A Tale of Forgiveness
It was famously said by Socrates that ‘No one does wrong voluntarily’. This claim may seem extreme at first glance, but in fact gives expression to a fundamental teaching that, as a society, we arguably need to hear now more than ever – the teaching of unconditional forgiveness. In part due to the influential presence of social media, we are living in a society in which it has never been easier to publicly condemn and vilify an individual or group, in which the labels ‘good’, ‘bad’, and ‘evil’ are treated as definite and unshakeable, and in which political and social polarisation is rampant.
A common theme here is the repeated infliction of blame, judgement, and punishment on those that we believe to have done or said something wrong. While this is understandable, it isn’t fruitful. Positive change is not brought about by hate, it is brought about by understanding and compassion. It is imperative, then, that instead of fuelling our perceptions that perpetrators are simply ‘bad’ or ‘evil’, we deeply understand the roots behind their actions. Doing this, our anger will gradually transform into compassion, and we can begin to instead focus on healing the roots of their wrongdoing. In this article, I will draw upon the timeless lesson found in both religious and philosophical contexts – that forgiveness ought not only to be given to our friends, but our enemies too.
Perhaps we can imagine how Socrates would defend his statement in an age of social media. Picture the scene. Theon, a young man filled with hate and discrimination, has taken to Twitter to post something deeply hurtful and unacceptable. In typical fashion, he is called out and condemned by the masses. Xenephon, one of the outraged accusers, makes a particularly scathing comment that catches the eye of Socrates. And then, in the midst of the social fury, Socrates goes to the comment section to defend Theon: “No one does wrong voluntarily”.
Xenophon: “I am shocked, Socrates. You think it is appropriate to defend and sympathise with a man who has just made such a disgusting comment? My only explanation is that, like Theon, you are a radically intolerant man.”
Socrates: “It is clear, Xenephon, that you have misunderstood me. My statement is in fact nothing less than an articulation of the utmost tolerance. I vow to tolerate everyone, not only regardless of race, sexuality and gender, but also regardless of one’s beliefs, behaviours and actions. Indeed, I want to tolerate even those who are intolerant themselves. It is true that his hatred is harmful to the world, but we must also recognise that it is unpleasant for him. Only by tolerating and helping, not by shaming, can we remove the dangerous roots that corrupt his mind”.
Xenophon: “But how can you possibly say that his deeply offensive action was involuntary? That’s simply preposterous”.
Socrates: “Think back to the last time you said something out of anger or frustration. What made you do this? It is impossible that it was without a root cause. Last week, for example, I spoke unkindly to my dear student Plato. I immediately regretted it, and I wondered to myself - what made me say these words? It occurred to me that the seed of frustration had grown because I was nervous about a class I had to teach later that day, in turn making me more reactive to other people. The point is, no one commits wrongdoing for no reason. Indeed, intentionally causing harm must always be rooted in an unpleasant feeling. Even those who commit global atrocities are not doing wrong for the sake of it – their seeds of hate, inferiority, or perhaps powerlessness, have simply grown strong over many years. So, this is what I mean when I say that no one does wrong voluntarily. It’s not to say that we don’t do wrong intentionally – it wasn’t a mere accident that I insulted Plato. But I know that I was being driven by something that was not me. The same is true with Theon. We don’t know all the reasons for his internal hate and discrimination, but we do know that whatever those root causes are, they are no fault of his! Perhaps his words were borne from a misperception that was conditioned in him by his parents, or perhaps he feels deeply afraid of something. So I do not resent him, I feel compassion towards him. With the insight of boundless tolerance, we can transform our hate and blame into understanding.”
Xenophon: “I see – at the core, one’s wrongdoing isn’t from a will to do wrong, but rather the result of many factors that they cannot fully control. Still, I am taken aback by your suggestion of ‘boundless tolerance’. Is this not too extreme? Surely, I cannot forgive someone who physically harms or even kills someone?”
Socrates: “True forgiveness is indeed unconditional. I heard that after my time there was a man called Jesus who forgave even those who crucified him. Such an act of bravery and beauty! I see he has joined us on Twitter recently, so perhaps he himself can shed some light on this… @Jesus”.
Jesus: “Thank you dear Socrates. If only I had Twitter in my time, I could have spread my message to the whole world! My forgiveness stems from a simple fact: if I were in the same situation as my crucifiers, I would have acted no differently. What if I had never been taught how to love and understand? What if, with my absence of love, I felt threatened by someone who carried it in abundance? What if I had the seeds of violence sewn in me from a young age? What if I was mistakenly informed by my friends that there was a bearded madman walking around who carried a threat to my very own family? Then, yes, perhaps I would also have crucified myself! You see, no one is born evil. No one chooses to be filled with the hatred that leads to cruelty. No one grows up wanting to be hateful. To forgive is not to excuse an action, it is to use compassion to cleanse your heart from the very same anger that caused the wrongdoing in the first place.”
Xenophon: “Wow, I must admit that I understand your sentiment entirely. When a human tragedy occurs, it is not only the victims, but also the perpetrators that need our help. I fear, however, that though I don’t deny the truth of this wisdom, it may be greatly impractical. Often it is anger and resentment that motivates us to help those in desperate need. If we wholeheartedly forgive the perpetrators, how will we be motivated to take action? Will we not refrain from punishing those who commit unspeakable terrors?”
Jesus: “This is a great question, Xenophon. I happen to know someone who is well-placed to speak to you about the practicalities of peaceful action. @Buddha.”
Buddha: “We ought to recognise, dear Xenephon, that forgiveness and tolerance does not equate to passivity. You are right that there are times when radical action is required to alleviate or prevent suffering. For instance, if someone poses an immediate threat to people’s lives, then it may be necessary to take certain actions. What is important, though, is that we don’t punish for the mere sake of punishment. Our reactions should not be fuelled by anger and resentment towards the perpetrators, but by love and care for the victims. So, though I am free from hate, this does not mean that I simply stand by and let tragedies occur — my love is too great for that to happen! To punish for the sake of punishment or revenge is an act of weakness and division. To forgive and to let go, on the other hand, is an act of strength and reconciliation. Today, once again, we are seeing humans inflict horrific amounts of suffering on themselves. But we mustn’t forget who the enemy is. Our enemy is never the other person. Our enemy is the hate and injustice inside of them. Our enemy is whatever could cause a person to adopt such cruel ideologies. It is only by understanding these roots that we can help to transform them. If we continue to act out of hatred, rather than love, then the same problems will continue to reoccur. How can we act out of hatred when it is hatred that leads to such suffering in the first place?! So, the goal must always be reconciliation - we mustn’t forget that. Intolerance can only lead to more intolerance. Compassion, not anger, is the only way to achieve global peace. This starts with the simple virtues of forgiveness and understanding - not just for the victims, but for the perpetrators too.”
Xenophon: “Thank you dear Buddha. @Theon - you are forgiven.”