Reasons to forgive. Lay persons conceptions or implicit theories
Abstract
Data gathered on adolescents and adults from general population, living in Buenos Aires City and its suburban area, as well as on prison inmates and theology students (N: 1715) are presented. Participants answered an open question: Is important for you to be able to forgive? Yes. No. Why? Subjects mostly admit that to forgive is important for them. For theology students forgiveness is a central theme of Christian thinking. A religious dimension is also present among prison inmates who are the only group that relates to forgive with loving someone. For younger people forgiveness allows to have a second chance after making something wrong and facilitates feelings of inner peace. Men show a tendency to forgive in order to forget and being able to go on living as well as to achieve better social relationships; for women, it is necessary to forgive in order to be forgiven and forgiving is a characteristic related to intelligence.
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References
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