Raised by an alcoholic father, the San Carlos woman grew up with pain, anger and resentment. Decades later, she still hadn't let go of all those negative feelings. I could have prevented a lot of pain and self-doubt.'' The concept of forgiveness has been around for thousands of years, but in the past decade scientists, theorizing that it can help both individuals and society, have begun to research it. Generally, forgiveness is defined as recognizing that you have been wronged, giving up resentment, and eventually responding to your offender with compassion and even love.
Many religions encourage forgiveness.
It's at the center of Christianity. But modern society frequently embraces contradictory principles such as vengeance, says Frederic Luskin, director of the Stanford project. A 1996 study of incest survivors showed that a forgiveness educational program reduced levels of anxiety and depression in participants for months after the program ended. Other projects have determined that those who forgave also tended to have fewer mental problems. A 1998 Stanford study of young adults who had felt hurt or offended showed that forgiveness could substantially reduce the anger they harbored.