Unforgiven

Human have learnt to store pain in their internal memory. It is a basic primal feature built in our hardwares as means of survival. We witness this even in less intellectual creatures.

In the primal days, these include: what type of animals bit us, which plants were to avoid, which routes were dangerous to take, the pain of losing something/someone, and many other important information, crucial to our existence. The learning process may be experienced by oneself, or by witnessing others experiencing the pain.

We may say ‘we forgive’ by a given definition, and not act/say/discuss on what has ensued in contexts and settings where it was non-crucial to their existence [e.g. in times of peace]. In truth, the memory has been stored by means of pain deep in their hard drives, waiting in disposal in their arsenal to be recalled as defense mechanisms as well as offensive weaponries.

In times of crisis, actual or perceived, often involving emotional triggers, the brain accesses these information like a thunderbolt, applying what we have learnt into effect. In the hunting days, this may took form in our fight or flight reactions when seeing danger approaching.

In modern days, the manifestations range from subtle, daily decision-making, quarrels between relatives, spousal disputes, to violent encounters, genocides and even massacres. One need not say ‘you did this x years ago…’ or ‘your in-laws did…’ The learnt information manifests itself in other matters undoubtedly, without fail.

The very notion of forgiving is so unhuman, non-intuitive and against the very core of our primal instinct, that we have attributed an all-forgiving character to the ever-popular notion of ‘God’. If you’ve adopted a religion, your version of God or its representatives would probably forgive you for any or all of your wrong doings, by means of simple person-to-God confession, to elaborate rituals that may involve sacrificial acts of some sort.

‘Forgive and forget’ – The phrase has been glorified by modern societies. Advanced civilizations demand us to behave according to artificial ever-changing standards, masking our pain and emotions in grandeurs of daily masquerades, priding ourselves behind the ‘evolved’, ‘cultured’ masks.

In truth, human doesn’t really forgive. Societies don’t forgive.

You may believe your version of God forgives you, but in the brains of your fellow human beings, YOU are never truly ‘forgiven’.

Therefore, in truth, be perfect.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may *not be forgiven” [James 5:16 *jazzed up]

Unforgiven,

W. Adriano