Forgiveness is often framed as a moral obligation or spiritual directive—something we “should” do to be good people. But beyond the ethical considerations, forgiveness is increasingly understood as a psychologically rich and biologically significant process.

From the earliest moments of life, the environment we grow up in begins to quietly shape how we think, feel, and respond to the world around us. As adults, we may not always connect the dots between childhood events and our present-day behaviors, but the connection is there, woven deeply into the fabric of our emotional lives.