Forgiving someone may be one of the hardest paths you ever take.
Processing the raw emotions can be a daunting prospect and an isolating one, with no one truly understanding your pain. In time, the upset becomes familiar, almost comforting in the darkness. And the idea of letting go seems impossible.
But forgiveness is key to feeling free from negativity. By allowing yourself to let go of the anguish, you, in turn, are released from the imprisonment of your own misery.
These 105 forgiveness quotes to help you let go of your hurt are intended to give you the strength and conviction to let go and move forward with your life.
Why Is It Important to Forgive and Let Go of Your Hurt?
Forgiveness isn’t our go-to reaction when someone hurts us. The deceit stirs feelings of anger and resentment. And the happiness once shared with that person is quickly forgotten.
To look beyond the grief feels nigh-on impossible; the idea alone, loaded with questions of “Why should I?” or “How can I?” while you stand holding the match to burn all bridges, is agonizing.
You find yourself trapped in a forever cycle of hatred and heartache. Views are tainted, and your future, laced with suspicion and distrust. Because without pardon, there is no peace.
Allow yourself to forgive the wrongdoer and remove the shackles of animosity. Whether you choose to keep that person in your life or not, the conflict can start to subside, and a new calmness found.
Within these forgiveness quotes, you’ll find words of encouragement to help you let go of the bitterness and, in time, move on. Because while you are not the reason for the pain, you have the right to live a life free from it.
105 Forgiveness Quotes to Help You Let Go of Your Hurt
- “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” – Paul Boose
- “If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive.” – Mother Teresa
- “Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment. It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offense up against the offender. Forgiveness is an expression of love.” – Gary Chapman
- “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” – Buddha
- “Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.” – Dave Willis
Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.” – Dave Willis
- “Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend.” – Jewel, “Under the Water”
- “You’ll never know how strong your heart is until you learn to forgive who broke it.” – Unknown
- “Forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself. It’s saying, ‘You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.’ It’s saying, ‘You don’t get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future.’” – Jodi Picoult
- “The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person.” – Louise Hay
- “Forgiveness is a reflection of loving yourself enough to move on.” – Dr. Steve Maraboli
- “It takes a strong person to say sorry, and an even stronger person to forgive.” – Unknown
- “Let’s shake free this gravity of judgment, and fly high on the wings of forgiveness.” –India.Arie Simpson
- “One of the most courageous decisions you’ll ever make is to finally let go of what is hurting your heart and soul.” – Unknown
- “We may not know how to forgive, and we may not want to forgive; but the very fact we say we are willing to forgive begins the healing practice.” – Louise Hay
- “Forgiveness is for you—not the other person. It’s something you do inside yourself that you feel in your body and heart that releases you from your past and frees you to live life fully.” – Barbara J. Hunt
- “Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” – Oscar Wilde
- “Don’t ever underestimate the power of forgiveness. I’ve seen it free people. I’ve seen it lift burdens that had weighed them down and kept them from moving on.” – Buffy Andrews
- “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive” – C.S. Lewis
- “Let us forgive each other—only then will we live in peace.” – Leo Tolstoy
- “Forgiving you is my gift to you. Moving on is my gift to myself.” – Unknown
- “Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.” – Lily Tomlin
- “Forgiveness is a reflection of loving yourself enough to move on.“ – Dr. Steve Maraboli
- “When you choose to forgive those who have hurt you, you take away their power.” – Unknown
- “The hardest thing in life is to forgive. But hate is self-destructive. If you hate somebody, you’re not hurting the person you hate, you’re hurting yourself. Forgiveness is healing.” – Louis Zamperini
- “Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast.” – Marlene Dietrich
- “When a deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive.” – Alan Paton
- “Sometimes what a person needs most is to be forgiven.” – Jennifer McMahon
- “Though I was unaware of it at the time, that simple act of forgiveness was the beginning of an entirely new level of experiencing life for me.” – Wayne Dyer
- “Forgiveness is just another name for freedom.” – Byron Katie
- “Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness; those are life-altering lessons.” – Jessica Lange
- “The man who forgives is far stronger than the man who fights.” – Nathan Craoll
- “Forgiveness has nothing to do with absolving a criminal of his crime. It has everything to do with relieving oneself of the burden of being a victim—letting go of the pain and transforming oneself from victim to survivor.” – C. R. Strahan
- “Forgiveness is a sign that the person who has wronged you means more to you than the wrong they have dealt.” – Ben Greenhalgh
- “By having a forgiving attitude, you can change your life and the lives of the people you care about most.” – Kathie M. Thomson
- “Forgive because none of us are perfect.” – Unknown
- “Slide the weight from your shoulders and move forward. You are afraid you might forget, but you never will. You will forgive and remember.” – Barbara Kingsolver
- “Let it hurt. Let it heal. Let it go.” – Unknown
- “There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” – Josh Billings
- “When you forgive, you in no way change the past—but you sure do change the future.” – Bernard Meltzer
- “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” – Corrie Ten Boom
- “Forgiveness isn’t approving what happened. It’s choosing to rise above it.” – Robin Sharma
- “The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.” – Steve Maraboli
- “Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.” – Desmond Tutu
- “Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.” – Gerald G. Jampolsky
- “Forgiving you means ‘I no longer dwell on what an a**hole you are.' It doesn’t mean you are no longer an a****.” – Unknown
- “The truth was, he now belonged only to my past, and it was time I begin to accept it, as much as it hurt to do so.” – Tammara Webber
- “The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. And the first to forget is the happiest.” – Unknown
- “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” – Corrie Ten Boom
Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” – Corrie Ten Boom
- “Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.” – Marvin J. Ashton
- “People have to forgive. We don't have to like them, we don't have to be friends with them, we don't have to send them hearts in text messages, but we have to forgive them, to overlook, to forget. Because if we don't we are tying rocks to our feet, too much for our wings to carry!” – C. JoyBell C.
- “Forgiveness is the economy of the heart… forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.” – Hannah More
- “Always forgive, but never forget, else you will be a prisoner of your own hatred, and doomed to repeat your mistakes forever.” – Wil Zeus
- “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” – C.S. Lewis
- “Don’t ever underestimate the power of forgiveness. I’ve seen it free people. I’ve seen it life burdens that had weighed them down and kept them from moving on.” – Buffy Andrews
- “Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.” – Criss Jami
- “Forgiveness should start now. Putting off forgiving only deepens the wound. Clinging to bitterness postpones happiness. Life is short, time is fleeting. Today is the day to forgive.” – Wilfred Peterson
- “True forgiveness is not an action after the fact, it is an attitude with which you enter each moment.” – David Ridge
- “It can be hard to forgive and let go but it’s important to remember that harboring the resentment and holding a grudge can hurt you even more. The word ‘forgive’ really means to give something up for yourself not for them.” – Jack Canfield
- “Listen. Slide the weight from your shoulders and move forward. You are afraid that you might forget, but you never will. You will forgive and remember.” – Barbara Kingsolver
- “Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment. It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offense up against the offender. Forgiveness is an expression of love.” – Gary Chapman
- “In the shadow of my hurt, forgiveness feels like a decision to reward my enemy. But in the shadow of the cross, forgiveness is merely a gift from one undeserving soul to the next.” – Andy Stanley
- “Forgiveness is not always easy. At times it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.” – Marianne Williamson
- “Without forgiveness life is governed by an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation.” – Roberto Assagioli
- “Forgiving someone allows you to start over again. Differently than before. And it may be a harder kind of different in the beginning, but in the end, it’s a better one.” – Caitlin Miller
- “Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.” – Cherie Carter-Scott
- “Forgiveness is a radical act of setting your soul free, and the person you blame, hate, fear or resent cannot help you with that. Only your heart holds the key.” – Anthon St. Maarten
- “People can be more forgiving than you can imagine. But you have to forgive yourself. Let go of what’s bitter and move on.” – Bill Cosby
- “If someone breaks your heart, unburden yourself by seeking inner forgiveness. Then move ahead in life. Remember that each person who comes into your life serves a purpose.” – Anoir Ou-Chad
- “Forgiveness doesn’t excuse their behavior. Forgiveness prevents their behavior from destroying your heart.” – Unknown
- “Forgiveness is freedom.” – Jenny C. Bell
- “In the blink of an eye, everything can change. So forgive often and love with all your heart. You may never have that chance again.” – Unknown
“In the blink of an eye, everything can change. So forgive often and love with all your heart. You may never have that chance again.” – Unknown
- “You are not required to retaliate against people who do you wrong. Release the anger, forgive them, and move on so that your life can be made better.” – Germany Kent
- “Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.” – William Arthur Ward
- “. . . forgiveness is a process, not a breath.” – Michelle Muriel
- “We win by tenderness. We conquer by forgiveness.” – Frederick William Robertson
- “Forgiveness brings about miracles. Forgiveness helps us understand others like a lamp that illuminates our hearts, enabling us to let go of resentment, vengeance and jealousy.” – Master Jun Hong Lu
- “Forgiveness is the best revenge.” – Imam Ali
- “Forgiveness hurts but its reward is priceless.” – Naide P Obiang
- “Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.” – Nelson Mandela
- “Do not let your hurt cause you to hate.” – Timothy King
- “Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
- “Un-forgiveness is like debris, if you continue to pile them up, your mind will be occupied with the unwanted and there would be no space for the needed.” – ANIKOR Daniel
- “Forgiveness is making a conscious decision to live in the present… even if the past still hurts.” – Unknown
- “Living is For-Giving; Love, Acceptance, Forgiveness.” – Wald Wassermann
- “Remember, when you forgive, you heal. And when you let go, you grow.” – Unknown
- “If you have never forgiven someone who has hurt you deeply, you are yet to experience one of the joys of sublime living.” – King Samuel Benson
- “Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.” – Hannah Arendt
- “Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds.” – Sidney and Suzanne Simon
- “As long as you don’t forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy a rent-free space in your mind.” – Isabelle Holland
- “Be strong enough to forgive without hearing an apology.” – Paulo Coelho
- “Compassion and forgiveness are signs of strength.” – Unknown
- “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “You don't need strength to let go of something. What you really need is understanding.” – Guy Finley
- “To understand is to forgive, even oneself.” – Alexander Chase
- “Reminder: Forgiveness is a process. A choice you make over and over, every day until you’re free of hurt.” – Unknown
- “I remember everything but forgive anyway.” – Erica Jong
- “We think that forgiveness is weakness, but it's absolutely not; it takes a very strong person to forgive.” – T. D. Jakes
- “I can have peace of mind only when I forgive rather than judge.” – Gerald Jampolsky
- ”Hating someone makes them important. Forgiving them makes them obsolete.” – Unknown
- “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
- “To forgive, is like opening a window in a darkened room and letting the light and the warmth of the sun come in.” – Remez Sasson
- “Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals.” – Thomas S. Monson
- “Forgive others not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.” – Jonathan Huie
- “Forgive and forget. Not revenge and regret.” – Unknown
- “It’s not easy to forgive and let go but remind yourself that harboring resentment will only aggravate your pain.” – Unknown
Final Thoughts on Forgiveness and Letting Go of Your Hurt
Forgiving someone who hurt you is difficult, no matter what the circumstances. And though you may never forget the wrongs done to you, a great weight will be lifted when you forgive and, in turn, unchain the torment you’ve carried for so long.
As part of your path to forgiveness, try using these ‘I Release’ Affirmations to release the hurt and make room for a more positive mindset.
And if you want more eye-opening quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 99 Paulo Coelho Quotes to Inspire, Uplift, and Make You Think
- 55 Confucius Quotes That Help You Succeed in Life Today
- 105 Empathy Quotes That Demonstrate Compassion for Others
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.
Rebel Jones has been writing from a young age. She first used poetry to organise words – the rhythm and flow brought peace to her chaos. But as she developed (both as a person and as a writer), she embraced her offbeat thought process and found her own style and tone. Writing is definitely her happy place and one that she’s happy to share with the world.
