Is forgiveness against our human nature? To answer our question, we need to ask a further question: What is the nature of our humanity? To put it in a simple way, people consider two completely different views of humanity. The first view is about dominance (统治) and power. In an early paper on the psychology of forgiveness, Droll (1984) made the interesting claim that humans' key nature is more aggressive (好斗的) than forgiving allows. Those who forgive are against their basic nature, much to their harm. In his opinion, forgivers are giving up their well-being as they offer kindness to others, who might then take advantage of them.
The second view focuses on the theme of cooperation, mutual respect, and even love as the basis of who we are as humans. Researchers find that to fully grow as human beings, we need both to receive love from and offer love to others. Without love, our connections with a wide range of individuals in our lives can fall apart. Even common sense strongly suggests that the will to power over others does not make for harmonious interactions. For example, how well has slavery (奴隶制) worked as a mode of social harmony?
From this second viewpoint of who we are as humans, forgiveness plays a key role in the biological and psychological integrity of both individuals and communities because one of the outcomes of forgiveness, shown through scientific studies, is the decreasing of hate and the rebuilding of harmony. Forgiveness can break the cycle of anger. At least to the extent the people from whom you are keeping away accept your love and forgiveness and are prepared to make the required adjustments. Forgiveness can heal relationships and reconnect people.
As an important note, when we take a classical philosophical view, that of Aristotle, we see the difference between potentiality and actuality. We are not necessarily born with the capbility to forgive, but instead with the potential (潜能) to learn about it and to grow in our ability to forgive. The actuality of forgiving, its actual behavior in unfriendly situations, develops with practice.
