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Forgive Quotes

Sayings on grace, grudges, and letting go.

These quotes explore the uneven nature of forgiveness, how forgiving a stranger can come more easily than forgiving someone close, like a friend, and how some describe themselves as naturally quick to let things go. See our Forgiveness quotes.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

Mahatma Gandhi

I can't forgive my friends for dying; I don't find these vanishing acts of theirs at all amusing.

Quotes by Logan Pearsall Smith

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

Quotes by Lewis B. Smedes

Forgive your enemies, but first get even.

Quotes by Lester Cole

Forgive those who have hurt you.

Quotes by Les Brown

God will not forgive us if we fail.

Quotes by Leonid I. Brezhnev

If I sold something, and it didn't perform, I'd never forgive myself.

Quotes by Len Buckeridge

Jesus died to forgive our sins. Dare we make his martyrdom meaningless by not committing them?

Quotes by Jules Feiffer

'Tis the most tender part of love, each other to forgive.

Quotes by John Sheffield

The public seldom forgive twice.

Quotes by Johann Kaspar Lavater

I would like to remember all and be able to forgive everything - in due course!

Quotes by Johanna Siguroardottir

People can forgive each other.

Quotes by Jo Brand

He'd forgiven who he needed to forgive, let go of what he needed to, and accepted himself as he was. Archibald Alexander Leach, Cary Grant, and all.

Quotes by Jennifer Grant

'Tis easier for the generous to forgive, than for offence to ask it.

Quotes by James Thomson

I can forgive the body breaking down. It's a little tougher to forgive that mental lapse.

Quotes by Hale Irwin

Keep all your personalities out of your work. Forget and forgive.

Quotes by Ford Frick

I remember everything but forgive anyway.

Quotes by Erica Jong

Before we can forgive one another, we have to understand one another.

Quotes by Emma Goldman

The motto should not be: Forgive one another; rather understand one another.

Quotes by Emma Goldman

You can forgive yourself a great deal.

Quotes by Eddie Albert

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the main idea behind these forgive quotes?
They explore how forgiveness works in practice, noting that it can be harder to forgive people close to us than strangers, and that some people naturally let things go more easily than others.
Why is it harder to forgive a friend than an enemy?
One quote suggests that betrayal feels more personal when it comes from someone we trust, which makes forgiving a friend a deeper emotional task than forgiving someone we never expected much from.
Do any quotes reference forgiveness in a historical or ceremonial sense?
Yes, one echoes the language of a formal pardon, asking citizens to return home and share in the benefits of a broader act of official forgiveness.
Is forgiveness always easy for the people quoted here?
Not always, while a few describe themselves as generally forgiving, the quotes as a whole acknowledge that forgiveness can take real effort, especially with people close to us.
Where can I read more about the idea of forgiveness itself?
Visit our Forgiveness quotes page for sayings focused more directly on the concept as a whole.

For related ideas, browse our Forgiving quotes or our Forgiven quotes on being on the receiving end of grace.