‘You can forgive and seek justice at the same time’: Robert Enright on how to learn forgiveness

The co-founder of the International Forgiveness Institute explains the benefits of mercy on physical and mental health.
Robert Enright, professor of educational psychology in the School of Edcuation at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is pictured in a studio portrait on March 3, 2022. Enright is a expert on human development and the social science of forgiveness. (Photo by Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison)

With the recent news of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and the eventual return of the remaining Israeli hostages, tensions remain high between pro- and anti-Zionist communities here in Canada, who’ve stood sharply divided on the foreign conflict for 15 months. Members of those communities may still be holding hatred or anger in their hearts—leading to increased depression, anxiety and isolation.

But according to Dr. Robert Enright, forgiveness is a choice rooted in mercy—and doesn’t come at the expense of moral justice. As the co-founder of the International Forgiveness Institute, Enright has dedicated his career to studying forgiveness and the effects it has on the human brain and body. He joins Ralph Benmergui on the latest episode of Not That Kind of Rabbi.

Listen to the full episode above.

Credits

  • Host: Ralph Benmergui
  • Producer: Michael Fraiman
  • Music: Yevhen Onoychenko

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