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How easy is it for you to forgive?
By Christine Schoenwald — Written on Jan 31, 2017
How comfortable are you with the concept of forgiveness?
Forgiveness doesn’t come easily to me, and I used to pride myself on my ability to hold on to grudges. One of my friends once said, “You never forget a slight.” When she said that I didn’t get hurt or angry because I knew she was right.
When someone betrays you or does something so awful that it changes your perception of them, it can be extremely difficult to forgive them. I’ve had a few relationships implode simply because we couldn’t come to a place of forgiveness.
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But we don’t forgive people for their sake but for our own. When you carry that anger around with you, it not only takes an incredible amount of energy, it colors the way you view your life.
Sometimes when you’re that angry and forgiveness seems it impossible, you can feel protected, as if no matter what they do now can never hurt you again. But the truth is the hurt from the anger is continuous.
I got better at my grudge-holding and made peace with some of the people that I thought wronged me. No one is perfect at forgiveness and while I know it would be better for me in the long run, I’m not at the point where I can forgive everybody. I’m just happy that I’m not carrying around the burning flame of anger around with me all the time — it really was exhausting.
Everyone deals with forgiveness in their own way. Some people use forgiveness to heal while others are mainly interested in keeping things calm and will do anything to avoid potential conflict.
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Each zodiac sign has their own style in how they deal with people, their own challenges, circumstances, and emotions. Our signs don’t control us, but they do help guide us and they can help us become aware of certain character traits we possess.
Your forgiveness style may have more to do with your zodiac sign than you think, but here's how to forgive others, based on your sign.
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Aries (March 21 - April 19)
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Aries tend to be rash, impulsive, and say things without thinking. You don't usually set out to hurt people but you do have a temper and can be insensitive to the feelings of others. However, you generally aren't out to hurt people, you just have problems with impulse control. The good news is that your angry doesn't last long and you're able to let go of things.
Read: The 13 Brutal Truths About Loving An Aries, As Written By One
Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
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Forgiveness isn't as easy for you as it is for some of the other signs. Taurus, you aren't great at letting go of a past indiscretion or slight and you get stuck in that pattern of behaving. It's difficult for you to change and your stubbornness can turn a minor disagreement into a feud. You can forgive but it's like pulling teeth.
Read: The 5 Brutal Truths About Loving A Taurus, As Written By One
Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
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One of the primary characteristics of a Gemini is something that's crucial for forgiveness and that's communication. Your talent for talking to people and getting ideas across give you an advantage when it comes to dealing with people who have wronged you or people that you've harmed in some way. Keeping the lines of communication open is always key when it comes to forgiveness and you do that anyway.
Read: The 13 Brutal Truths About Loving A Gemini, As Written By One
Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
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It can be challenging for Cancer to let go of what you consider are past wrongs, making forgiveness tricky. However, one of your best qualities is your empathy and your ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes. You know how you'd feel if someone to whom you asked for forgiveness didn't give it to you and you wouldn't like it. Ultimately, your compassion helps you to forgive.
Read: The 5 Brutal Truths About Loving A Cancer, As Written By One
Leo (July 23 - August 22)
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Leo, you're not unlike Aries in the way you can't believe that something that you said or did unintentionally hurt someone. Then when that person doesn't treat you the way you think you should be treated or ignores you, you're completely confused.
You need to be more thoughtful and open to others so when they react to you in a negative way you can understand why and work to not repeat that behavior. The better you are at being present and accountable, the better you'll be at forgiveness.
Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
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Since Virgo is all about improving and fixing things, they have a talent for forgiveness. However, you tend to be hypercritical and demanding of yourself and others, and while you're good at forgiving others, you aren't as adept as forgiving yourself. Try not to be hard on yourself and remember that we're all works in progress.
Read: 7 Brutal Truths About Loving A Virgo (As Written By A Virgo)
Libra (September 23 - October 22)
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Libra, you tip the scales when it comes to forgiveness; you'll give it even when it's not needed just to keep the peace. Forgiveness is important in relationships but it shouldn't be given at the expense of your own dignity and self-respect. Don't say sorry just to avoid conflict, especially if it's not true. The flip side is that you can't stand it when you're not forgiven by someone else.
Read: 11 Brutal Truths About Loving A Libra, As Written By One
Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
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To say that you don't forgive easily is an understatement. You can hold on to grudge and revenge plans for life. When you're unable to forgive someone, you end up hurting yourself much more than the other person. When one hangs on to this kind of negativity, it can affect them both spiritually and physically. Scorpio, practice letting go and forgive others, for your own sake as much as theirs.
Read: 14 Brutal Truths About Loving A Scorpio, As Written By One
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
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You're great with the concept of forgiveness and, most of the time, you're good with letting go of hurt and anger and starting fresh with someone. However, that usually means getting out of the range of fire and going somewhere. Sagittarius would rather not deal with the consequences of hurting someone but, if necessary, you can live without them forgiving you.
Read: 7 Brutal Truths About Loving A Sagittarius, As Written By One
Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)
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Capricorn, you've been burned in the past, so you try to avoid those people who will ultimately let you down. When you mess up, you're able to do the work and get to a place where you're forgiven. It's more challenging for you to forgive but you know it's the best course of action.
Read: 7 Brutal Truths About Loving A Capricorn, As Written By One
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)
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When it comes to forgiveness, Aquarius is unpredictable. Since you have your own way of doing everything, you may get to a place of forgiveness in a different way than anybody else. Try not to attach conditions to your forgiveness as it should be unconditional. Generally, you just need some time to work it out.
Read: 7 Brutal Truths About Loving An Aquarius, As Written By One
Pisces (February 19 - March 20)
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You're extremely compassionate and have a talent for forgiveness. Pisces gives it easily but should be careful that they don't forgive someone for the same offense repeatedly. You tend to give the wrong people too many chances and they return the favor by taking advantage of you. You must learn that sometimes it's OK to not forgive, especially when it concerns self-preservation.
Read: 7 Brutal Truths About Loving A Pisces, As Written By One