Fireside Chat: Forgiveness or Not?

Nassim Taleb once said that “people usually apologize so they can do it again.” When a man shows remorse for committing a crime, it is usually done at the courthouse. When he says this, he apologizes for being caught, for the community seeing him for who he is, and wishes that he were smart enough to evade capture. When he wishes for someone’s forgiveness, in reality, he is asking for their permission to have the opportunity to hurt them again. Instead of showing his Kala ‘ndras, he instead is seeking further opportunity to harm. By putting on the mask, pretending to accept responsibility, and promising to avoid the issue in the future, he allows the inner Id to hide once again for a time. By building relationships based on lies, he hopes that others will speak nothing but the truth. Both parties are the same – they are ordinary people dressed in secrets and lies. This way of life is foolish and must be forgotten. The only apology worth accepting is given through action.