Quotation by

Henry Ward Beecher

I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one.

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Understanding this quote AI Analysis

The quote means that true forgiveness requires completely letting go of the offense, not holding onto it in any way. If you say you can forgive but still remember the wrong, you are really not forgiving at all, because forgiveness should erase the debt entirely like destroying a cancelled note.

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