--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It…" description: "\"“Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat…Forgiveness does not create a relationship.”\" — William Paul Young" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/william-paul-young-25160_forgetting_forgiveness-is-not-about-forgetting-it-i_458243.jpg" --- # Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting… ![“Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat…Forgiveness does not create a relationship.” quote by William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/william-paul-young-25160_forgetting_forgiveness-is-not-about-forgetting-it-i_458243.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/william-paul-young-25160_forgetting_forgiveness-is-not-about-forgetting-it-i_458243.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/william-paul-young-25160_forgetting_forgiveness-is-not-about-forgetting-it-i_458243.jpg) > ““Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat…Forgiveness does not create a relationship.”” [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Forgiveness involves releasing resentment, not erasing memory, and does not guarantee relationship restoration. **In simple terms:** Forgiveness is letting go, not forgetting, and may not rebuild ties. Key Takeaway Practice letting go without expecting reconciliation. Themes forgiveness letting go relationships Mood reflective serene Type psychological ethical When to use this quote - personal healing - conflict resolution - boundary setting Key Concepts emotional release relationship dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Can you forgive without reconciling? - What boundaries are needed after forgiveness? A Different Perspective Forgiveness may be insufficient for deep wounds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forgetting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgetting/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) ## Related quotes > [Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It is about letting go of another person's throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgiveness-is-not-about-forgetting-it-is-about-letting-go-of-another/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Forgiveness is not a one off decision; it is a journey and a process that takes time, determination, and persistence. Forgiveness is not forgetting;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corallie-buchanan/forgiveness-is-not-a-one-off-decision-it-is-a-journey-and-a-process/) [Corallie Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corallie-buchanan/) > [“Forgiveness is not about forgetting, Mack. It is about letting go of another person's throat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wm-paul-young/forgiveness-is-not-about-forgetting-mack-it-is-about-letting-go-of/) [Wm. Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wm-paul-young/) > [“Perhaps no word exists in our terribly inadequate English language to name this abstract, emotional thing that is not forgiveness, is not forgetting, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janisse-ray/perhaps-no-word-exists-in-our-terribly-inadequate-english-language-to/) [Janisse Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janisse-ray/) > [“Forgiveness is not forgetting, but it is the urge to release those who have hurt you the most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-nantaba-bogere/forgiveness-is-not-forgetting-but-it-is-the-urge-to-release-those-who/) Lydia Nantaba Bogere > [Forgiveness is what I do for me, not forgetting ,is to get over you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgiveness-is-what-i-do-for-me-not-forgetting-is-to-get-over-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does make the future pleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgiveness-does-not-change-the-past-but-it-does-make-the-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgiveness does not overlook the deed. It rises above it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pumla-gobodo-madikizela/forgiveness-does-not-overlook-the-deed-it-rises-above-it/) [Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pumla-gobodo-madikizela/) > [“If forgiveness does take place it will be but an echo of the forgiveness granted by the just and loving God-- the only forgiveness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/if-forgiveness-does-take-place-it-will-be-but-an-echo-of-the/) [Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/) > [Forgiveness sets the prisoner free. And realizing that prisoner was you. That's what forgiveness does. It sets you free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-osteen/forgiveness-sets-the-prisoner-free-and-realizing-that-prisoner-was/) [Victoria Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-osteen/) > [“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. — PAUL BOESE”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgiveness-does-not-change-the-past-but-it-does-enlarge-the-future-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“They deserve forgiveness. Everyone does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-reinhardt/they-deserve-forgiveness-everyone-does/) [Dana Reinhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-reinhardt/) > [Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgiveness-does-not-change-the-past-but-it-does-enlarge-the-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgiveness does not mean that we have to continue to relate to those who have done us harm. In some cases the best practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/forgiveness-does-not-mean-that-we-have-to-continue-to-relate-to-those/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [Forgiveness does not require us to close our eyes but rather to truly open them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/forgiveness-does-not-require-us-to-close-our-eyes-but-rather-to-truly/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) ## More by William Paul Young > [“The thing is, he usually makes uncomfortable sense in a world where most folks would rather just hear what they are used to hearing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/the-thing-is-he-usually-makes-uncomfortable-sense-in-a-world-where/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets. —Paul Tournier S”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/nothing-makes-us-so-lonely-as-our-secrets-paul-tournier-s/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to hold power over another is to choose to limit oneself—to serve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/relationships-are-never-about-power-and-one-way-to-avoid-the-will-to-2/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Why would I ever again choose such a devastating path?" "You would have your reasons. You have the freedom to trust and the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/why-would-i-ever-again-choose-such-a-devastating-path-you-would-have/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Sadness is a wall between two gardens. —Kahlil Gibran”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/sadness-is-a-wall-between-two-gardens-kahlil-gibran/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“something that makes sense only if you can see a bigger picture of reality. Maybe that is where faith fits in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/something-that-makes-sense-only-if-you-can-see-a-bigger-picture-of/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Maybe it’s because I’ve never known anyone I could really call ‘Papa.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/maybe-it-s-because-i-ve-never-known-anyone-i-could-really-call-papa/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“From now on we no longer judge any person according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 5:16). We don’t judge anyone by how he or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/from-now-on-we-no-longer-judge-any-person-according-to-the-flesh-2/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Mackenzie, judgment is not about destruction, but about setting things right.” Mack”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/mackenzie-judgment-is-not-about-destruction-but-about-setting-things/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Mack was lying in the darkness, listening intently. “Aren’t you talking about a real indwelling, not just some positional, theological thing?” “Of course,” answered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/mack-was-lying-in-the-darkness-listening-intently-aren-t-you-talking/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“are a little fortress; inside them you can feel safe and powerful. Through your little fortress of lies you try to run your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/are-a-little-fortress-inside-them-you-can-feel-safe-and-powerful/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Declaring independence will result in evil because apart from me, you can draw only upon yourself. That is death because you have separated yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/declaring-independence-will-result-in-evil-because-apart-from-me-you/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“judgment is not about destruction, but about setting things right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/judgment-is-not-about-destruction-but-about-setting-things-right/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Evil is the word that discribes the abscense of God , simply the same as the word darkness discribes the abscense of light ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/evil-is-the-word-that-discribes-the-abscense-of-god-simply-the-same/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) > [“Well, I was trying to avoid that, but yes. Somehow I thought you’d be the ideal man, you know, athletic and overwhelmingly good-looking.” “It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paul-young/well-i-was-trying-to-avoid-that-but-yes-somehow-i-thought-you-d-be/) [William Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) [Explore all 20 William Paul Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paul-young/) ## More Forgetting quotes > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [The most painful thing in life is losing yourself in the process of valuing someone too much & forgetting that you are special too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-painful-thing-in-life-is-losing-yourself-in-the-process-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-focus-on-this-one-thing-forgetting-the-past-and-looking-forward-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [If you can't forgive and forget, pick only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-brault/if-you-can-t-forgive-and-forget-pick-only-one/) [Robert Brault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-brault/) > [Absolute is a game with only one player where Absolute forgets itself so it would have a reason to fulfill the motion while returning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/absolute-is-a-game-with-only-one-player-where-absolute-forgets-itself/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [“Several times that day, the name or thought of Papa had come up. And each time, Francie had felt a flash of tenderness instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/several-times-that-day-the-name-or-thought-of-papa-had-come-up-and/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“It's my fault. I am forgetting too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/it-s-my-fault-i-am-forgetting-too-much/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Falling out of love is chiefly a matter of forgetting how charming someone is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/falling-out-of-love-is-chiefly-a-matter-of-forgetting-how-charming/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“She's sure, absolutely sure, that what she's waiting for will happen, just the way she wants it to; and I'm so uncertain, so fearful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/she-s-sure-absolutely-sure-that-what-she-s-waiting-for-will-happen/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [Im afraid of being forgotten. Because, it seems everyone I get close to, ends up forgetting me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arcine-arciniegas/im-afraid-of-being-forgotten-because-it-seems-everyone-i-get-close-to/) [Arcine Arciniegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arcine-arciniegas/) > [“Keeping histories is as much about knowing what needs forgetting as what ought to be remembered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-bobet/keeping-histories-is-as-much-about-knowing-what-needs-forgetting-as/) [Leah Bobet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-bobet/) > [“Forgetting is what nature does best. The universe is a huge forgetting machine. It erases information no matter how hard we try to hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-ives-gilman/forgetting-is-what-nature-does-best-the-universe-is-a-huge-forgetting/) Carolyn Ives Gilman > [“Who was it said, ‘We forget because we must’? He was right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/who-was-it-said-we-forget-because-we-must-he-was-right/) [L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/) > [Moving on isnt forgetting the past, its learning from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/moving-on-isnt-forgetting-the-past-its-learning-from-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 1,010 Forgetting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgetting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Forgiveness is not about forgetting. 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