Summary

The article outlines a ten-step process for forgiving one's enemies by understanding the influence of the primitive brain and cultivating compassion.

Abstract

"How To Forgive Your Enemy In 10 Steps" is an article that delves into the psychological and emotional process of forgiveness. It suggests that forgiveness is achievable by recognizing that harmful actions are often a result of the primitive, wild, and absurd part of the human brain that operates without awareness. The article encourages transforming anger and hatred into sadness, cultivating compassion for the aggressor by viewing them as mentally ill or temporarily enslaved by their primitive nature, and adopting a broader perspective on human imperfection and suffering. It emphasizes the importance of not retaliating, understanding that everyone is susceptible to the influence of their primitive side, and focusing on personal growth and constructive activities to move past the hurt. The piece concludes by advising to let go of the desire for revenge, as the aggressor will face the consequences of their actions, and to instead concentrate on more positive aspects of life.

Opinions

The article posits that human nature is inherently violent and that profound psychotherapy is necessary for behavior control.
It conveys the idea that individuals who hurt others are not acting as human beings but as wild animals, implying a lack of conscious choice in their actions.
The author suggests that anger towards an aggressor should be replaced with pity, as they are seen as mentally ill or under the sway of their primitive brain.
The text promotes a view of compassion towards those who have done wrong, emphasizing that they will ultimately suffer for their actions without the need for revenge.
It encourages readers to recognize their own imperfections and the shared human struggle against primitive impulses, fostering a sense of unity in the face of universal human failings.
The article advocates for a peaceful and wise response to aggression, suggesting that this approach is superior and will lead the aggressor to potentially feel remorse.
It advises readers to focus on constructive activities and personal development as a means to forget the suffering caused by others, thereby achieving a state of peace.

How To Forgive Your Enemy In 10 Steps

Follow these instructions until you can stop suffering completely and live in peace.

It’s very difficult to forgive others when we are hurt. However, we must understand that a large part of our brain is primitive, wild, and absurd.

Everyone is influenced by this part of their brain, which has not gone through an awareness process. Therefore, we must forgive everyone without distinction since those who attack us are being dominated by the primitive part of their brain. They don’t act like human beings when they hurt us but like wild animals.

With this notion in mind, you must follow these 10 steps to forgive your enemy:

1. Try to turn your anger and hate into sadness. Just as you shouldn’t hate wild animals for being insensitive, you shouldn’t hate a person who is dominated by their wild side.

Unfortunately, human nature is basically violent. Human beings can control their behavior only through profound psychotherapy.

So, think of your enemy as if you were thinking about an inferior creature, and have pity on him because he is mentally ill.

2. Think that you were attacked by your enemy because of his evil nature, and not for another reason.

He behaved terribly because he lost the ability to use his conscience for a period of time and not for the reasons you can see.

In fact, your enemy became a slave to the primitive part of his brain. In this condition, his actions could only be harmful.

3. Cultivate compassion for your enemy.

Consider your enemy a mentally ill who does not control his behavior.

Have pity on those who are dominated by their wild side and do evil, because they will end up living in despair.

4. Look at what generated your revolt in another way.

Stop being angry because you were the victim of your enemy’s evil now that you know that human beings cannot always control their behavior due to the existence of a primitive part in everyone’s brain.

Feel sad because of the existence of evil.

Stop getting angry for being betrayed and humiliated by someone who was controlled by the primitive and wild part of his brain. Feel sad because everyone can lose their ability to think logically and have human feelings when their wild side takes over.

Have pity on the human race in general terms.

5. Think about all the people who are constantly being hurt, tortured, and abandoned in our world.

Don’t consider yourself the only victim of other people’s evil.

6. Recognize that you are not perfect either and that you need to suffer to become a more sensitive human being.

Don’t think that you are much better than your enemy or that you don’t make mistakes, since you are often influenced by the wild part of your brain as well.

7. Recognize that the wild part of the human being is too absurd and that is very difficult for everyone to fight the primitive part of their brain and their strong wild tendencies, mainly because we live in a world ruled by violence and immorality.

Be tolerant of everyone because the truth is very sad. With all the violent tendencies we’ve inherited from birth, our mistakes are basically inevitable. We make more mistakes than we do what is right.

Therefore, keep in mind that your enemy had no consciousness when he hurt you, even though he seemed to have acted consciously.

Human evil does not belong to our conscience, but to our primitive side.

8. Put an end to the violence with your peaceful and wise attitude. Don’t imitate your enemy’s example. Be superior.

Give your enemy the chance to repent for hurting you because you did nothing to get revenge on him. Later he might be ashamed of what he did to you if you don’t do anything to him.

9. Your enemy will surely be punished by the negative consequences of his mistakes, so you don’t have to want to get revenge on him. Sooner or later the harm he has done to you will turn against him.

Whoever is cruel and dishonest ends up getting involved with people as cruel and dishonest as he is.

10. Forget your enemy now that you understood why he was so mean. Take care of other matters and keep busy with them.

Stop thinking about what he did to you and stop suffering for this reason. Work, study, talk to a friend, walk, do whatever may help you forget your suffering until you will be able to definitively stop thinking about what happened.