The Economy of Grace: Why Forgiveness is a Strategic Necessity
The Dependency of the Ego
Forgiveness is often seen as weakness, but in actuality, it is the refusal to let another person’s past actions dictate your current state of peace.
Humans are, by birth and by nature, meant for sovereignty and freedom. However, with the passage of time as a man grows up, he often lets himself depend on others. Even his mood and emotions sometimes become products of others’ actions or behavior toward him. When he depends on someone for his happiness, his dopamine and adrenaline are released whenever he gets the outcomes he expected from them. These spikes make him addicted to these unseen rewards.
The Trap of External Validation
He grows up in a state where, most of the time, he receives compliments for his extraordinary qualities or the work he has done. But sometimes, he cannot perform at the level he previously achieved, and consequently, he does not receive the applause he was expecting. This makes him feel sad, anxious, or depressed.
With the passage of time, these ups and downs of rewards—in the form of compliments, appreciation, and achievements—make him believe that he must maintain this image ‘by hook or by crook.’ At a subconscious level, he develops a deep, hidden, but very strong habit.
The Loss of Freedom
He has given other people charge of his emotions. Thus, his mood, his actions, and even his long-term decisions revolve around this external-centric motion. He is no longer free. He has compromised his freedom in exchange for the ‘imaginative, super-illusive, perfect man character.’
This illusion hinders him from looking beyond the definitions he has made of true and false, or right and wrong. Any criticism or disagreement makes this person feel emotionally hurt. He begins distancing himself from that person, even if they were truly loyal to him or sincerely tried to help him correct a mistake.
The Choice of Perspective
These emotions drain his positive energy. He does things just to prove himself in the eyes of others. Now, the people who are jealous of him and the people who are sincere (but at some stage tried to guide him) both become the same in his eyes.
The Power of a Big Heart
On the other hand, there is the person who does not need any external validation for his actions. He keeps doing what he thinks and believes is right. If he faces opposition, jealousy, or even criticism, he finds something positive within it. He takes criticism as a ‘dose’ to improve himself.
He never gets tired, as he does not need to reach a specific destination just to show someone or to prove himself. He is truly a free man who does not let others control his mood, emotions, decisions, or direction. He notices all the details, but he has been blessed with a ‘Big Heart’ which never stores any negative emotions. Rather, he converts them into positive counter-emotions.
His heart becomes bigger and bigger. His energy glows, and his vibes resonate so high that even from miles away, people feel peace due to him. His every act of kindness, his generosity, and his positive energy bring about such an eminent shift in society that everyone can feel it.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Opinion Desk.
