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A Neuroscientist Explains All the Good Things That Happen in Your Brain When You Forgive Someone
“To err is human; to forgive, divine,” the poet Alexander Pope wrote in the 1700s. These days a boatload of modern science suggests he was on to something. Research from Harvard Health has found links between forgiving those who have wronged you and lower levels of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, as well as higher self-esteem and life satisfaction.
Letting go of anger won’t just make you happier and healthier. It will help you perform better at work too. Studies of office workers revealed forgiving colleagues for their missteps leads to increased productivity, lower absenteeism, and even fewer (literal) headaches. All of which suggests that, whether the other party deserves it or not, forgiveness is good for you.
However, an important question remains: Why exactly? Why does putting hurt in the past often have such profoundly positive consequences? On Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center blog, neuroscientist Emiliana Simon-Thomas explained exactly what goes on in your brain when you forgive someone. Her detailed portrait of your brain on forgiveness should be enough to persuade nearly everyone to consider letting go of old grudges.
