--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What it taught me was forgiveness. It…" description: "\"What it taught me was forgiveness. It taught me that when people present themselves in a certain way, there's probably some back story or issue or reas..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/denzel-washington-1345_certain_what-it-taught-me-was-forgiveness-it-tau_234504.jpg" --- # What it taught me was forgiveness. It taught me that when… ![“What it taught me was forgiveness. It taught me that when people present themselves in a certain way, there's probably some back story or issue or reason for the way that they are. It's not you. It's them. And a lot of times, its about something that's completely out of their control” quote by Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/denzel-washington-1345_certain_what-it-taught-me-was-forgiveness-it-tau_234504.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/denzel-washington-1345_certain_what-it-taught-me-was-forgiveness-it-tau_234504.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/denzel-washington-1345_certain_what-it-taught-me-was-forgiveness-it-tau_234504.jpg) > “What it taught me was forgiveness. It taught me that when people present themselves in a certain way, there's probably some back story or issue or reason for the way that they are. It's not you. It's them. And a lot of times, its about something that's completely out of their control” [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Forgiveness arises from understanding that others’ harmful actions often stem from hidden struggles beyond their control. **In simple terms:** Forgiveness comes from seeing others’ hidden pain. Key Takeaway Practice empathy before judgment. Themes forgiveness empathy self-awareness Mood introspective compassionate Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - family conflicts - workplace disputes - personal setbacks - social interactions Key Concepts psychology trauma personal development Questions to Reflect On - What hidden struggles might be influencing someone’s behavior? - How can you separate the person from their actions? A Different Perspective Forgiveness does not excuse harmful behavior, it merely reframes perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Inspirational life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-life/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [“Teachers of my early youth Taught forgiveness stressed the truth Here then is my Christian lack: If I'm struck then I'll strike back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/teachers-of-my-early-youth-taught-forgiveness-stressed-the-truth-here/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Entrepreneurship can be taught to people with average academic abilities - the proof of that is everywhere you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-paphitis/entrepreneurship-can-be-taught-to-people-with-average-academic/) [Theo Paphitis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-paphitis/) > [He taught people with his best way. 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We prayed about everything, every day, then he always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/my-father-was-a-minister-for-50-years-with-pentecostal-church-of-god/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Family is life; acting is making a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/family-is-life-acting-is-making-a-living/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Talent comes from God. If you have been given some, then value it, cultivate it, work and develop it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/talent-comes-from-god-if-you-have-been-given-some-then-value-it/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [ I'll be working with Ridley's \[Scott\] brother, Tony, again, someone who needless to say we've had a great amount of success together. 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