The Reconciliation We All Deserve

In the September 7, 2019 article “Taylor Swift, Philosopher of Forgiveness” the author Scott Hershovitz briefly describes if forgiving someone who has hurt you in a way, allows you to move on. Or if in the end just makes it seem like they have won and what they did to you doesn’t really matter. Taylor Swift comes in with her story on whether or not forgiving Kanye West for pushing her off the stage at MTV music awards will help her move on. The author and Taylor both believe that forgiving someone is not the only key in moving on from a situation. They think that you do not need to forgive to forget. Hershovitz says ” Hold on to your resentment; just don’t let it hold on to you.”

Although Ms Swift and Mr Hershovitz do make valid points, as a teenager who has grown up listening to Taylor Swift and the messages that she has in her music, I do have to say this is not a message that motivates me to move on. I am not the type of person who holds on to a situation and resents someone for a long time. I believe that the only way to truly move on from something is to forgive and forget. I’m not saying that if someone was to do you wrong in some way to just forget about it right away and move past it. I believe that if you are comfortable enough to want to try and move on from something, then you should be willing to forgive as well.

Hershovitz article does talk about both points, moving on without forgiveness and just forgive and forget. But both him and Mrs, Swift both seem to agree on the thought of always having that sense of power. That forgiving and forgetting lets you seem weak. In the end I believe that you hold the power when you show that person that you are mature enough to forgive and forget, and show them that their actions no longer phase you.