What is the use of asking for forgiveness? Its 6 benefits

Much is said about forgiveness, and the benefits that practicing it can bring to our lives. But they rarely explain clearly what the use of asking for forgiveness is, or how to learn to do it in a good way, to have a better quality of life based on your practice.

In this article we will focus on just that: on explaining what it is for to ask for forgiveness and what are the main benefits that doing it properly and timely brings to our lives.

• Related article: "Forgiveness: should I or should I not forgive the one who hurt me?"

What is the use of asking for forgiveness?

At some point we all believe that we have failed someone, or we feel guilty for things we did without thinking too much about them; it could even happen that we feel angry with ourselves.

All the feelings that we do not express in a timely manner remain with us as a pending account, which could prevent us from functioning adequately in the other areas of our daily life. This psychological discomfort could even bring physical discomfort.

That is why knowing how to ask for forgiveness is so important to our lives; allows us to discard many of those negative thoughts and feelings that hurt us. But it is important to know how to do it well; It is not enough only to express it verbally, we must find a way to find that outlet when we express the request for forgiveness. When we have achieved this we can begin to see the changes in our life.

On the other hand, another of the benefits of asking for forgiveness is that improves the quality of our social relationships and also benefits third parties; it is an action that, in most cases, everyone wins.

How to apologize assertively?

To ask for forgiveness in the best way it is important to bear in mind that we do not have control over other people's actions, that is, we can never control what others do or feel. We only have control over ourselves, over our actions.

With that in mind, we can dedicate the greatest amount of our resources to cultivating our tranquility and our peace of mind, in the extent to which we stop placing all expectations on others and focus on ourselves as well, it becomes easier for us ask for forgiveness, apart from the fact that we managed to do it in a more natural and calm way, knowing how to respect the responses and decisions of the the rest.

It is good to understand that perhaps the other person is not willing to grant us her forgiveness at that moment. It is a situation that must be understood without letting it bother us, since it is something natural. Everyone has their times and their ways of internalizing forgiveness, so in any case, feel free that you were able to express your feelings openly, you also had the capacity and emotional strength to have asked for his forgiveness.

The 6 benefits of knowing how to ask for forgiveness

In these lines we will see several answers to the question of what is the use of asking for forgiveness, with its main benefits in daily life.

1. We take a weight off our shoulders

This weight refers to the emotional load we have on us when we feel the urgent need to ask someone for forgiveness, regardless of why.

Once we managed to express our motives to that person and we ask for your forgiveness, we will feel a sense of relief that replaces the anguish we had previously.

• You may be interested: "Anguish: symptoms, causes and possible treatments"

2. It makes us better people

The act of asking for forgiveness ennobles us. The moment we are able to accept that we were wrong and that someone deserves an apology for our past behavior, we are reinforcing our integrity and making ourselves a better version of ourselves.

This can also be seen by the people around us, who will take into account the fact that even when we make a mistake with someone, we pay the price, which implies that we place importance on not harming others or being unfair to others (and that means that it is relatively unlikely that let's do).

3. Helps us recognize our mistakes

To think that we have to ask someone for forgiveness, before we had to have gone through a prior self-assessment process, which led us to realize that we had made some mistakes.

People who are able to recognize their own mistakes tend to go further in terms of fulfillment of his purposes, he who does not accept his mistakes will most likely stumble upon them repeatedly occasions.

4. Improve our coexistence with others

Dealing with others becomes more enjoyable when there are no quarrels between people, and an indispensable requirement for that to be the case is show others that we are able to recognize when we are wrong and that we are not ashamed of having to ask for forgiveness when it is necessary.

• You may be interested: "Top 14 Soft Skills for Success in Life"

5. Contributes to physical and mental health

Many physical ailments are related to the high levels of anguish and stress that people present when they don't feel good about what they do or have done.

Those subjects who do not keep their emotions to themselves, but are fully capable of expressing them openly and assertively, they are less likely to have their emotional state compromised, and they also guard against various forms of discomfort.

Becoming forgiven not only serves to reduce tensions in personal relationships, it also allows to reduce tensions at the individual level, in relationships with oneself. So, influences self-concept and self-esteem, through a task that is complex and involves leaving the comfort zone, proving to oneself that we can do things well.

6. Prevents awkward moments in the future

At the time of asking for forgiveness we are closing a cycle, putting an end to a situation. Otherwise, we would be giving rise to uncomfortable situations with one or more people in the future, related to the cycle that we have not been able to close. This occurs especially in those who remain in the social environment in which they have known the person they have harmed or with whom they have been unfair.