To Hold a Grudge or Not?
Most experts and articles always recommended forgiveness. They advise not to hold onto a grudge but instead, to forgive and forget. They say, “Don’t hold a grudge, it’s not good for you.” However, believe it or not, there’s actually some research out there that suggests holding a grudge isn’t so bad after all.
Arguments that You Should Let Go of Grudges
Many mental and physical health experts say that holding onto a grudge can be bad for you. The argument is that grudges keep a feud going and can cause anger to linger. As a result, people who hold grudges spend (and waste) a lot of time dwelling on something that happened in the past. And for some, this can take a toll on their physical health.
Also, there’s a concern that holding onto a grudge gives the offender more power and control in your life. If you’re still angry at something someone said five years ago, you’re giving that person’s words a lot of power. So, in an effort to take back that power, let go of the grudge.
For some, letting go of a grudge will allow them to move on with their lives. From a spiritual stand point, many people recommend forgiveness as well as a core principal to their beliefs. And it sure can feel good sometimes to finally let go of something that has offended you in the past.
Arguments that You Should Hold Onto a Grudge
There are some arguments however that indicate holding onto that grudge might not be so bad. A 2008 study by the University of Tennessee, “Forgiveness in Marriage: Putting the Benefits Into Context,” says it is important to weigh the risks of letting go of a grudge. One thing the study concluded was that letting go of a grudge can somehow signal to the offender that their behavior is acceptable. As a result, their offending behavior may continue.
This can cause people to run the risk of being a doormat. For example, if a husband yells and calls his wife names and she immediately forgives him, what’s stopping him from doing this again tomorrow? Forgiving too quickly and too often can cause someone to grow resentful over time if they continue to be treated poorly.
Also, there’s no guarantee that offering forgiveness or letting go of the past will make things any better. And it doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily repair the relationship just because you let go of a grudge.
Striking a Healthy Balance
When it comes to forgiveness, it isn’t always as easy or simple as it sounds. And this is especially in true in marriage. The person that you love the most has the most potential to hurt you so when you’ve been deeply hurt by your spouse, forgiveness takes a lot of time and energy.
You don’t need to offer immediate forgiveness. In fact, it can be much more meaningful when you work through issues together. For example, if your spouse cheats on you, it’s going to take a lot of work to repair the relationship and saying, “I forgive you,” right away may not be helpful.
And forgiving doesn’t mean you need to be a doormat. If your spouse keeps committing the same offense, it’s clearly a problem that needs to be addressed.
It’s important to set limits as well. You don’t need to send the message that says, “I forgive you for this and all your future transgressions as well.” Instead, tell your partner, “I can understand that this happened once but if it happens again I don’t know that I can work through it.”
Working Through Hurt and Anger
Time does not heal all wounds. Instead, it takes hard work and commitment to work through sadness, fear and anger. So simply waiting a week, month or even a year isn’t going to mean that you’ll feel better. In fact, if these feelings aren’t dealt with, you might feel worse over time.
If you are holding onto a grudge, spend some time considering the pros and cons of letting go of the grudge. Look at how holding onto it is impacting your marriage and the costs and benefits of continuing to hold onto it versus forgiving your spouse.
Sometimes professional help can assist you in working through hurt and anger. Marriage counseling can be a good way to assist couples who can’t get past an event or incident. This is especially true if the subject keeps causing fights or is often brought up in the heat of an argument about a completely different subject.
