To forgive someone in response to their request is an act of love.
To forgive someone without their knowledge requires a judgement call.
The practice of tolerance results from an inner command of silence. The resentment however quiet, remains unchanged. No longer a threat to others, the still angry thought continues to threaten the serenity of the tolerant.
The ability to accept others as they are appears to require no deliberation by those who possess this wonderful quality. That which seems to be a thoughtless kindness to some, is often misunderstood by those of us who must learn the substitute band-aid of tolerance and hopefully to eventually learn acceptance. Those people who possess this kindly trait often become leaders and rarely know it. The rest of us hunker down and practice, practice, practice.
I acquired these ideas by watching a film years ago about a man who was oblivious to inner conflict. Of course he was an imaginary human. His name was Forrest Gump.
