best form of love in any relationship. It takes a strong person to say they’re sorry and an even stronger person to forgive.” – Yolanda Hadid

117. “Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast,” Marlene Dietrich.

118. “Forgiveness can make a marriage whole again.”—Elijah Davidson quotes on how to forgive

119. “When we don’t forgive, we’re not hurting the other person. We’re not hurting the company that did us wrong. We’re not hurting God. We’re only hurting ourselves.”- Joel Osteen

120. “A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers” – Robert Quillen

121. “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” – Alexander Pope

122. “Forgiveness is important in families, especially when there are so many secrets that need to be healed – for the most part, every family’s got them.”— Tyler Perry quotes on how to forgive

123. “In marriage, every day you love, and every day you forgive. It is an ongoing sacrament, love, and forgiveness.”—Bill Moyers

124. “Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”- Hannah Arendt

125. “To forgive takes love; to forget takes humility.—Anonymous

126. “It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.” — Maya Angelou quotes on how to forgive

127. “By forgiving you don’t forgive the person who did something wrong but you forgive yourself. Yes, you read it correctly. You forgive yourself.” — Invajy

128. “Forgiveness is not always easy. At times it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.”- Marianne Williamson

129. “To understand somebody else as a human being, I think, is about as close to real forgiveness as one can get.” — David Small

130. “Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love.” – Fred Rogers quotes on how to forgive

131. “Forgiveness provides hope, joy, and a bright future that nothing else can.” —Paul J. Meyer

132. “Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look that becomes a habit.”—Peter Ustinov

133. “Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”- Jonathan Huie

134. “Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.” — Oprah Winfrey

135. “Before we can forgive one another, we have to understand one another.” – Emma Goldman

136. “There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.”—Bryant H. McGill quotes on how to forgive

137. “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”- C.S. Lewis

138. “Appreciate those who love you, help those who need you, forgive those who hurt you, forget those who leave you.—Anonymous

139. “Forgiveness isn’t approving of what happened. It’s choosing to rise above it.”—Robin Sharma quotes on how to forgive

140. “Most of us can forgive and forget; we just don’t want the other person to forget that we forgave.”—Ivern Ball

141. “You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.”—Lewis B. Smedes

142. “Let’s shake free this gravity of judgment, and fly high on the wings of forgiveness.” – India Arie Simpson

143. “We often forgive those who bore us, but we cannot forgive those whom we bore.” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld

144. “I like second chances. I’ve given people second chances. You have fall-outs with friends, and forgiveness is a great thing to have. It’s not easy to forgive. I definitely don’t forget, but I do forgive.” – Odette Annable

145. “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.”—Deborah Reber quotes on how to forgive

146. “Forgiveness will not be possible until compassion is born in your heart. – Thich Nhat Hanh

147. “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.” – Nelson Mandala

148. “When a partner does make a mistake, it isn’t acceptable for the other partner to dwell on it and constantly remind the spouse of the mistake.”—Elijah Davidson

149. “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.”- Havelock Ellis quotes on how to forgive

150. “Forgiveness is a powerful expression of the love within our soul.” – Anthony Douglas

Quotes on How to Forgive Even When It Feels Impossible

I know that look and I can relate to the pain you feel on the inside.

But, either way, I advise you apply my recommended quotes on how to forgive even when it feels impossible: 

151. “Life is too short. I forgive and forget. I have not time to get mad or hate.” – Debasish Mridha quotes on how to forgive

152. “Selfishness must always be forgiven, you know because there is no hope of a cure.” – Jane Austen

153. “I can have peace of mind only when I forgive rather than judge.”—Gerald Jampolsky quotes on how to forgive

154. “Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.”— Criss Jami

155. “Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.” – Dave Willis quotes on how to forgive

156. “We are not perfect; forgive others as you would want to be forgiven.”—Catherine Pulsifer

157. “To understand is to forgive, even oneself.”— Alexander Chase

158. “I learned a long time ago that some people would rather die than forgive. It’s a strange truth, but forgiveness is a painful and difficult process. It’s not something that happens overnight. It’s an evolution of the heart.” —Sue Monk Kidd quotes on how to forgive

159. “When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God’s light shines upon you.” — John Krakauer

160. “The people who did you wrong or who didn’t quite know how to show up, you forgive them. And forgiving them allows you to forgive yourself too.” – Jane Fonda

161. “Forgiveness is for you—not the other person. It’s something you do inside yourself that you feel in your body and heart that releases you from your past and frees you to live life fully.” – Barbara J. Hunt

162. “Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart, one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.” – Marvin J. Ashton quotes on how to forgive

163. “In the end these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you love? How deeply did you learn to let go?”—Buddha

164. “Reconciliation and forgiveness can actually help all of us move on in a healthier, happier way.” —Chesa Boudin

165. “Forgiveness in no way requires that you trust the one you forgive.”— William Paul Young

166. “You don’t need strength to let go of something. What you really need is understanding.” – Guy Finley

167. “Forgiveness is not to give the other person peace. Forgiveness is for you. Take that opportunity.” – Mackenzie Phillips quotes on how to forgive

168. “As long as you don’t forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy a rent-free space in your mind.”— Isabelle Holland

169. “I believe in forgiveness; I believe in trying to work with people.” —John Lewis

170. “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” – Katherine Ponder

ALSO READ: 210+ self-love quotes to remind you of your self worth

Quotes on How to Forgive and Grow

Indeed, forgiveness is hard but it’s not impossible. 

And when done, frees your souls and fills you with peace and joy unspeakable.

Here are great quotes on how to forgive and grow:

171. “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.”—Dalai Lama

172. “God pardons like a mother, who kisses the offense into everlasting forgiveness.” —Henry Ward Beecher

173. “Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another.”— Jean Paul quotes on how to forgive

174. “Choosing forgiveness opens the door of your heart and makes way for a miracle in your life.”— Victoria Osteen

175. “Surely it is much more generous to forgive and remember, than to forgive and forget.” – Maria Edgeworth

176. “Forgiveness takes time. It is the last step of the grieving process.” —Elin Nordegren quotes on how to forgive

177. “The ineffable joy of forgiving and being forgiven forms an ecstasy that might well arouse the envy of the gods.”— Elbert Hubbard quotes on how to forgive

178. “Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.”- Indira Gandhi

179. “It’s said in Hollywood that you should always forgive your enemies – because you never know when you’ll have to work with them.” —Lana Turner quotes on how to forgive

180. “Forgiveness is the final form of love.”

– Reinhold Niebuhr

181. “Forgiveness really is so misunderstood, as well as the power it can release in an individual.”— Jennifer O’Neill

182. “If there are occasions when my grape turned into a raisin and my joy bell lost its resonance, please forgive me. Charge it to my head and not to my heart.”—Jesse Jackson quotes on how to forgive

183. “I find forgiveness to be really healthy.”— Ben Affleck

184. “There is freedom in forgiveness, and it’s not that hard to do once you get into the habit.”— Dana Perino quotes on how to forgive

185.”The remedy for life’s broken pieces is not classes, workshops or books. Don’t try to heal the broken pieces. Just forgive.” – Iyanla Vanzant

186. “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.”— Corrie Ten Boom

187. “I shall be an autocrat: that’s my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that’s his.” —Catherine the Great

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

189. “To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.”—Confucius quotes on how to forgive

190. “A life lived without forgiveness is a prison.”— William Arthur Ward

191.”Forgiveness is not weak. It takes courage to face and overcome powerful emotions.” – Desmond Tutu

192. “It is important that we forgive ourselves for making mistakes. We need to learn from our errors and move on.” ~ Steve Maraboli

193. “Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.”- Cherie Carter-Scott, “If Love Is a Game, These Are the Rules”

194. “True forgiveness is not an action after the fact, it is an attitude with which you enter each moment.”— David Ridge

195. “For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?”— bell hooks

196. “Let us forgive each other – only then will we live in peace.”— Leo Tolstoy quotes on how to forgive

197. “When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but you sure do change the future.”- Bernard Meltzer

198. “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 quotes on how to forgive

199. “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.”— Saint Augustine quotes on how to forgive

200. “Forgiveness has nothing to do with absolving a criminal of his crime. It has everything to do with relieving oneself of the burden of being a victim-letting go of the pain and transforming oneself from victim to survivor.”— C.R. Strahan

201. “It is surely better to pardon too much, than to condemn too much.”—George Eliot quotes on how to forgive

202. “The hatred you’re carrying is a live coal in your heart —far more damaging to yourself than to them.”- Lawana Blackwell, The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark

Final Thoughts on Quotes on How to Forgive

Forgiveness isn’t always easy. But it’s always worth it. 

Hence, whether you’re letting go of a deep hurt or simply learning to be kinder to yourself, the right words can offer the strength you need to take that step. 

These quotes on how to forgive are gentle reminders that healing takes time, and you don’t have to rush the process.

So, whenever you feel stuck in resentment or weighed down by pain, come back to these quotes. 

Let them guide you, comfort you, and remind you that forgiveness isn’t just for others—it’s a gift you give yourself. 

What’s your favorite quote on how to forgive? Do share in the comments.

Frequently Asked Questions