18 Forgiveness Quotes To Help You Let It Go and Move On

The definition of forgiveness is known to be a conscious and deliberate decision to release resentment (or even vengeance) towards another person who you believe has harmed you.

Sometimes in life, there are unexpected issues that arise within relationships with those that are around us. Carrying around the hurt or anger from a family argument, a rough breakup, or a disagreement with a friend can hold us back from experiencing the joys in life. Perhaps it's time to let the negative emotions go, forgive the other party, or even forgive yourself.

Words of encouragement often help us in times of need, and the list of forgiveness quotes below are no exception to this.

18 Quotes on Forgiveness

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.
— Martin Luther King Jr.

Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship. Forgiveness is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning.
— Martin Luther King Jr.

Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.
— Desmond Tutu

Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.
— Oscar Wilde

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.
— Mark Twain

Forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It's something you do for yourself. It's saying 'You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.' It’s saying, 'You don't get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future.
— Jodi Picoult

Take forgiveness slowly. Don't blame yourself for being slow. Peace will come.
— Yoko Ono

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
– Mahatma Gandhi

To err is human; to forgive, divine,
— Alexander Pope

It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.
— Maya Angelou

You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.
— Maya Angelou

The remedy for life’s broken pieces is not classes, workshops or books. Don’t try to heal the broken pieces. Just forgive.
— Iyanla Vanzant

Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love.
— Fred Rogers

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.
— Nelson Mandela

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message; that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.
— Dalai Lama

Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.
— Bruce Lee

When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.
— Katherine Ponder

Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.
— William Arthur Ward