Forgiveness is difficult—especially when someone has truly hurt you. But what did ancient philosophers have to say about this?
Confucius, the renowned Chinese philosopher, emphasized kindness as a core virtue. But when asked a similar question, he responded:
「以德報怨，何以報德？」
“If you repay resentment with kindness, what will you repay kindness with?”
In other words, forgiving those who hurt you might be unfair to those who have treated you kindly. Confucius believed that kindness should be grounded in justice—not in blind generosity.
Fast forward to today, we see echoes of this idea in international relations. The U.S. has imposed high tariffs on Chinese products, and China has responded in kind. While these tensions haven’t stopped dialogue, they have impacted everyday business.
For instance, I work in cross-border e-commerce, but due to these tensions, I’ve had to stop exporting to the U.S.
How do you see it? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.