--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Forgiveness, they shouted, all the while…" description: "\"“Forgiveness, they shouted, all the while committing their wrongs. When he was younger, Yaw wondered why they did not preach that the people should avo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/yaa-gyasi-16869_forgiveness_forgiveness-they-shouted-all-the-while-c_2164822.jpg" --- # Forgiveness, they shouted, all the while committing their… ![“Forgiveness, they shouted, all the while committing their wrongs. When he was younger, Yaw wondered why they did not preach that the people should avoid wrongdoing altogether. But the older he got, the better he understood. Forgiveness was an act done after the fact, a piece of the bad deed’s…” quote by Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/yaa-gyasi-16869_forgiveness_forgiveness-they-shouted-all-the-while-c_2164822.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/yaa-gyasi-16869_forgiveness_forgiveness-they-shouted-all-the-while-c_2164822.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/yaa-gyasi-16869_forgiveness_forgiveness-they-shouted-all-the-while-c_2164822.jpg) > ““Forgiveness, they shouted, all the while committing their wrongs. When he was younger, Yaw wondered why they did not preach that the people should avoid wrongdoing altogether. But the older he got, the better he understood. Forgiveness was an act done after the fact, a piece of the bad deed’s future. And if you point the people’s eye to the future, they might not see what is being done to hurt them in the present.”” [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Forgiveness is a future‑oriented act that acknowledges wrongdoing while allowing growth beyond the present harm. **In simple terms:** Forgiveness looks forward. Key Takeaway Practice forward‑looking forgiveness. Themes forgiveness growth future Mood thoughtful empathetic Type ethical psychological When to use this quote - personal healing - restorative justice - relationship counseling - community reconciliation Key Concepts psychology of forgiveness ethical theory Questions to Reflect On - When is forgiveness inappropriate? - How to balance accountability and forgiveness? A Different Perspective Forgiveness may enable repeated offenses. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Forgiveness Act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness-act-829798/) [Forgiveness Shouted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness-shouted-4609649/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Understood Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood-forgiveness-781306/) [Yaw Wondered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yaw-wondered-781307/) ## Related quotes > [“Yaw wasn't certain that he believed in forgiveness. He heard the word most on the few days he went to the white man's church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/yaw-wasn-t-certain-that-he-believed-in-forgiveness-he-heard-the-word/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [It was about forgiving. I understood that forgiveness itself was strong, durable—like strands of a web weaving around us, holding us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hamilton/it-was-about-forgiving-i-understood-that-forgiveness-itself-was/) [Jane Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hamilton/) > [“He used to believe that to forgive was to allow an offense to go unpunished. Now he finally understood that forgiveness was not about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/he-used-to-believe-that-to-forgive-was-to-allow-an-offense-to-go/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [Forgiveness is the act of admitting we are like other people. We are prone to make mistakes that cause confusion, inflict pain, and miscommunicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baldwin/forgiveness-is-the-act-of-admitting-we-are-like-other-people-we-are/) [Christina Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baldwin/) > [Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart" "It is not my ability,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/forgiveness-is-an-act-of-the-will-and-the-will-can-function/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [The act of forgiveness is the act of returning to present time. And that's why when one has become a forgiving person, and has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/the-act-of-forgiveness-is-the-act-of-returning-to-present-time-and/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/forgiveness-is-an-act-of-the-will-and-the-will-can-function-2/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [Forgiveness is nothing more and nothing less than an act of self-healing-an act of self-empowermen t.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/forgiveness-is-nothing-more-and-nothing-less-than-an-act-of-self/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Forgiveness is the act of freeing yourself from an obligation to think negative thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgiveness-is-the-act-of-freeing-yourself-from-an-obligation-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Forgiveness is first act of faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/forgiveness-is-first-act-of-faith/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Forgiveness should be an act, but this is a state with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/forgiveness-should-be-an-act-but-this-is-a-state-with-him/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [Forgiveness is an act of admitting we are like other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-perri/forgiveness-is-an-act-of-admitting-we-are-like-other-people/) [Christina Perri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-perri/) > [Forgiveness is an act of self-love and respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/forgiveness-is-an-act-of-self-love-and-respect/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [Forgiveness is the act of admitting we are like other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baldwin/forgiveness-is-the-act-of-admitting-we-are-like-other-people/) [Christina Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baldwin/) > [But forgiveness is the act of not putting anyone out of your heart, even those who are acting out of deep ignorance or out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/but-forgiveness-is-the-act-of-not-putting-anyone-out-of-your-heart/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) ## More by Yaa Gyasi > [“We believe the one who has the power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/we-believe-the-one-who-has-the-power-he-is-the-one-who-gets-to-write/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“Her trick is to make him think that he is king of the bush, but what does a king matter? Really, she is king…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/her-trick-is-to-make-him-think-that-he-is-king-of-the-bush-but-what/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“How could he explain to Marjorie that he wasn’t supposed to be here? Alive. Free. That the fact that he had been born, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/how-could-he-explain-to-marjorie-that-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-here/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“Yaw wasn't certain that he believed in forgiveness. He heard the word most on the few days he went to the white man's church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/yaw-wasn-t-certain-that-he-believed-in-forgiveness-he-heard-the-word/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“I’m too old to go to America now. Too old for revolution, too. Besides, if we go to the white man for school, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/i-m-too-old-to-go-to-america-now-too-old-for-revolution-too-besides/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“If she slept, she would do so only lightly, dipping the ladle of sleep into the shallow pool of dreamland”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/if-she-slept-she-would-do-so-only-lightly-dipping-the-ladle-of-sleep/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“If God was why, then Asamoah was yes and yes again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/if-god-was-why-then-asamoah-was-yes-and-yes-again/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“Aunty, they say that you make impossible things possible.” She laughed again. “Eh, but they say that about Anansi, about Nyame, about the white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/aunty-they-say-that-you-make-impossible-things-possible-she-laughed/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“And in my village we have a saying about separated sisters. They are like a woman and her reflection, doomed to stay on opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/and-in-my-village-we-have-a-saying-about-separated-sisters-they-are/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“Loneliness, maybe. Or aloneness. The way I don’t fit here or there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/loneliness-maybe-or-aloneness-the-way-i-don-t-fit-here-or-there/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“if we go to the white man for school, we will just learn the way the white man wants us to learn. We will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/if-we-go-to-the-white-man-for-school-we-will-just-learn-the-way-the/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“On the first day of the second term, Yaw watched the new students amble in. They were always well-behaved children, these boys, having been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/on-the-first-day-of-the-second-term-yaw-watched-the-new-students/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“I am proud to be Asante, as I am sure you are proud to be Fante, but after I lost my brothers, I decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/i-am-proud-to-be-asante-as-i-am-sure-you-are-proud-to-be-fante-but/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“Maybe he wouldn't end up the kind of man who needed to use his body for work. Maybe he'd be a new kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/maybe-he-wouldn-t-end-up-the-kind-of-man-who-needed-to-use-his-body/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) > [“It was where all the dirty, ugly, righteous, and beautiful things were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaa-gyasi/it-was-where-all-the-dirty-ugly-righteous-and-beautiful-things-were/) [Yaa Gyasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) [Explore all 36 Yaa Gyasi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaa-gyasi/) ## More Forgiveness quotes > [“Lord I come before you, I repent all my sins; forgive me. I repent on behalf of my children forgive them Lord. Help them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/lord-i-come-before-you-i-repent-all-my-sins-forgive-me-i-repent-on/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [Forgiveness is not saying, What you did to me is okay. It is saying, Im not going to let what you did to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/forgiveness-is-not-saying-what-you-did-to-me-is-okay-it-is-saying-im/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [“So in practicing blanket forgiveness you first assume that in any current condition of pain or discomfort there is some anger involved, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-kahili-king/so-in-practicing-blanket-forgiveness-you-first-assume-that-in-any/) [Serge Kahili King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-kahili-king/) > [Do what is given to you, and do it well, and you will have done enough...live together in the forgiveness of your sins. Forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-what-is-given-to-you-and-do-it-well-and-you-will-have-done-enough/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The public, more often than not, will forgive mistakes, but it will not forgive trying to wiggle out of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-grizzard/the-public-more-often-than-not-will-forgive-mistakes-but-it-will-not/) [Lewis Grizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-grizzard/) > [A Real Boyfriend does the sweetest things randomly because he never wants her to feel unappreciated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/a-real-boyfriend-does-the-sweetest-things-randomly-because-he-never/) [Enhance Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enhance-dreams/) > [“(Evil people) do not believe in forgiveness. Their transgressions are either punished or not punished. That is the only result that matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mchugh/evil-people-do-not-believe-in-forgiveness-their-transgressions-are/) [Daniel McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mchugh/) > [Friendship means understanding, not argument. it means forgiveness, not forgetting. it means the memories last, even if contact is lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sokhom/friendship-means-understanding-not-argument-it-means-forgiveness-not/) [Sokhom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sokhom/) > [Grace is the wonderful spirit that imbues every fiber of our being when we practice the fruits of the spirit: kindness, patience, understanding, forgiveness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cayce/grace-is-the-wonderful-spirit-that-imbues-every-fiber-of-our-being/) [Edgar Cayce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cayce/) > [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [“Have an open mind and heart. Learn to journey in understanding and forgiveness. It's not always going to be easy but it will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elle/have-an-open-mind-and-heart-learn-to-journey-in-understanding-and/) [Alexandra Elle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elle/) > [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [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/) [Browse all 8,311 Forgiveness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Forgiveness, they shouted, all the while committing their wrongs. When he was younger, Yaw wondered why they did not preach that the people should avoid wrongdoing altogether. But the older he got, the better he understood. Forgiveness was an act done after the fact, a piece of the bad deed’s future. 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